James Erber
Encyclopedia
James Erber is a British
composer
of the New Complexity
Born in London
, Erber studied music at the universities of Sussex and Nottingham, and worked in music publishing from 1976 to 1979. His first work, Seguente for oboe and piano, appeared in 1976. In the early 1980s, he undertook serious studies in composition, first with Jonathan Harvey
at Sussex, and then with Brian Ferneyhough
at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg
.
Erber's works include Music for 25 Solo Strings (1981–84), Abiya (1994) for solo piano, the string quartet An Allegory of Exile (1992–95), the Traces cycle (1991–2006) for solo flute, and Am Grabe Memphis Minnies (1997) for solo guitar.
In addition to composing, Erber lectured for three years at Goldsmiths College, London (1991–94), and has written articles and given guest lectures.
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...
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...
of the New Complexity
New Complexity
In music, the New Complexity is a term dating from the 1980s, principally applied to composers seeking a "complex, multi-layered interplay of evolutionary processes occurring simultaneously within every dimension of the musical material" ....
Born in 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...
, Erber studied music at the universities of Sussex and Nottingham, and worked in music publishing from 1976 to 1979. His first work, Seguente for oboe and piano, appeared in 1976. In the early 1980s, he undertook serious studies in composition, first with Jonathan Harvey
Jonathan Harvey (composer)
Jonathan Harvey is a British composer. He has held teaching positions at universities and music conservatories in Europe and the USA and is frequently invited to teach in summer schools around the world.-Life:...
at Sussex, and then with 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...
at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg
Hochschule für Musik Freiburg
The Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Freiburg is a public music academy subsidized by the State of Baden-Württemberg for academic research and artistic and pedagogical training in music.-History:The Hochschule was initially founded as a municipal institution in 1946 under the direction of Gustav...
.
Erber's works include Music for 25 Solo Strings (1981–84), Abiya (1994) for solo piano, the string quartet An Allegory of Exile (1992–95), the Traces cycle (1991–2006) for solo flute, and Am Grabe Memphis Minnies (1997) for solo guitar.
In addition to composing, Erber lectured for three years at Goldsmiths College, London (1991–94), and has written articles and given guest lectures.