Alexander Abercrombie
Encyclopedia
John Ralph Alexander Giles (Alex) Abercrombie (born 1949) is a British pianist
, composer
, and mathematician
. Hailing from London
, he gave his professional debut recital at the Purcell Room
in London in 1972.
He studied the piano with Margaret Kitchin
and in the early 1970s moved to Paris
to study with Yvonne Loriod
specialising in the works of her husband Olivier Messiaen
and his pupils. He then returned to the UK and became well-known as a contemporary music specialist, appearing at most of the major London venues.
Abercrombie gave first performances of difficult works by Nikos Skalkottas, Michael Finnissy
, Brian Ferneyhough
, Iannis Xenakis
and others including Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
, some of whose major works he has also edited for publication.
He taught himself mathematics, published many research articles gave lectures at leading universities including Imperial College London
, and in 1996 was awarded a doctorate by Liverpool University for his work in number theory
(which includes pioneering studies on Beatty sequence
s) and probability
.
Abercrombie married Barbara Dix, a British mezzo-soprano
, whom he met at Glyndebourne
whilst working as a répétiteur
. They successfully ran the Independent Academy of Music and Drama, in Southport, for 30 years. A number of their former pupils have gone on to have solo careers including Philip Howard
, Andrew Slater and Rosa Mannion.
In 1987, Abercrombie and Dix founded the Mozart Singing Competition (formerly National Mozart Competition, for singers and pianists) whose patron is Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
. Previous finalists have included Alfie Boe
, David Horne
, Freddy Kempf
, Franzita Whelan and Andrew Sritheran.
Abercrombie's brother-in-law is the composer John Gardner
.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. Hailing from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he gave his professional debut recital at the Purcell Room
Purcell Room
The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
in London in 1972.
He studied the piano with Margaret Kitchin
Margaret Kitchin
Margaret Kitchin was a classical pianist, born in Switzerland but long resident in the United Kingdom. She was strongly associated with contemporary music and gave many premieres of works by composers such as Michael Tippett, Thea Musgrave, Priaulx Rainier and Peter Racine Fricker.-External...
and in the early 1970s moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study with Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.-Life:...
specialising in the works of her husband Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
and his pupils. He then returned to the UK and became well-known as a contemporary music specialist, appearing at most of the major London venues.
Abercrombie gave first performances of difficult works by Nikos Skalkottas, Michael Finnissy
Michael Finnissy
Michael Finnissy is an English composer and pianist. His music is characterised by the range of extremes often found in his work; opposing binary structures are found commonly, often seen as juxtaposing textures, register and tempi...
, Brian Ferneyhough
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian John Peter Ferneyhough is an English composer. His music is characterized by the extensive use of complex rhythmic tuplet notation which features in all his works...
, Iannis Xenakis
Iannis Xenakis
Iannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
and others including Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
, some of whose major works he has also edited for publication.
He taught himself mathematics, published many research articles gave lectures at leading universities including Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, and in 1996 was awarded a doctorate by Liverpool University for his work in number theory
Number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
(which includes pioneering studies on Beatty sequence
Beatty sequence
In mathematics, a Beatty sequence is the sequence of integers found by taking the floor of the positive multiplesof a positive irrational number...
s) and probability
Probability
Probability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
.
Abercrombie married Barbara Dix, a British mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, whom he met at Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne is a country house, thought to be about six hundred years old, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England. It is also the site of an opera house which, with the exception of its closing during the Second World War, for a few immediate post-war years, and in 1993 during the...
whilst working as a répétiteur
Répétiteur
Répétiteur , repetitore , or Korrepetitor / Repetitor , originally from the French verb répéter meaning "to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse"....
. They successfully ran the Independent Academy of Music and Drama, in Southport, for 30 years. A number of their former pupils have gone on to have solo careers including Philip Howard
Philip Howard (pianist)
Philip Howard is a British-born composer and pianist, at present best known for his performances of music by Morton Feldman and Iannis Xenakis.Howard studied in London, at the Royal Academy of Music...
, Andrew Slater and Rosa Mannion.
In 1987, Abercrombie and Dix founded the Mozart Singing Competition (formerly National Mozart Competition, for singers and pianists) whose patron is Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
. Previous finalists have included Alfie Boe
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
, David Horne
David Horne (composer)
David Horne is a Scottish composer, pianist, and teacher.A resident composer with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for four years, he has been awarded several commissions...
, Freddy Kempf
Freddy Kempf
Freddy Kempf is a British pianist born in Croydon to a German father and a Japanese mother. He now lives in Berlin.-Early career:He was educated at St Edmund's School, Canterbury and the Royal Academy of Music...
, Franzita Whelan and Andrew Sritheran.
Abercrombie's brother-in-law is the composer John Gardner
John Gardner (composer)
John Linton Gardner, CBE is an English composer of classical music.-Biography:Gardner was born in Manchester, England and brought up in Ilfracombe, North Devon. His father Alfred Linton Gardner was a local GP and amateur composer who was killed in action in the last months of the First World War....
.