[#93] May 3, 2021 2012 | Cornet and Wind Orchestra | Grade 6 | 20’-25’ | Concerto
“Mysteries of the Horizon” by British composer Nigel Clarke is our Composition of the Week.
The concerto was written in 2012, first in a version for Brass Band, and shortly after for Wind Orchestra. It is cast in four movements, each title baring the name of four paintings by the Belgian Surrealist painter René Magritte, on which the concerto is based.
Mysteries of the Horizon was written and dedicated to cornet soloist Harmen Vanhoorne.
It has a duration of 21 minutes.
NIGEL CLARKE studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music with Paul Patterson, winning the Josiah Parker Prize (adjudicated by Sir Michael Tippett) and the Academy’s highest distinction, the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence. Clarke was co-nominated in 2006 World Soundtrack Awards in the `Discovery of the Year' category. He gained his Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Salford. Nigel has previously held positions as Young Composer in Residence at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Composition and Contemporary Music Tutor at the Royal Academy of Music, London, Head of Composition at the London College of Music and Media, visiting tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music, Associate Composer to the Black Dyke Band, Associate Composer to the Band of HM Grenadier Guards, Associate Composer to the Royal Military School of Music, Associate Composer to Brass Band Buizingen in Belgium and Composer-in-Residence to the Marinierskapel der Koninklijke Marine (Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy). In 1997 Nigel joined the United States International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the US Information Agency. He is currently and Visiting Composer to Middle Tennessee State University Bands.
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