Natasha Barrett (composer)
Encyclopedia
Natasha Barrett is a British composer and performer of electroacoustic
art music. Her compositional aesthetics are derived from acousmatic
issues, but in addition to acousmatic composition she composes for instruments and live electronics, sound installations, multi-media works and computer music
improvisation. She currently lives in Norway
.
Natasha Barrett began working seriously with electroacoustic composition during a master's degree in analysis and electroacoustic composition, studying with Jonty Harrison
at the University of Birmingham
(UK). This study also gave her the opportunity to work with BEAST
(Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre) which has greatly influenced her current work, and lead on to a doctoral degree in composition supervised by Denis Smalley
, awarded in 1998 at City University
(London, UK). Both degrees were funded by the Humanities section of the British Academy
. In the same year, a grant from Norges forskningsråd (The Research Council of Norway) enabled her to work as a resident composer at NoTAM (Norsk nettverk for Teknologi, Akustikk og Musikk / Norwegian network for Technology, Acoustics and Music) in Oslo
(Norway). She is now a freelance composer, sound-artist and researcher, based in Oslo.
Her work has received many awards, including the Nordic Council Music Prize
for 2006, the first prize at Musica Nova (Prague
, Czech Republic
, 2001), Noroit-Léonce Petitot (Arras, France, 1998), first prizes (1998 and 2001) in the Trivium section of the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France), Concurso Internacional de Música Eletroacústica de São Paulo (IV CIMESP, Brazil
, 2001), Concours SCRIME (France, 2000), Festival Internacional de Nuevas Tecnologías, Arte y Comunicación Ciber@RT / Ciber@RT International Festival of New Technologies, Art and Communication (Spain, 2000), Concours Luigi Russolo (Italy, 1998, 1995) and Prix Ars Electronica
(Linz
, Austria
, 1998), 9th International Rostrum for electoacoustic music (2002) and Edvard Prize (2004) Norway
. She receives commissions from institutions and performers in Europe and America, and her work is available on numerous CD labels, including empreintes DIGITALes
, Aurora, Cultures électroniques/Mnémosyne Musique Média, CDCM/Centaur, and two privately produced solo CD productions.
Her work also appears as tracks on twelve other CDs.
Electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
art music. Her compositional aesthetics are derived from acousmatic
Acousmatic
Acousmatic sound is sound one hears without seeing an originating cause. The word acousmatic, from the French acousmatique, is derived from ἀκουσματικοί akousmatikoi, a term used to refer to probationary pupils of the philosopher Pythagoras who, so that they might better concentrate on his...
issues, but in addition to acousmatic composition she composes for instruments and live electronics, sound installations, multi-media works and computer music
Computer music
Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of computing technology in music composition; particularly that stemming from the Western art music tradition...
improvisation. She currently lives in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Natasha Barrett began working seriously with electroacoustic composition during a master's degree in analysis and electroacoustic composition, studying with Jonty Harrison
Jonty Harrison
Jonty Harrison is an electroacoustic music composer born April 27, 1952 in Scunthorpe, UK, and currently living in Birmingham, UK.Jonty Harrison is an electroacoustic music composer born April 27, 1952 in Scunthorpe, UK, and currently living in Birmingham, UK.Jonty Harrison is an electroacoustic...
at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
(UK). This study also gave her the opportunity to work with BEAST
Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre
Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre, or as it is more commonly known, BEAST, is a sound diffusion system specifically designed for the performance of electroacoustic music. Created in 1982, it is a long-running project of the Electroacoustic Music Studios at the University of Birmingham under...
(Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre) which has greatly influenced her current work, and lead on to a doctoral degree in composition supervised by Denis Smalley
Denis Smalley
Denis Arthur Smalley is a composer of electroacoustic music, with a special interest in acousmatic music.-Biography:...
, awarded in 1998 at City University
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
(London, UK). Both degrees were funded by the Humanities section of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
. In the same year, a grant from Norges forskningsråd (The Research Council of Norway) enabled her to work as a resident composer at NoTAM (Norsk nettverk for Teknologi, Akustikk og Musikk / Norwegian network for Technology, Acoustics and Music) in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(Norway). She is now a freelance composer, sound-artist and researcher, based in Oslo.
Her work has received many awards, including the Nordic Council Music Prize
Nordic Council Music Prize
The Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer...
for 2006, the first prize at Musica Nova (Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, 2001), Noroit-Léonce Petitot (Arras, France, 1998), first prizes (1998 and 2001) in the Trivium section of the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France), Concurso Internacional de Música Eletroacústica de São Paulo (IV CIMESP, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 2001), Concours SCRIME (France, 2000), Festival Internacional de Nuevas Tecnologías, Arte y Comunicación Ciber@RT / Ciber@RT International Festival of New Technologies, Art and Communication (Spain, 2000), Concours Luigi Russolo (Italy, 1998, 1995) and Prix Ars Electronica
Prix Ars Electronica
The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music...
(Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, 1998), 9th International Rostrum for electoacoustic music (2002) and Edvard Prize (2004) Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. She receives commissions from institutions and performers in Europe and America, and her work is available on numerous CD labels, including empreintes DIGITALes
Empreintes DIGITALes
empreintes DIGITALes is a record label founded in 1990 and based in Montreal which specialises in contemporary electroacoustic music, acousmatic and musique concrète.In 2005, empreintes DIGITALes shifted from CD to DVD-Audio.- Composers :* Mathew Adkins...
, Aurora, Cultures électroniques/Mnémosyne Musique Média, CDCM/Centaur, and two privately produced solo CD productions.
Partial discography
- Rocks & Wraiths (CD, Nota Bene Records, NB 970101M, 1997, UK)
- Chillies & Shells (CD, Nota Bene Records, NB 980101M, 1998, UK)
- Isostasie (CD, empreintes DIGITALesEmpreintes DIGITALesempreintes DIGITALes is a record label founded in 1990 and based in Montreal which specialises in contemporary electroacoustic music, acousmatic and musique concrète.In 2005, empreintes DIGITALes shifted from CD to DVD-Audio.- Composers :* Mathew Adkins...
, IMED 0262, 2002, Canada) - Kraftfelt (DVD-Audio, Aurora, ACD 5037, 2005, Norway)
- Trade Winds (CD, Aurora, ACD 5056, 2007, Norway)
Her work also appears as tracks on twelve other CDs.
List of works
- Agora (2000–02), electroacoustic theater
- Angels & Devils (2002)
- Avoid being eaten by mimicking other less palatable species (Abemolpas) (2004)
- Barely-1 (2007), installation
- Buoyant Charm (1997, 2001), mixed ensemble, and tape
- Caressing Eternity (1994), electric guitar, and tape
- Circadian Cycles (1999), sinfonietta, computer, and tape
- Crack (2007)
- Diabolus (1999), percussion, voice, processing, and tape
- Displaced:Replaced (2001)
- Earth Haze (1996)
- Exploratio Invisibilis (2003)
- … fetters… (2002)
- Hommage à Parmerud (The Fabulous Mr P) (2005)
- Imago (1995)
- Industrial Revelations (2001)
- Liquid Crystal (2000), clarinet, computer, processing, and tape
- Little Animals (1997)
- Mimetic Dynamics (1999), installation
- Microclimates III-VI (2007), installation version and concert / CD version
- Mobilis in Mobili (2005)
- Outspan (1999)
- Prince Prospero's Party (2002)
- Push-me-Pull-me (2001), cello, violin, and computer
- Puzzle Wood (1994)
- Racing Through, Racing Unseen (1996)
- Racing Unseen (1996)
- Rain Forest Cycle (2000), installation
- RAS (2000), percussion quartet, processing, and electroacoustic sound
- Receive (1995)
- Red Snow (1998, 2001)
- Red Snow (1998)
- Searching for Perspectives (1994), installation
- Snow and Instability (Microclimate I) (1998), percussion, doublebass, alto flute, and tape
- St Paul's Descending into the Autumn Mist (1997)
- Surf (1997), 2 classical guitars, and tape
- Swaying to See (1995)
- Symbiosis (2002), cello, and computer
- Three Fictions (Northern Mix) (2000)
- Trade Winds (2004–06)
- Trompe l'œil (1994), flute, and tape
- The Utility of Space (2000)
- Viva la Selva! (1999)
- Where Shadows Do for Bodies Stand (2004), classical guitar, and interactive system
External links
- Official Natasha Barrett website
- http://www.electrocd.com/en/bio/barrett_na/ (with permission)
- Natasha Barrett at exclaim