John Palmer (composer)

John Palmer (1959) is a British composer, pianist, musicologist, and university professor.

John Palmer began his music career as a pianist and keyboard player in the mid-seventies. In the 1980s he 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 and Vinko Globokar. He continued his composition studies in London at Trinity College of Music, Royal Holloway, University of London and at City University London where he obtained a PhD in composition in 1994. Further studies include composition with Vinko Globokar at the Dartington Summer School and privately with Jonathan Harvey, analysis with Jonathan Cross at the University of Bristol, and conducting with Alan Hazeldine at the Guildhall School of Music And Drama in London. Since 1987 Palmer's works has focused on orchestral, instrumental, vocal, chamber music, and electroacoustic composition. Palmer is professor of Hörerziehung (Listening Education) at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart.

Opera

 * Re di Donne (2019) Chamber Opera in One Act, for 4 singers and ensemble with electronics

Orchestra

 * Omen (1991) for orchestra and choir
 * There (1992, rev. 2019) for string orchestra with string quartet
 * Concertino (1994)
 * Hypothetical Questions (1992 rev. 2011)
 * Piano Concerto (2005) for piano (tuned microtonally), orchestra and choir
 * Double Concerto for Violin and Cello (2016)
 * Not Two (2017) for orchestra

Ensemble

 * Asgard (1987- rev. 2001) for 2 speakers and ensemble (fl, cl, vl, vla, vc, pno, electronics)
 * Koan (1999) for shakuhachi and ensemble (fl, ob, clar, perc, pno, vl, vla, vc)
 * Waka (2003) for percussion and ensemble (fl, ob, cl, pno, vl, vla, vc)
 * Legend (2008) for  harp and ensemble
 * You (2008) for trombone and ensemble
 * Transparence (2015) for viola and ensemble with electronics
 * Blurring definitions (2016) fl, cl, bs, perc, 2 vl, vla, vc, db

Chamber music

 * First String Quartet (1986)
 * Utopia (1989) soprano and wind quartet
 * Hellawes (1991) flute trio
 * Theorem (1995) violin, cello, piano
 * Second String Quartet (dream) (1996)
 * Encounter (1998) harpsichord, world percussion, electronics
 * Between (2000) violin and harpsichord
 * Transitions (2000) violin, clarinet, cello, piano
 * Still (2001) bass flute, 6 & 12-string guitar, viola
 * Nowhere (2003) clarinet, piano, electronics
 * Afterglow (2006) alto flute, piano, electronics
 * Transference (2010) flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
 * Crossing dialogues (2013) violin, cello, vibraphone and piano
 * Of Shadows Unveiled (2013) flute, bass clarinet and piano
 * Towards the soul (2015) trombone quartet
 * Conditional action (2016) two flutes
 * Alba (2016) violin, viola, cello, piano

Instrumental

 * Hieroglyphs (1985–86) piano
 * Three Preludes (1987) piano
 * Poem for the Absurd (1987) piano
 * Musica Reservata (1989) piano
 * Shambhala (1990) piano
 * Satori (1999) harpsichord
 * Hinayana (1999) oboe
 * Mosaic (1998) harpsichord
 * Drang (1999) accordion
 * Without (2004) violin
 * Almost (2006) cello
 * Over (2006) violin
 * En avant (2006) piano
 * Se potessi (2011) piano
 * Eulogy (2013) piano
 * Verso l’alto (2014) viola
 * Three Haikus (2014) shakuhachi
 * Hypothesis (2017) percussion
 * Yahari (2017) guitar
 * Lux Ardens (2023) cello
 * Lux Serena (2024) cello

Electroacoustic (including acousmatic)

 * Beyond the bridge (1993) cello and electronics
 * Renge-kyo (1993) piano and electronics
 * Encounter (1998) harpsichord, world percussions, electronics
 * ...as it flies... (2001) tape
 * Transfiguration (1999–2006) trombone and electronics
 * I am (2002) tape
 * After silence 1 (2005) piano and electronics
 * Inwards (2005–06) bass flute and electronics
 * In the Temple (2006–07) tape
 * Present Otherness (2008) tape
 * Mémoires (2011) tape
 * Woanders (2016) piano and electronics

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 - Città 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

 * In the Temple - Animato Records ACD6144.
 * I Am - Animato Records ACD6143.
 * Musica Reservata - Animato Records ACD6136. Animato Records
 * 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
 * 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
 * Without in Dots/Lines, Takao Hyakutome (2015)
 * Verso L’Alto in 20 Jahre Ensemble Plus, ORF Voralberg CD Label, 2016. (Limited Edition).
 * Mémoires in Presque Rien Competition Prize CD Label, Vol. I, Paris 2017. (Limited Edition).