John Palmer is a British composer, pianist and musicologist.
John Palmer studied piano with Grazia Wendling and Eva Serman at the Lucerne School of Music (Musikhochschule Luzern), Switzerland, while attending courses in composition with Edison Denisov

Edison Denisov

Edison Vasilievich Denisov was a Russian composer of so called "Underground" — "Anti-Collectivist", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division in the Soviet music.-Biography:...

 and Vinko Globokar

Vinko Globokar

Vinko Globokar is a French avant-garde composer and trombonist of Slovene descent.His work is noted for its use of unconventional and extended techniques, closely allying him to contemporaries Salvatore Sciarrino and Helmut Lachenmann...

. He continued his composition studies in London at Trinity College of Music

Trinity College of Music

Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...

, Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...

 and at City University London where he obtained a PhD in Composition in 1994. Further studies include composition with Vinko Globokar

Vinko Globokar

Vinko Globokar is a French avant-garde composer and trombonist of Slovene descent.His work is noted for its use of unconventional and extended techniques, closely allying him to contemporaries Salvatore Sciarrino and Helmut Lachenmann...

 at the Dartington Summer School and privately 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:...

, analysis with Jonathan Cross at the University of Bristol, and conducting with Alan Hazeldine

Alan Hazeldine

Alan Hazeldine was a British pianist and conductor.He graduated as a pianist from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1969 and went on to study conducting with Vilem Tausky at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London...

 at the Guildhall School of Music And Drama in London.
From 1990 to 1995 he taught at the Oxford University (Kellogs College). From 1995 to 2000 he was a Senior Lecturer in Composition and Director of Research at the University of Hertfordshire

University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...

, England. In 2000 he was appointed Professor at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart

State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart

The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany...

, Germany. Since 1992 he has lectured at several universities and music colleges in Europe and given papers and talks at conferences in Europe and North America.
Since 1987 Palmer's works has focused on orchestral, instrumental, vocal, chamber music, and electroacoustic composition.

Orchestra

• omen (1991) for orchestra and choir
• concertino (1991)
• hypothetical questions (1992-2011)
• there (1992) for string orchestra
• within (1993–2002) for piano (tuned microtonally), orchestra and choir

Chamber Orchestra

• You (1992–2008) for solo trombone, chamber orchestra and tape
• Legend (1994–2008) for solo harp and chamber orchestra

Ensemble

• Koan (1999) for solo shakuhachi and ensemble (flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello)
• Asgard (1987–2001) flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2 speakers, live-electronics
• waka (2003) for solo percussion, flute, oboe, clarinet in Bb, piano, violin, viola, cello

Chamber

• first string quartet (jeu de mort) (1986)
• Theorem (1995) violin, cello, piano
• second string quartet (dream) (1996)
• between (2000) violin and harpsichord
• transitions (2000) violin, clarinet, cello, piano
• still (2001) bass flute, 6 & 12-string guitar, viola
• Transference (2010) flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.

Instrumental

• Musica Reservata (1989) piano
• satori (1999) harpsichord
• Hinayana (1999) oboe
• without (2004) violin
• almost (2006) cello
• over (2006) violin
• en avant (2006) piano

Electroacoustic (including acousmatic)

• Beyond the Bridge (1993) cello, 2 tapes, live-electronics
• Renge-Kyo (1993) piano, tape, live-electronics
• Encounter (1998) harpsichord, world percussions, tape
• '...as it flies...' (2001) tape
• Transfiguration (1999–2006) trombone, tape, live-electronics
• I am (2002) tape
• inwards (2005–06) bass flute, live-electronics
• In the Temple (2006–07) tape
• Present Otherness (2008) tape
• mémoires (2011) tape

Awards

• 1990 - Cornelius Cardew Competition, England: special mention for in memory of a friend, for soprano and piano.
• 1992 - City of Lucerne Cultural Prize, Switzerland: first prize winner with Omen, for orchestra and choir.
• 1994 - Bourges International Competition for Electroacoustic Music, France: second prize winner with Beyond the Bridge, for cello & electronics.
• 1995 - Surrey Sinfonietta Orchestral Competition Contest, England: first prize winner with Concertino, for orchestra.
• 1995 - 1st Tokyo International Competition for Chamber Music Composition: second prize winner with Theorem (piano trio).
• 1996 - City of Klagenfurt International Composition Prize, Austria: second prize winner with Second String Quartet (Dream).
• 2009 - Bourges International Competition for Electroacoustic Music, France: selection of Transient for soprano, prepared piano & electronics.
• 2010 - Citta' di Udine International Competition for Composers, Italy: Special Mention and Medal of the President of the Italian Republic for Transference, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.
• 2011 - Presque Rien International Competition Prize, Paris: prize winner with mémoires, for electroacoustic sounds.

Recordings

• Beyond the Bridge in Edition Memnosyne, Synthese 8, LD278058/59. mnemosyne label
• Phonai in Electroshock, 2 ELCD 006. electroshock label
• Epitaph in Electroshock, 3 ELCD 007. electroshock label
• Theorem in Living Artists Recordings, Vol.3. living artists label
• present otherness in Sargasso SCD 28057 Sargasso
• Beyond the Bridge, Phonai, Renge-Kyo, Spirits, Vision - Sargasso SCD 28023
• Encounter, Hinayana, Epitaph, Between - Sargasso SCD 28038
• koan, still, satori - Sargasso SCD 28049
• waka, '...as it flies...', nowhere - Sargasso SCD 28053
• inwards, Drang, transient, tranfiguration, fado - Sargasso SCD 28059

External links

• John Palmer's CD recordings on the Sargasso label