Biography
Ed Bennett is from Bangor, Co. Down, N. Ireland and is a composer working in the fields of notated, improvised and electronic contemporary
musics. He studied in the music department of North Down College and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London where he completed a
Masters degree with distinction. Although he is primarily self-taught as a composer he has recieved particularly important guidance from Michael
Finnissy, Jo Kondo, Brian Irvine and Diana Burrell. He has also participated in international courses in Holland and Germany. He is currently
the recipient of a three year research fellowship at Birmingham Conservatoire working towards a PhD in composition (supervised by Michael
Finnissy).
His music, which draws on a wide range of stylistic elements, has been commissioned and performed internationally by artists including ensemble
SurPlus, the Smith and Maggini Quartets, New Music Players, the Haffner Wind Quintet, Backbeat Percussion Quartet, the Cornelius Cardew
Ensemble, Concorde, de ereprijs, Steve Halfyard, Frederique Epin, Jos Zwaanenburg, Roman Mints, Garth Knox, Sarah Nicolls, Lontano, [rout], the
Ulster Youth Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and Decibel (of whom he is founder and artistic director). His works have been featured at major
festivals including Gaudeamus, Bath International, Huddersfield, City of London, Homecoming, Crash, Sonorities, Sonic Circuits, Bang 03, the
BMIC Cutting Edge Series and SPNM 60th birthday concerts. Recordings of his work have been released in 2004 on the Lorelt and Enzyme labels with
more to come in 2005. He has collaborated with many artists working in different disciplines including choreographers and video artists. Future
projects include a work for Portugese percussionist Pedro Carneiro and a work for the Dutch ensemble de ereprijs.
In education, Ed Bennett has worked as a lecturer in music at North Down and Ards Institute, Newham College, the University of East London and
on education projects with Spitalfields festival, the London Sinfonietta and Viva. He is currently a visiting tutor of composition at Birmingham
Conservatoire.
Ed Bennett performs with and directs the ensemble, decibel, which is dedicated to the performance of new and experimental cross-discipline work
involving live instruments, electronics and video. |
