John Hardy (composer)
Encyclopedia
John Hardy is an English
-born composer who has been commissioned by the Arts Council
/National Lottery
, the BBC
, Welsh National Opera
and the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, among others. His work includes opera, choral and orchestral pieces, site-specific theatre events and film.
Hardy studied at Oxford University and Guildhall School of Music & Drama before directing music at Cardiff Laboratory Theatre, Edington Festival then Welsh performance group Brith Gof, whose 1988 production Gododdin was performed with percussion group Test Dept
and described by The Independent as “elemental, wild and exhilarating… an exceptional achievement.”
In 1994 Hardy won the first of his five BAFTA Cymru
awards for the soundtrack to Hedd Wyn
, an Oscar-nominated film about the Welsh poet. At this time he began collaborating with playwright Ed Thomas, composing music for Song From A Forgotten City (1995), House Of America (1996), Gas Station Angel (1998) and Stone City Blue (2004).
Music Theatre Wales
commissioned and in 1994 premiered Flowers, a chamber opera described as “rich and evocative” by Opera, “communicating… the whole gamut of human emotions” by The Times and by Steven Walsh in The Independent as “a strong piece that seems to do what it sets out to… with terrific conviction, with a flair for tortuous sonic imagery, and with no hint that the composer is not in complete control of his materials.”
Further opera commissions followed with The Roswell Incident for Music Theatre Wales
and Mis Du Bach/Black February for Welsh National Opera
, produced and performed at Abergwaun/Fishguard, the site of the last invasion of Britain, in collaboration with the local community.
In 1998 De Profundis was commissioned for Westminster Abbey Choir, BBC Singers
and London Brass to end a concert celebrating the unveiling of ten new statues of international martyrs. Fever was commissioned for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at Last Night of the Welsh Proms in 2000.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
have commissioned several works including A.C.T.I.O.N. – sing Wales 2000 for performance with 800 school children; Fighting the Clock composed with Luke Carver Goss, school children from Beddau and members of the orchestra, first performed in 2000 and broadcast on BBC Radio 3
; and Blue Letters from Tanganyika which was toured, recorded, broadcast on Radio 3 many times and released on Hardy's own label Ffin Records in 2009.
Not Darkness But Twilight was written for the BBC National Chorus of Wales and performed at St. David’s Cathedral Festival 2004 and Wyastone Concert Hall. In 2006 Arts Council Wales granted a Creative Wales Award and the choral cycle Spaces: Beyond the End of the World was written for Serendipity, Only Men Aloud!
and Vivace Singers.
Chamber works include Fol-de-Riddles: Fanfares for 4 Fiddles commissioned by Madeleine Mitchell
for the first Red Violin Festival in 1997 and broadcast on BBC Radio 3; Fflamau Oer: Songs for Jeremy, commissioned by Jeremy Huw Williams
with a selection recorded for Sain; Still Water for Philip Heyman and Snorri’s Pool for Lowri Morgan.
During 2007 Hardy’s group Ensembl8 performed his own new and existing arranged music with live electronics and video projection. In 2009 the BBC Concert Orchestra
commissioned music for a composite piece by composers including Pet Shop Boys
, Anne Dudley
and Will Gregory
, performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall
and broadcast on Radio 3.
In 2010 Hardy became Head of Contemporary Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
. Recent and future commissions include music for a new production of The Persians in the inaugural season of National Theatre Wales
.
Hardy is a nephew of the actor Robert Hardy
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born composer who has been commissioned by the Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
/National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
and the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, among others. His work includes opera, choral and orchestral pieces, site-specific theatre events and film.
Hardy studied at Oxford University and Guildhall School of Music & Drama before directing music at Cardiff Laboratory Theatre, Edington Festival then Welsh performance group Brith Gof, whose 1988 production Gododdin was performed with percussion group Test Dept
Test Dept
Test Dept were an industrial music group from London, one of the most important and influential early industrial music acts. Their approach was marked by a strong commitment to radical socialist politics.-History:...
and described by The Independent as “elemental, wild and exhilarating… an exceptional achievement.”
In 1994 Hardy won the first of his five BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
awards for the soundtrack to Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn was a Welsh language poet who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod...
, an Oscar-nominated film about the Welsh poet. At this time he began collaborating with playwright Ed Thomas, composing music for Song From A Forgotten City (1995), House Of America (1996), Gas Station Angel (1998) and Stone City Blue (2004).
Music Theatre Wales
Music Theatre Wales
Music Theatre Wales is a touring contemporary opera company, based in Cardiff, Wales. MTW performs newly commissioned works, alongside existing pieces from the recent past which are either neglected or have been unseen in the UK. Works are toured across the UK and internationally...
commissioned and in 1994 premiered Flowers, a chamber opera described as “rich and evocative” by Opera, “communicating… the whole gamut of human emotions” by The Times and by Steven Walsh in The Independent as “a strong piece that seems to do what it sets out to… with terrific conviction, with a flair for tortuous sonic imagery, and with no hint that the composer is not in complete control of his materials.”
Further opera commissions followed with The Roswell Incident for Music Theatre Wales
Music Theatre Wales
Music Theatre Wales is a touring contemporary opera company, based in Cardiff, Wales. MTW performs newly commissioned works, alongside existing pieces from the recent past which are either neglected or have been unseen in the UK. Works are toured across the UK and internationally...
and Mis Du Bach/Black February for Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
, produced and performed at Abergwaun/Fishguard, the site of the last invasion of Britain, in collaboration with the local community.
In 1998 De Profundis was commissioned for Westminster Abbey Choir, BBC Singers
BBC Singers
The BBC Singers are the professional chamber choir of the BBC. As one of six BBC Performing Groups, the 24-voiced choir has been in existence for more than 80 years. The BBC Singers have commissioned and premiered works by the leading composers of the past century, including Benjamin Britten, Sir...
and London Brass to end a concert celebrating the unveiling of ten new statues of international martyrs. Fever was commissioned for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at Last Night of the Welsh Proms in 2000.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
have commissioned several works including A.C.T.I.O.N. – sing Wales 2000 for performance with 800 school children; Fighting the Clock composed with Luke Carver Goss, school children from Beddau and members of the orchestra, first performed in 2000 and broadcast on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
; and Blue Letters from Tanganyika which was toured, recorded, broadcast on Radio 3 many times and released on Hardy's own label Ffin Records in 2009.
Not Darkness But Twilight was written for the BBC National Chorus of Wales and performed at St. David’s Cathedral Festival 2004 and Wyastone Concert Hall. In 2006 Arts Council Wales granted a Creative Wales Award and the choral cycle Spaces: Beyond the End of the World was written for Serendipity, Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud! is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the Last Choir Standing competition run by BBC television during 2008.-Overview:...
and Vivace Singers.
Chamber works include Fol-de-Riddles: Fanfares for 4 Fiddles commissioned by Madeleine Mitchell
Madeleine Mitchell
Madeleine Mitchell is a British violinist who has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in over forty countries in a wide repertoire. She has also been a member of The Fires of London and the Michael Nyman Band.-Biography:...
for the first Red Violin Festival in 1997 and broadcast on BBC Radio 3; Fflamau Oer: Songs for Jeremy, commissioned by Jeremy Huw Williams
Jeremy Huw Williams
Jeremy Huw Williams is a Welsh baritone opera singer who studied at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, St John's College, Cambridge, at the National Opera Studio, and with April Cantelo....
with a selection recorded for Sain; Still Water for Philip Heyman and Snorri’s Pool for Lowri Morgan.
During 2007 Hardy’s group Ensembl8 performed his own new and existing arranged music with live electronics and video projection. In 2009 the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
commissioned music for a composite piece by composers including Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
and Will Gregory
Will Gregory
William Owen Gregory is best known as a songwriter, and the lead keyboards/synthesizer player & producer of the electronic music group Goldfrapp. Originally a classical music student at the University of York, Gregory is the son of an actress and an opera chorus-line singer...
, performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
and broadcast on Radio 3.
In 2010 Hardy became Head of Contemporary Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a conservatoire within the University of Glamorgan Group located in Cardiff, Wales....
. Recent and future commissions include music for a new production of The Persians in the inaugural season of National Theatre Wales
National Theatre Wales
National Theatre Wales is the English language national theatre company in Wales. Focused on producing work in the English language, the company's opening programme of work included twelve shows in twelve months....
.
Hardy is a nephew of the actor Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy
Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
.
Selected works
- Pax (1990, oratorio)
- Haearn (1992, oratorio)
- Flowers (1994, opera)
- Mis Du Bach / Black February (1997, opera)
- Blue Letters from Tanganyika (1997, orchestra)
- The Roswell Incident (1997, opera)
- Kennst du das Land? (1997, soprano and piano)
- Fol-de-riddles: Fanfares for 4 fiddles (1997, violins)
- Archaeologies: Wild Wales (myths & legends) (1998, wind quintet)
- The Waltz is Over (1998, soprano and ensemble)
- ... on the way to heaven (1998, soprano and piano)
- De Profundis (1998, SATB chorus, brass and percussion)
- Fflamau Oer: songs for Jeremy (1999, baritone and piano)
- Fighting The Clock (with Luke Carver Goss, 2000, orchestra)
- A.C.T.I.O.N. - sing Wales 2000 (2000, orchestra and school-children)
- Fever (2000, orchestra)
- Bards of Wales/Beirdd Cymru (2003, SATB chorus, trumpet, harp and narrator)
- Not Darkness But Twilight (2004, SATB chorus with organ, harp and percussion)
- joywithinsects (2005, SATB chorus)
- La-la Land (2005, SATB chorus)
- When We Let Spirit Lead Us (2005, SATB chorus)
- Still Water (2005, viola and piano)
- Luminous Water (2005, viola and piano)
- Spaces - Beyond the End of the World (2006, song cycle for combinations of SATB chorus with organ, piano, harp and percussion)