Life
1952- ; b. Co. Clare, ed. Clarecastle NS; St. Flannan’s,
Ennis; entered UCD 1969, graduating with First; proceeded to Netherlands
on scholarship (‘I’m brilliant at finding out grants’),
stuying composition with Peter Schat and organ with Piet Kee; completed
MA at UCD: travelled to Cologne, 1975, studying under Karl Stockhausen;
worked at organist in Protestant Church at Cologne; held scholarship in
Vienna, 1977, studying under Freidrich Cerha; first works “Things
that Gain by Being Painted” and “Solid Line” reflect influence
of painter Rothko; Lect. in Music, UCD, 1982; works include The
Intelligence Park, opera; Unkrautgarten, ballet; Things
that Gain by Being Painted, for soprano, speaker, cello and
piano; Lessness and All the Dead Voices, for both voices
and orch., based on Beckett; Beethoven WoO 80 [sic]; Décolletage;
Mr Volans His Rest; Ó [crossed]; Four Chorales, two
pianos; Deus Ox; Sur les Pointes; Au Milieu; numerous
awards and fellowships; Dublin Symphony Orch. Composers Competition, first
prize 1972; Chevaux de frise (1988), commemorates the Armada; The Intelligence
Park, opera with libretto by Vincent Deane (Almedia Th., London, (July
1990); member of Aosdána; divides time betwen Fanore, Co. Clare,
and Arbour Hill, Dublin.
Criticism
Eileen Battersby, interview-article, in The Irish Times (Thurs.,
15 June 2000); Lyric FM Gerald Barry Fest., 21-26 June 2000.
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)