Current things
In July my piece Lines of Parts was released on SNVariations, alongside a new piece by Chris Watson. Both are available digitally and on double A-side vinyl. Mine is a stereo mix of a multi-channel installation I had at HCMF last year, and it’s great to have this new version of the piece out. I also recently got confirmation that my PhD at City is officially complete, after I submitted some thesis corrections. It’s very exciting to have finished that project after seven years, and to think about where I will take it next. If you’re interested, you can download it here.
Of course plans this year have been curtailed as we deal with the covid-19 crisis. My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by it. I am lucky to be able to work from home, and to have a safe and stable household in which to do it – and although I might get bored of these four walls, I try not to take them for granted. All being well, a recording session will happen at the end of this month (the first live music I will have heard in a while!). We will record two of my instrumental pieces, which will hopefully go towards a forthcoming CD of my instrumental music.
04.08.20 GR
Older things
At the end of 2019 I passed my PhD viva, so, subject to submitting some thesis corrections, I have completed my part-time doctoral project at City University. It was a brilliant seven (!) years during which I learnt so much and had so many brilliant opportunities. I feel like I am in a good position to carry on from here now.
It was a pretty busy end to the year – as well as the viva I had an installation at HCMF and an instrumental premiere at Rainy Days festival in Luxembourg with Apartment House.
I currently have two planned releases for 2020, one instrumental and one electronic, which I can hopefully share more details of soon (probably on Twitter), and am working on a new piece for piano and electronics.
24.01.20 GR
This summer I am mostly working on two new pieces for November – one electronic for HCMF and one instrumental for Apartment House at Rainy Days. I’m thinking about blocks of simple things which add up to more than the sum of their parts, like I tried out in a recent piece, Base, for double bass and bassoon.
10.07.19 GR
This year I’ve had the pleasure of working on new music with 840, The Marsyas Trio, The Riot Ensemble, Apartment House, Music We’d Like to Hear, Ensemble Contrechamps, Out-take Ensemble, Sonia Levy, Musarc, LCMF and Ensemble Plus Minus.
The Marsyas Trio’s CD In the Theatre of Air, featuring my piece York Minster, debuted at No.7 in the UK specialist classical album chart, and I was a recipient of an Oram Award for women working in electronic music.
I’ve also started a new job, written most of a PhD thesis, and had a three week tour of Japan.
I’m really grateful to everyone who has helped me in all these projects, and for all I’ve learnt and made this year. Looking forward to more in 2019!
19.12.18 GR
In July I was so proud to be named as a 2018 Oram Award winner, for women working in electronic sound and music. The awards are named after total hero Daphne Oram, and I’m very grateful and happy to have been chosen to receive one of five awards given this year.
Over the summer I spent several months focusing on my PhD thesis. It was a really fruitful period of writing – I got a lot done even in 35 degree heat! A fair amount of editing was carried out in close proximity to Hampstead Heath ponds… I still have a lot left to sort out but it was great to take a big step forward with that project.
I am really excited for the release of the Marsyas Trio’s new CD on October 17th, coming out on NMC Recordings. My piece York Minster will feature alongside some brilliant music by female composers, to mark 100 years of women’s suffrage. There will be a launch event at Conway Hall that evening.
Very happy that Partial filter for tuba and electronics will feature in two concerts by Out-take ensemble in November, taking place in Southampton and London. Altogether a great looking programme. And Plus Minus will play St. Andrew’s Lyddington in December at City University, London.
Looking further ahead I have a few projects taking shape, including: my music being used on a film about coral reef, a reworking of/intervention into an existing piece for choir, recording two more of my works for release next year, and hopefully composing something new!
And on Thursday I’m going to Japan for a few weeks holiday (sorry if you contact me and I’m a bit slow at responding).
08.10.18 GR
In April I had a great trip to Sweden with the Riot Ensemble for the premier of Maeshowe and a recording session with the Marsyas Trio. Their new CD will be out in the Autumn on NMC recordings and will include York Minster.
In July my string quartet will be performed for a second time by Apartment House at Music We’d Like to Hear. Really looking forward to return of this excellent series.
In September Partial Filter for solo tuba and electronics will be performed by Ensemble Contrechamps at their 18-19 season opener in Geneva. The piece may also be performed in the UK and Southampton this Autumn, dates tbc!
Meanwhile I am getting on with writing my PhD thesis. It’s tough but it’s getting there.
Still thinking about this new piano and electronics piece… I think it will be a fourth in the Real Spaces series — I have a space in mind! Just need to get the notes down.
18.06.18 GR
Currently finishing two new pieces – York Minster for the Marsyas Trio and Maeshowe for the Riot Ensemble, both of which are based on the acoustics of real spaces (using the impulse response of the places they are named for to derive the harmony).
Next week I’ll have a workshop with the Marsyas Trio at City University, and in April York Minster will be recorded for a new CD to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage in the UK. More info on this great project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marsyastrio/gates-of-the-soul-celebrating-the-uks-suffrage-cen
Also in April will be the premiere of Maeshowe with the Riot Ensemble in Sweden on the 14th, and a repeat performance of St Andrew’s Lyddington on the 7th in Norwich with 840.
This spring/summer I’ll be taking some time off acoustic design work to concentrate on writing my PhD thesis, as I work towards finishing that project.
I also have in mind a new piece for solo piano and electronics. More to come!
22.02.18 GR
Just had two great workshops with The Riot Ensemble for a new piece called ‘Maeshowe’ for clarinet, trombone, percussion, piano, harp, cello and sine tones. The workshops took place during the ‘Nordic Music Days’ festival at the Southbank centre. The finished piece will be premiered in Sweden in April 2018.
On November 14th Apartment House will perform my string quartet, ‘Three Pieces’ at Cafe Oto as part of the Textures Festival. This will be it’s first outing since the Composer’s Kitchen project with the Quatuor Bozzini in 2016. I can’t wait!
I’m currently working on a new piece for violin and piano called ‘St Andrew’s Lyddington’. It’s part of the same ‘Real Spaces’ series as Maeshowe, drawing on the impulse response of a particular place for its harmonic structure. Something like an abstracted sonic space? It will be performed at the next instalment of the 840 concert series on 16th December in Islington. Looking forward to it and thanks to all involved in making this happen!
Next year I’ll be taking some time off acoustic design work to concentrate on writing my PhD thesis, as I work towards the end of that project, and looking forward to writing a short piece for the Marsyas trio (flute, cello and piano).
I also have in mind a new piece for solo piano and electronics. More to come!
27.10.17 GR
Georgia Rodgers 