Piers Hellawell

Piers Hellawell
(b. 1956)

'Since the mid-1980s I’ve reacted strongly against the ornate surfaces of much instrumental music of our time. I seek in my work a more direct expression, particularly in my rhythmic and harmonic materials, yet I welcome the diversity that comes from uniting disparate, even dangerous, elements under one roof.'
Piers Hellawell
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Piers Hellawell was born in England and studied with James Wood and Nicholas Maw. At the age of twenty-four he was appointed composer-in-residence at Queen’s University, Belfast, where he is now Professor of Composition. His works have been commissioned, broadcast and performed around the world, including at several ISCM festivals and the Helsinki Biennale. He has collaborated with the Hilliard Ensemble, the Schubert Ensemble of London, the Scottish Ensemble and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Major commissions of recent years include those from the BBC Proms, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Stockholm Chamber Brass, with performances at numerous international festivals. The CD of the 1999 BBC Proms commission Inside Story and other recent major works appeared in 2002 on the Metronome label, when it was a BBC Music Magazine CD of the Month. This year sees the release of the next Hellawell disc in Metronome's series, Dogs and Wolves, which presents more recent large-scale orchestral and chamber works. Following Sound Carvings from the Bell Foundry, commissioned for Stockholm Chamber Brass by festivals in Norway and Northern Ireland, Hellawell's current projects include a clarinet concerto for Robert Plane and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Piers Hellawell is published by Peter’s Edition Ltd.

(biography © Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland)
Composer web site: http://www.piershellawell.com/

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