Simon Holt

"For the horse racing commentator, see Simon Holt (commentator)."

Simon Holt (born February 21, 1958, Bolton, England) is a British composer.

Biography

Simon Holt was educated at Bolton School. Shortly after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, he became firmly established on the new music circuit with a series of commissions and fruitful collaborations with the London Sinfonietta and the Nash Ensemble. Influenced by Messiaen, Xenakis and Feldman as well as visual artists such as Goya, Giacometti and Brancusi, his music is complex, dramatic and often enigmatic. The intricate internal structures of his works are concealed by a seemingly impulsive nature. During the 1980s he worked primarily in complex soundworlds, while since the 1990s the dense textures have often been offset by Feldmanesque moments of calm, that Holt refers to as ‘still centres’.

Career highlights

*1978-82 - studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Anthony Gilbert.
*1985 - came to prominence as featured composer at the Bath Festival.
*1989 - Royal Philharmonic Society Award for "Capriccio Spettrale".
*1998 - featured composer at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
*2001 - Le Prix de la Fondation Prince Pierre, Monacofor Sunrise’ yellow noise.
*2002 - Ivor Novello Classical Music Award for "Boots of Lead".
*2004 - British Composer Award for "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?"

Key works

* "Kites" (1983; ensemble)
* "Canciones" (1986; voice, ensemble)
* "Syrensong" (1987, orchestra)
* "Lilith" (1990; ensemble)
* "walking with the river's roar" (1990–1991; viola and orchestra)
* "The Nightingale’s to Blame" (1998; opera)
* "Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?" (2002; music theatre)

Selected recordings

* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2441&State_2934=2&discId_2934=1116 "Canciones; …era madrugada; Shadow Realm; Sparrow Night"] - NMC D008
* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2441&State_2934=2&discId_2934=983 "Boots of Lead; eco-pavan; Kites; Lilith; Feet of clay"] - NMC D094
* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2441&State_2934=2&discId_2934=241 "Maïastra"] - Metier MSV CD92063

External links

* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=714 Simon Holt's homepage at Chester Music]