Margaret Lucy Wilkins (b. 1939) - Full biography
http://composers21.com/compdocs/wilkinsm.htm
MARGARET LUCY WILKINS’ works explore spatial elements and music theatre, displaying a strong dramatic, gestural and visual approach to sound. Sonic architecture is a feature of her musical aesthetic.
Born in England in 1939, Margaret Lucy Wilkins’ musical career embraces composing, lecturing and performing. She has conducted 20th century music, and has performed on a variety of mediaeval instruments with the Scottish Early Music Consort, with whom she played in many concerts and broadcasts. Between 1976 and 2003, she was Principal Lecturer in Music at the University of Huddersfield, UK, where she was Head of Composition.
Margaret Lucy Wilkins has been composing since the age of 12, when she won a Junior Exhibition to attend Trinity College of Music, London. Later, she read Music at Nottingham University, UK, where she gained the B.Mus. (Hons.) and A.Mus.D.
There have been many commissions and broadcasts of her works. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Scottish Arts Council Award for Composers (1970), Hinrichsen Foundation Award for Composers (1979), Arts Council of Great Britain Bursary for Composers (1981-82). Prizes include The New Cantata Orchestra of London Competition for Young British Composers (1970), the Cappianni Prize for Women Composers (1971) and the Miriam Gideon International Prize (2000).
Performances of her music have been given in most European countries, the USA and Canada. Festival performances include Edinburgh International (Scotland), Durham International (UK), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Middelburg (The Netherlands), ISCM World Music Days (Poland and Slovenia), Musica Nova:Sofia (Bulgaria), Donne in Musica (Italy), International New Music Week, Bucharest (Romania), International Festival of Women in Music To-day 2003, Seoul (South Korea), Two Days & Two Nights of New Music, Odessa (Ukraine), Europa-Asia Festival, Kazan (Russia).
Margaret Lucy Wilkins’ compositions range from orchestral music, through chamber music and works for soloists, to electroacoustic music. Notable amongst her orchestral works are Hymn to Creation (1973), Music of the Spheres (BBC commission, 1976), Revelations of the Seven Angels (1988, a 50-minute work for over 100 performers divided into eight groups, designed for performance in a large cathedral space), Symphony (1989), Musica Angelorum (Goldberg commission, 1991) and Rituelle for 27 brass, wind and percussion players (2000).
Chamber music works include Struwwelpeter (1973), Burnt Sienna:Etude for String Trio (1974), Ave Maria (New Music Group of Scotland commission, 1975), Aspects of Night (John Turner commission, 1981), Gitanjali (William Byrd Singers commission, 1981), Rêve, Réveil, Révélation, Réverbérations (1988), Trompettes de Mort (Philip Mead commission, 2002).
Amongst Margaret Lucy Wilkins’ electroacoustic works are Stringsing and L’Attente (commissioned by choreographer, Julie Wilson, 1992, 1994) and Discover Oakwell (a long-running sound installation commissioned by Oakwell Hall, 1995, with funds from Kirklees Metropolitan Council and the European Commission). In 1999, this project won a Sandford Award for Heritage Education. In 1990, she composed KANAL, a 90-minute multi-media work for 75 musicians, actors, dancers and electroacoustic music, which was performed at the 1992 ISCM ‘World Music Days’ in Poland.
As an advocate of new music, Margaret Lucy Wilkins has directed many performances including works by Igor Stravinsky, Anton Webern, Hanna Kulenty, Olivier Messiaen, Michael Nyman, Joan Tower, Jennifer Fowler, Rebecca Saunders, Mihaela Vosganian, Luminita Spinu and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
In the service of composers, Margaret Lucy Wilkins has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain, the Council of the Society for the Promotion of New Music, the Honour Committee of Donne in Musica (Italy) and Board of Directors for the International Alliance for Women in Music (headquarters in USA).
© Margaret Lucy Wilkins, 2004.