Michael Spencer (b. 1975) - Home
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/staff/ms/
Born in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Spencer studied composition with Graham Hair at Glasgow University where he received an MA in Music and Scottish Literature. Between 1997 and 2002, he completed a MusM and PhD in Composition with Geoff Poole at Manchester University. Since 1998 he has worked privately with James Dillon, on whose work he has published two articles. In 2003, he received a stipend to attend the International Summer Course for Composers at Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, where he worked with Chaya Czernowin, Steve Takasugi and Richard Barrett. He has given talks and seminars on his own music and other aspects of new music in France and the USA as well as around the UK.
Currently Lecturer in Composition and Critical Musicology at the University of Leeds, Spencer’s music has been performed at the Henze Festival (RNCM), St Cyprian’s Church (London), The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (twice short-listed for the Young Composers’ Competition in 2000 and 2003), Instal 2002 (Glasgow), Maxis 2003 Festival (Leeds), in workshops by the Apollo Sax Quartet, Psappha, at the Darmstädter Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, 2004, and extensively at Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds Universities. Toxic Knuckle Bones was performed by the BBC Philharmonic under James MacMillan on Radio 3’s ‘Hear and Now’ programme in 2001. In 2006, his work Strike softly, away from body was toured around the UK (including the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival) by the ensemble ROUT. His work la mer allée avec le soleil has been performed by Ensemble SurPlus in Stuttgart and Freiburg. Recent works include Message from Aiwass VII for micro-tonal trumpet, percussion and live electronics, Ophelia Fragments for flute, clarinet, mezzo-soprano, percussion and violin and Si vous êtes pris dans le rêve de l’autre, vous êtez foutu for 7 percussionists. Message from Aiwass is an ongoing cycle exploring the notion of fragmentation in music. Current work in progress includes a piece for cello and piano for Rohan de Saram and Noriko Kawai, a solo piano work for Ian Pace and a work for bass flute, harp and double bass. The Eemis Stane - Homage to K.S. Sorabji is available on a CD collection of new piano music recorded by Aleks Szram (fonorum label 2005).