Professor Stephen Davismoon

Director of Music

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• E: s.m.davismoon@salford.ac.uk
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By appointment

Stephen Davismoon was born in London. He completed undergraduate studies in music at the University of Southampton in 1990, specializing in composition Graebner and performance (Classical Guitar). In 1996 he completed his Doctorate in Composition at the University of Edinburgh, studying with Nigel Osborne, which combined study into extended instrumental/vocal techniques along with computer sound synthesis and algorithmic composition.

He is currently Professor of Contemporary Composition and Director of Music at the University of Salford, Manchester, England.

He has had a professional composition career for nearly 20 years, and has written music for a broad range of ensembles and situations – from solo pieces through to works for full orchestra, with and without voices. He has also written a number of live electronic/interactive; electroacoustic and sound-art installation pieces.

He has had performances in Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay and the USA. He has worked with many notable musicians, institutions and festivals along the way: Roberto Fabbriciani; Rohan de Saram; Die Neuevocalsolisten; Scottish Opera; Centro Tempo Reale; Das Experimentalstudio der Heinrich Strobel Stiftung; Richard Craig; Tara Boumann; Luciane Cardassi, CCMIX Studios; Edinburgh International Festival – ‘Behind the Scenes’; Martyn Brabbins; Chamber Group of Scotland; Le Champs Libre; Ensemble Linea; Brake Drum Percussion Ensemble; The Edinburgh Quartet; Klangwerktage Hamburg; Finestre sul Novecento; The Tampere Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra

Composition

Computer Music (Interactive and Music Modelling)

Music History

Dissertation

Ideas and techniques from the fields of emergent and generative computing consistently appear throughout his work, irrespective of medium.  The transformation/hybridisation of musical archetypes/topics through generative/emergent algorithms for example is a common theme of enquiry.

In addition to his work as a composer Stephen also writes regularly on matters relating to contemporary music history and practice.  His scholarly work on Luigi Nono and Edgard Varèse for Routledge were well-received. 

PhD (Edinburgh)

Compositions

Magnolia Spring Unfurls – for solo baritone saxophone and live electronics (c35’ duration) for the Italian saxophonist Marco Visconti-Prasca who commissioned the work.  It received its world premiere performance on 20^th May 2011 for the Sconfini Festival at the Palazzo dei Musei – Lapidario Romano, Modena, Italy.

Ice – electroacoustic work (c11’). .  It received its world premiere performance on 20^th May 2011 for the Sconfini Festival at the Palazzo dei Musei – Lapidario Romano, Modena, Italy.

Resonant Shoreline – for solo piano and live electronics (c33’ duration) for the Brazilian/Canadian pianist Luciane Cardassi (www.lucianecardassi.com).  This project received support from Creative Scotland (formerly the Scottish Arts Council); The Banff Centre Canada; The University of Salford.  It received its premiere performance at the Banff Centre on Friday 28^th January 2010; then on 29^th January at the University of Calgary, Canada as part of its ‘Happening Festival’ of New Music and Media.  It will receive further performances at the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival at the University of Plymouth on Sunday 13^th February and at our own Peel Hall on 16^th February. 

Celestial Fanfares Fragmented for Horn Trio, commissioned for  the PRISMA group (Pedagogia e Ricerca sui Sistemi Musicali Assistiti) workshops hosted by the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival and the University of Plymouth, it received its premiere performance by the Research Ensemble (www.researchensemble.com) on 26^th February 2010.

In the Highest for Symphony Orchestra commissioned by the Pyynikki Symphony Orchestra, premiered by them¿Sunday 24th of January 2010 at Pyynikkisali,Tampere, Finland conducted by Ari Angervo.

Glory Streams for Piano and String Quartet; commissioned by the Edinburgh Quartet and featured the pianist Lauryna Sableviciute received its premiere performance at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh 13^th December 2009.

Incantations: I breathe my eternal rock for 2 bass flutes and cello, commissioned by the Sound Festival, Aberdeen.  Featuring Richard Craig and Roberto Fabbriciani (Flutes) and Rohan de Saram (Cello).  The premiere took place in Banchory 15^th November 2009.

Solar for 2 Marimbas and Interactive Electronics, commissioned by the Brake Drum Percussion Ensemble, Treviso Italy.  The Premiere Performance took place October 5^th 2009 - 'Tra Galileo e il Futurismo' - Padova (ITALY).

Mercy Litanies (Solo Bass Clarinet) commissioned by Tara Boumann, premiered 24^th November 2008 at the Sonata Islands Festival Trento, Italy (dur. 14’).

Beasts in the Field a large-scale mixed-media work; a collaboration between Stephen Davismoon (Music/Sound Design); Iain Gardner (Animation) and Johnny Rodger (Text) gaining support thus far from the Royal Scottish Academy.  The first two parts of this cycle Beaver and Wolf (Soprano, Actor, Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Cello and Electronics) were premiered by members of The Research Ensemble in Edinburgh on 18^th September 2008 at the Filmhouse Cinema (dur. 21’).

In Search of Peace (Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Percussion and Piano) received its premiere 28^th September 2008 in Edinburgh by members of The Research Ensemble (dur. 7’) to celebrate the 60^th birthday of Nigel Osborne.  It will receive its American premiere performances on 19^th and 26^th February 2011 by the Cincinnati Camerata conducted by Goncalo Lourenco.

In Flight (Solo Violin) received its premiere performance featuring Andrea Gajic (www.andreagajic.com ) Edinburgh March 2008 (dur. 8’).

Electric Dreams a live electronic chamber realisation of part of Mozart’s Magic Flute (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Cello and Piano). Performed at ‘Behind the Scenes’ part of the Edinburgh International Festival August 31^st 2007.  In collaboration with the Research Ensemble and the producer Wally Sutcliffe (dur.25’).

Beyond Your Valley (Solo Guitar) for Peter Argondizza (www.peterargondizza.com), commissioned by him with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council.  Performed Edinburgh May 2007 (dur. 12’).

Ramuneles Fragmentai (Solo Piano) for Lauryna Sableviciute (www.lauryna.com).  Performed at University of Glasgow April 2007; University of Edinburgh October 2007; Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama October 2007; Lithuanian Academy of Music, Vilnius October 2007 (dur. 6’).

Towards the Water’s Edge an electroacoustic installation over 16 channels was presented by Tempo Reale (www.temporeale.com) and RAI in the season ‘ARIA-ACQUA-TERRA-FUOCO,’ in Florence, Italy June 2006. Realised with support from, The Carnegie Trust from the Universities of Scotland. (dur. 20’).

Love Eurydice (scenes from a music theatre work, in collaboration with the writer Johnny Rodger), was performed by Scottish Opera and Scottish Voices at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow as part of the Musica Nova and West End festivals in Glasgow June 2006 (dur. 25’).

Tower of Infinity (Solo Flute and Live Electronics) commissioned by the flautist Richard Craig www.richardcraig.net) - with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council - who gave its premiere Edinburgh May 2006 (dur. 12’).

Patricia’s Songs (a song-cycle setting texts by the writer Johnny Rodger:

Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Percussion, Piano, Violin and Cello), premiered by the Research Ensemble Edinburgh (May 2006 dur. 25').

eleventeenth dream (4 Bass Clarinets) was given its premiere at the University of Rotterdam, Holland by the Scottish Clarinet Quartet (who commissioned the work, with assistance from The Scottish Arts Council) in October 2005 (dur. 10’).

beneath garlands (Cello and Piano) was performed by Giedre Dirvanauskaite and Lauryna Sableviciute in Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of the Sugrizimai Festival  May 2005 (dur. 10’).   

...a common treasury ... fragmented (6 Voices and Electronics) received its premiere with Die Neue Vocalsolisten and the CCMIX Studios in Paris, in the MusiPoeSci festival April 2005. (dur. 25’).

(this has already) Passed/Passing (Solo Bass Flute) appears on Roberto Fabbriciani’s CD XX Live Dream Flute on the Atopos label (ATP 003/4 see www.atoposmusic.com) released in 2005 (dur. 15’).

It Was Spring (String Orchestra) was performed by Ensemble 900 (conducted by Roberto Fabbriciani) as part of the Finestre sul Novecento festival in Treviso, Italy October 2006 (dur. 10’).

mist and branches against a white sky (Solo Piccolo) were premiered by Roberto

Fabbriciani as part of the Finestre sul Novecento festival in Treviso,Italy October 2006 (dur. 8’).

Last Waltz in Santiago (Soprano, Electric Guitar, Violin and Live Electronics) this song-cycle for was given its world premiere in participation with the CCMIX Studios (Paris), featuring the soprano Janet Pape, in Edinburgh December 2002 (dur. 25’).

Tuba Concerto published by Mitre Music (www.mitremusic.com) (2001 dur. 15’).

Gift  (Chamber Choir) received its premiere with St. Mary’s Cathedral (Glasgow) Chamber Choir, simultaneously broadcast over the World Wide Web. April 2000 (dur. 10’).

...staring through empty fields of time  (Solo Trumpet and Live Electronics) Mitre Music (www.mitremusic.com) (1999, dur. 8’).

...against the grain  (Solo Percussion and Live Electronics) G. Ricordi & Co. Munich Cat. No. Sy 3369. (1998, dur. 12’).

Thaw (Brass Quintet), was given its world premiere by the Mike Bennett Quintet (who commissioned the work with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council) June 1997 (dur. 12’).

waiting...and the moon?...turns  (Chamber Orchestra) was performed at the 1995 ECAT Young Composers Forum, with the Chamber Group of Scotland conducted by Martyn Brabbins, (March 1995, dur. 15’).

Edited Volumes, Papers and Articles

“Octaves on Music’s Expression of Place (Part I)” a text composition for The Drouth, ISSN 1474 6190 Spring Issue (2011).

"Combining Musical Constraints with Markov Transition Probabilities to Improve the Generation of Creative Musical Structures" was published by Springer Verlag and presented at the EvoStar 2010 conference on Evolutionary Computing, Istanbul April 2010.

…and then…what next?... A paper exploring the historical presence of algorithms in music.  (Published by University of Plymouth February 2010)

For the Future. On the challenges and possibilities that are posed for composers by the fields of algorithmic and evolutionary computing practice. (Contemporary Music Review Vol. 28:2. Routledge, London 2009).  

Memory, Circles and Unification – in discussion with Nigel Osborne.  An interview with Nigel Osborne marking his 60^th birthday for The Drouth,

ISSN 1474 6190 Autumn Issue (2008) (pp. 35-47).

…On the Inherent Musicality of the Words We Speak an article for, The Drouth, ISSN 1474 6190 Autumn Issue (2007) (pp. 38-9).

Edgard Varèse: New Worlds (Edited by S. Davismoon) Contemporary Music Review Routledge Publishers ISSN 0749-4467 (2004) (pp. 1–107).

Edgard Varèse...Offerings (Edited by S. Davismoon) Contemporary Music Review Routledge Publishers ISSN 0749-4467 (2004) (pp. 1–69).

The Transmutation of the ‘Old’ with the ‘New’ in the Modernist Vision of Edgard Varèse an article in Edgard Varèse...Offerings Contemporary Music Review Routledge Publishers ISSN 0749-4467 (2004) (pp. 45–58).

…octave, upon octave, …upon a text composition on the subject of music and intelligence, The Drouth, ISSN 1474 6190 Autumn Issue (2004) (pp. 36).

...infinite dimensions...infinite futures...infinite horizons in discussion with Roberto Fabbriciani, The Drouth, ISSN 1474 6190 Winter Issue (2003) (pp. 65-66).

 ‘unity’ (!) via instantaneous multiplicity an article on aspects of The New Complexity School for The Drouth, ISSN 1474 6190 Spring Issue (2003) (pp. 45-51).

Luigi Nono: the suspended song  (Edited by S. Davismoon) Contemporary Music Review Harwood Academic Publishers ISBN 90-5755-112-8 (1998) (pp. 1-107).

Luigi Nono: fragments and silence (Edited by S. Davismoon) Contemporary Music Review Harwood Academic Publishers ISBN 90-5755-113-6 (1998) (pp.1- 138).

Marking Time an article in Luigi Nono: the suspended song Contemporary Music Review Harwood Academic Publishers ISBN 90-5755-112-8 (1998) (pp. 81 -98).

...many possibilities an article in Luigi Nono: fragments and silence Contemporary Music Review Harwood Academic Publishers ISBN 90-5755-113-6 (1998) (pp. 3-9).