9/17/2015

JohnMcCabeLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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John McCabe
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John McCabe
Born: 1939
Died: 2015
Nationality: British
Publisher: Novello & Co
Photo Gareth Arnold

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JohnMcCabewasbornin1939nearLiverpoolofIrishdescentfromhisphysicist
father,andGerman/Finnishfromhismother,ElisabethHerlitzius,akeenamateur
violinist.Hedecidedtobecomeacomposeratfiveandahalf,evenbeforehebegan
tostudypiano,withapupiloftheleadingteacherGordonGreen.Followingstudiesat
thethenRoyalManchesterCollegeofMusic(nowtheRoyalNorthern)andin
Munich,onaGermanGovernmentscholarship,hebeganacareerasbothcomposer
andpianist.EarlyattractedtoHaydn'smusic,hefellinlovewiththepianosonatas
whileyoung,andlaterrecordedagroundbreakingcompleteset(nowon12CDs)for
Decca,whichhasneverbeenoutofthecatalogue,andhasprovidedastandardfor
pianistswhofollowedinhiswake.
JohnMcCabe'scompositions,whichhavebeenperformedallovertheworld,cover
everygenre.AmonghismostsuccessfulworksistheballetEdwardII,createdand
choreographedbyDavidBintley(StuttgartBallet1995),andpremieredtogreat
acclaim,bytheBirminghamRoyalBalletintheUK,winningamongothers,the1998
BarclaysTheatreAward.
OthermajorworkstobefoundintheMcCabecatalogueincludeNotturniedAlba
(withsopranosoloist),TheChagallWindowsfororchestra,ConcertoforOrchestra,sevensymphoniesandnumerous
concertos.CloudcatcherFellsandSalamanderhavebecomeclassicsintheBrassBandrepertoire.McCabe'sfulllength
balletArthur,Part1:ArthurPendragon,withchoreographybyDavidBintley,waspremieredbyBirminghamRoyalBalletin
2000.Itisthefirsthalfofacycleoftwofulleveningballets,thesecondofwhich,Arthur,Part2:Mortd'Arthurreceiveditsworld
premierein2001atSadler'sWells,withtheBirminghamRoyalBallet.
Ofmorerecentorchestralwork,Symphony'Labyrinth'(2007)wascommissionedbytheBBCfortheRoyalLiverpool
Philharmonic,HornConcertoRainforestIV(2006)forDavidPyattandtheBBCNationalOrchestraofWales,CelloConcerto
Songline(2007)forTrulsMorkandtheHallOrchestra,andJoybox(2013)bytheBBCPromsfortheBBCPhilharmonic
Orchestra.OthercompositionsincludedworksforTheKing'sSingers,StileAntico(ThreeChoirsFestival)andtheCarducci
StringQuartet(PresteigneFestival).
ManyCDshavebeenreleasedinrecentyearsofawidevarietyofhismusic,fromthecompleteEdwardII,orchestraland
chambermusic,topianoandchoralmusic.TheDuttonEpochrecordingofhisPianoConcertoNo.1withtheBBCScottish
SymphonyOrchestraandconductorChristopherAustinwasawardedtheaccoladeasBestNewPianoMusicRecordingof
2007byInternationalPianomagazine.Inthe2011/12seasontherewerefivemajorCDreleases,includinghisFarewell
PianoRecital(ToccataClassics),and,featuringhisownmusic,CDsofpianoduos(Quartz),clarinetchamberworks(Guild),
stringorchestralmusic(Dutton)andchoralworks(Naxos).Duringhis75thBirthdayyearin2014furtherCDswereissued
whichincludedrecordingsofhisTrumpetConcerto,LaPrimavera(2012),SymphonyNo1Elegy,andTuning(whichincluded
arareperformanceofMcCabeasconductor).
RecentworksincludePsalmCantata(2012),commissionedbytheEnglishBaroqueChoirandtheirmusicdirectorJeremy
Jackman,whogavethefirstperformanceinMarch2013atSt.Johns,SmithSquare,LondonandChrist'sNativity(2014),
whichwascommissionedbytheHallChoirandpremieredinManchesterinDecember2014.
McCabewasactiveasawriterofmusic,andwasappointedC.B.E.byHMTheQueenin1985forhisservicestoBritishmusic.
In2004,theIncorporatedSocietyofMusicianshonouredJohnMcCabewiththeDistinguishedMusicianAwardinrecognition
ofhis'outstandingcontributiontoBritishmusicallife'andin2006,LiverpoolUniversityawardedhimanHonoraryDoctoratein
Music.In2014hewasawardedtheIvorsClassicalMusicAwardandtheIlesMedalforcontributionstothebrassband
movement.
HismusicispublishedexclusivelybyNovelloandCompany,London.
AbookonthemusicofJohnMcCabe,LandscapesoftheMind,ispublishedbyAshgatePublishingLtd.Formore
information,clickhere.

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9/17/2015

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