Below is information about the Collective's associate composers:
Paul Jones
Paul is a composer, improviser and pianist. He was Composer in Residence at the Brecon Jazz Festival 2006, and has recieved commissions from the Wales Jazz Composers Orchestra,The P.R.S Foundation, Ruth is Stranger than Richard Theatre Company, and the Sherman Theatre. His Theatre work has included a new score for Samuel Beckett's radio play Words and Music and music for Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle.He has also worked with Ian McMillan, Diversions Dance Company, Linder Sterling, Keith Tippett & Goldie Lookin’ Chain.
Paul was recently invited to perform a new composition entitled +/_ for two Organs at the Sonic Arts Network Expo 2007 in Plymouth.
He teaches Jazz Piano and Improvisation at the Junior Music Department at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and is very active as a performer in Jazz and Improvised music. He leads several music groups including co -running the Jones O'Connor Group & running the Improv/Noise Trio Sound Engineer.
Web Links:- www.myspace.com/thepones
Dan Phelps
For more information about the composer, his work, or any forthcoming concerts and events, please do not hesitate to contact him.
e-mail: dan_phelps81@yahoo.co.uk
or visit his website: www.compositiontoday.com/danphelps
To hear Dan Phelps' MP3 samples please visit www.nationalgigguide.com/danphelps
Background
Dan Phelps is a composer and pianist who was born in Birmingham in 1981. He has been composing since he was nine years old and started piano lessons at the age of eleven.
Dan is currently working at the Wales Millennium Centre leading educational music workshops for children.
Education
After receiving a BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music from New College Telford, Shropshire, he then went on to study Music at Bath Spa University College where he received a BA (Hons) Degree and has recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Composition from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Multimedia
Since Dan has been living in Cardiff he has composed music for a number of professional organisations and individuals including Rubicon Dance, India Dance Wales, Elan Wales (a theatre company) and Calon TV (an animation company) amongst others. For Calon TV Dan was responsible for composing the music for one of their animation 'Trailers' "Are We There Yet?"
Dan continues to work very closely with two poets, Jeff Phelps and Simon Fletcher, on a collaboration project Severn Spirit. The collaboration combines the original solo piano works of Dan Phelps with the poems and stories of Jeff Phelps and Simon Fletcher. In October 2006 the trio performed at a sold out performance at the Bewdley Festival.
Chamber Music
Dan has been involved with numerous chamber ensembles including the Gjylaci Duo who have given a world premiere performance of his Violin and Guitar piece (Episodic Dreams) at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, as well as performing it again as part of the 'Monday Night Musicales' season organised by the Royal Northern College of Music.
His Piano and Cello piece "Minimum Vs. Maximum" was premiered by Harvey Davies (piano) and Heather Bills (cello) at the Powys Hall at the University of Wales Bangor, as part of the Bangor Music Festival in March 2006. This concert was co-organised by the Composers of Wales which Dan is a member of. For more information about the Composers of Wales, please visit their website
Dan has also had his piece "The Empty Head" for two Clarinets and Bassoon premiered by Ensemble Cymru in June 2006. The piece was premiered in Mold, North Wales and was then played throughout Wales in a six date tour.
In June 2006 Dan had his Viola and Piano piece "Twisted Fairground" Premiered by Philip Heyman (of Welsh National Opera) and Zoe Smith at the Wales Millennium Centre.
Deri Roberts
Deri studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama from 1997 to 2004, graduating with the MMus qualification in Composition. During his studies, Deri received the Principal's Award for Composition, the ‘David Harries Memorial Award’ for his String Quartet ‘Tair Can o Gymru’, and the HTV Study Award.
Derihas a diverse background in music, ranging from school brass bands and orchestral playing, through to electro-acoustic, and television composition.
Deri has worked on many television scores, including:
• 'Travel to...." 20 promos with a travel theme for BBC Worldwide.
• "Post - Mortem". Six half-hour series made for Channel 5.
• "Welsh Wildlife" . Six short animations made for HTV Wales.
• Nokia TV ad - Drum'n'Bass music.
• “Meerkat Manor”. 13 half- hour espisodes of the ‘soap’ living with Meerkats for Animal Planet.
• “Inti Warri Nassi” . A 30 minute conservation film about an animal Sanctuary in Bolivia,
• "Built for the Kill!", "Cold Blooded Killerz!", "Undersea Deception"& "Flying Insects" for National Geographic.
• “Volcano Alert” A 23-minute film for Channel 5
• “Pirhana Attack” 1 hour film for Channel 5. Produced by "Tigress Production's"
• “Roman Mummies” Half -hour film for Channel 5. Produced by "Tigress Productions"
Deri also performs and records with bands such as ‘Full Circle’, an improvisational ensemble, with Christopher Rees on his album ‘The Sweetest A che’, and with R.T.Dafis on his albums ‘The Musical’ and ‘Jerusalem Artichoke’. Deri has recently returned from Brazil where he was performing with Patua Dance, (a Brazilian dance company) celebrating the 450th anniversary of their City, Sau Paulo.
Deri is also a keen teacher. He tutors Commercial Music and Music Technology at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He also tutors the A- and As-level and BTEC Music Technology courses at Coleg Glan Hafren.
