19 Jul 2015

Evelyn Glennie - Percussion Champion

From Composer of the Week, 9:00 am on 19 July 2015
Evelyn Glennie

Evelyn Glennie Photo: Philipp Rathmer

Solo percussionist Evelyn Glennie has always been a champion of the composer, realising early on that to follow her performance dream, she needed to find composers to write works for percussion.

Because percussion hasn't always been considered a solo instrument, Glennie struggled to find substantial works in the early years of her career. In this programme she talks to the NZSO's Lenny Sakofsky about the percussion works she has commissioned over the years, the logistics of maintaining a solo percussion career and a project to celebrate her 50th birthday, for which she asked 50 composers to write 50 bars of music.

Among the composers who have written for her are New Zealanders John Psathas and Gareth Farr. Lenny also talks to them about writing music for Evelyn and the involvement she has in the composition process.

Music Details:

PSATHAS: Matre's Dance - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Philip Smith (pno) (Catalyst 09026 68195)
MACMILLAN: Veni Veni Emmanuel - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Scottish CO/ Jukka-Pekka Saraste (Catalyst 09026 61916)
MACMILLAN: Veni Veni Emmanuel - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Scottish CO/ Jukka-Pekka Saraste (Catalyst 09026 61916)
FARR: Hikoi, percussion concerto - Evelyn Glennie (perc), NZSO/ James Judd (RNZ)
FARR: Hikoi, percussion concerto - Evelyn Glennie (perc), NZSO/ James Judd (RNZ)
CORIGLIANO: Conjurer, percussion concerto - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Albany SO/ David Alan Millar (Naxos 8.559757)
CHEN: Percussion Concerto - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Singapore SO/ Lan Shui (BIS CD 1222)
ROUSE: Der Gerettete Alberich - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Helsinki PO/ Leif Segerstam (Ondine ODE 1016)
PSATHAS: Happy Tachyons - Stephen Gosling (pno), Jeremy Fitzsimons (perc) (Trust MMT 2047)
PSATHAS: View from Olympus - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Stephen De Pledge (piano), APO / Hans Graf (RNZ)
GLENNIE: Chinese Cymbals - 1279 - Evelyn Glennie (perc) (Catalyst 09026 68195)
GLENNIE: Wood blocks - 1279 - Evelyn Glennie (perc) (Catalyst 09026 68195)
CHEN: Percussion Concerto - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Singapore SO/ Lan Shui (BIS CD 1222)
DAUGHERTY: UFO - Evelyn Glennie (perc), Colorado SO/ Marin Alsop (Naxos 8.559165)