Work Catalogue
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Hollywood Parsifals
concerto for orchestra and foley artists — instrumentation: 2 soloists (foley artists, with one soloist doubling as percussionist) / 3.3.3.3. / 4.3.3.1 / Timp. / 4 perc. / harp / keys – strings — duration 34′ / 2026
instrumentation: 3.3.3.3. / 4.3.3.1 / Timp. / 3 perc. / harp / keys – strings – samples — duration 27′ / 2017
first performance: South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra (cond. Ilan Volkov); ‘Donaueschinger Musiktage’, Donaueschingen GER October 2017 — commissioned by South West German Radio with additional support from the Australia Council for the Arts — instrumentation: symphony orchestra (3.3.3.3. / 4.3.3.1 / Timp. / 3 perc. / harp / keys – strings – samples) — duration 27′ / 2017
The News in Music celebrates the technical aspects of the often-overlooked sub-genre of ‘orchestral news music’, and is a ‘package’ of imaginary television news music for symphony orchestra, presented live in the concert hall. Inspired by the short forms that composers write for TV news productions, the work consists of sixteen cues of news music from sixteen different imaginary TV networks. The package is followed by a coda entitled, Tabloid Lament. Although the work was written as a contribution to current debates on the social function, and symbolic relationship to power of contemporary TV news media, the work also makes an intervention with regards the sites of transmission for contemporary orchestral music: by placing orchestral music normally associated with televisual content and reproduction back in a live, concert hall setting, listeners are prompted to reflect on the social function, and symbolic relationship to power of the orchestra. (TM)
“Hard-hitting. Award-winning. Uncompromising. Dependable. Factual. Reliable. Authoritative. Comprehensive. Instructive. Credible. Responsible. Sensible.“
“Every evening we just happen, no explanation needed. Something happens, we react. We will provide stable sound images in unstable times. We will make meaning in the service of power. We will master the signs. Every evening the world will fall apart only to be miraculously rebuilt while you sleep, and then torn down again at the same time tomorrow.“
“…cheap entertainment music. And then when somebody shows up like a village idiot, whose The News in Music is a US-American modelled news music strung together in a Hollywood-like manner, then it hails in a concert of ‘boos’.” (Badische Zeitung)
“His collage of film music soundtracks and news jingles is really super dull.” (Bavarian Radio Classic)
“If (the composer) had sold each individual scrap to television companies, he would be a millionaire.” (Musiktexte)
“It’s a scandal that not more people were outraged.” (Stuttgarter Zeitung)
instrumentation: 3.3.3.3. / 4.3.3.1 / Timp. / 3 perc. / harp / keys – strings – samples — duration 27′ / 2017
Peacemaker Tattoo
instrumentation: orchestra and Revox tape machine (3.3.3.3. / 4.3.3.1 / 3 perc. / strings – samples) — duration 4′ / 2011/16
STUDIO ORCHESTRA
instrumentation: alto sax 1 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / alto sax 2 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / tenor sax 1 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / tenor sax 2 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / baritone sax (doubling bass clarinet) – 1.4.4.1 – drumset / aux perc. / bass / harp / piano / organ – strings — duration 13′ / 2022
Evening Continuo
instrumentation: alto sax 1 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / alto sax 2 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / tenor sax 1 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / tenor sax 2 (doubling cl in Bb and flute) / baritone sax (doubling bass clarinet) – 1.4.4.1 – drumset / aux perc. / bass / harp / piano / organ – strings ) — duration 9′ / 2022
ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEATER
Pferd Frisst Hut
musical based on Eugène Labiche’s Un chapeau de paille d’Italie — music: Herbert Grönemeyer / direction: Herbert Fritsch — co-production Theater Basel SWI and Komische Oper Berlin GER 2023/4
Von Einem, der auszog, weil er sich die Miete nicht mehr leisten konnte
opera/music theater from René Pollesch and Dirk Von Lowtzow — music: Dirk Von Lowtzow / direction: René Pollesch — production Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin GER 2015
VOICES AND INSTRUMENTS
instrumentation: voice and six players — text: excerpt from Seminar XII by Jacques Lacan, with quotations from various love songs — duration 42′ / 2024/5
Children over a Sea of Information / Die Kinder über dem Informationsmeer
instrumentation: girls’ choir and string orchestra — text: anonymous social media comments — duration 20′ / 2019
Eremozoic Age Lovers
instrumentation: sixteeen voices / narrator / organ / electronics — text: excerpts from the writings of Edward O Wilson, combined with anonymous ‘sweet nothings’ — duration 17′ / 2014
CHAMBER MUSIC
instrumentation: two keyboard players and two percussionists — duration 25′ / 2026
Forward Through Circles
instrumentation: two keyboard players and two percussionists — duration 25′ / 2022
Rolando Continuo
instrumentation: percussion solo — duration 8′ / 2021
More Beautiful Discourse
instrumentation: violin / viola / violoncello / Hammond B3 and Leslie — duration 20′ / 2020
Medieval Rococo
instrumentation: chamber ensemble (5 players) and playback — duration 12′ / 2016
Walkman Antiquarian
instrumentation: two keyboard players and two percussionists — duration 17′ / 2013
instrumentation: percussion duo or percussion duo and electric piano — variable duration / 2013
The Great Knot
instrumentation: percussion trio — duration 17′ / 2011
Monaro Study
instrumentation: two clarinets, sine tones and motor engine recordings — duration 15′ / 2008
Plain Moving Landfill
instrumentation: percussion solo — variable duration / 2003
Home Organs
instrumentation: percussion sextet — duration 14′ / 2000
PIANO
Old Rags / Past Haunts
instrumentation: piano and bluetooth speaker — duration 10′ / 2025
All Possible Combinations
instrumentation: piano and ‘Solina string ensemble’ — duration 20′ / 2025
RADIOPHONIC PIECES
instrumentation: child narrator / children’s choir / pedal steel guitar / synthesizer / CB radio and field recordings — duration 25′ / 2021
instrumentation: narrator / child’s voice bass clarinet / violoncello / trombone / tuba / guitars / ukulele / midi instruments / field recordings — duration 40′ / 2016
instrumentation: narrator / string quartet / guitar / pedal steel guitar / field recordings / electronics — duration 50′ / 2013
MARCHING BAND
March Static
instrumentation: variable (<eight melodic lines / <eight drum parts) — duration variable / 2018
INSTALLATION / MULTIMEDIA / MISC.
Discount Minimal
performance / installation: twelve percussionists / Revox tape machine / synthesizer and light installation — duration 50′ / 2017
Monaro Eden
sound installation — 2008
Ezra Jack Plot
concert music for seven musicians with video stills from A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats — 2007