Benjamin Dwyer facts for kids

Benjamin Dwyer, born on August 3, 1965, is a talented Irish musician. He is known as a composer (someone who writes music), a guitarist (someone who plays the guitar), and a musicologist (someone who studies music history and theory).

About Benjamin Dwyer

Benjamin Dwyer was born in Dublin, Ireland. He studied classical guitar at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin. He also attended the Royal Academy of Music in London. Later, he studied music at Trinity College Dublin. In 2000, he earned a PhD in composition from Queen's University Belfast.

His Career as a Guitarist

As a guitarist, Benjamin Dwyer first performed a major concert with the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. He played Rodrigo's Concierto d'Aranjuez. Since then, he has performed as a solo artist with many Irish orchestras. He has also given concerts across Europe and North America. He has played with other musicians too, including tenor John Elwes and jazz guitarist Mike Nielsen.

From 2002 to 2007, Dwyer lived in Spain. After that, he returned to Ireland. Since 2009, he has taught guitar at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2012, he became the first professor of music at Middlesex University.

Promoting New Music

Benjamin Dwyer is very interested in modern classical music. Since 1990, he has helped promote new music in Ireland. He started the "Mostly Modern" series and festival, which was later called "MUSIC21." He also founded and directs the VOX21 new music group. This group has performed many new pieces by composers from Ireland and other countries.

He has also organized many concerts and festivals. He brought special events to the National Concert Hall and the Sligo Contemporary Music Festival. He also organized events to remember famous composers like Ligeti in 2007 and Britten in 2013.

Awards and Recognition

Benjamin Dwyer has received several honors for his work. In 1987, the Brazilian Government gave him the Villa-Lobos Centenary Medal. In 2006, he was chosen to be a member of Aosdána, an Irish organization for artists. In 2009, he became an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

As a Musicologist

As a musicologist, Benjamin Dwyer studies music deeply. He has written books and articles for the Journal of Music in Ireland.

Benjamin Dwyer's Music

Benjamin Dwyer has written many important pieces for the classical guitar. His Twelve Études are a great example of his guitar music. He worked on these pieces for twelve years, finishing them in 2008. An étude is a musical piece designed to help a musician practice a specific skill.

Dwyer often uses small musical ideas, called "melodic cells." He explores and changes these ideas little by little. This can make his music sound like it's being made up on the spot. He also uses repeating rhythms, called "rhythmic ostinati." You can hear these in pieces like Voces críticas (2004) and his Guitar Quintet (2003).

Sometimes in his music, different ideas clash. Instead of finding a solution, these ideas might seem to cancel each other out. This can be heard in his Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra (2000). This piece shows his interest in different philosophies and ancient stories.

List of Works

Musicology Books and Articles

Benjamin Dwyer has written several important books and articles about music.

• Transformational Ostinati in György Ligeti's Sonatas for Solo Cello and Solo Viola (2011)
• Constellations. The Life and Music of John Buckley (2011)
• Different Voices: Irish Music and Music in Ireland (2014)
• Britten and the Guitar. Critical Perspectives for Performers (2016)

Recordings

Here are some of the recordings featuring Benjamin Dwyer's music or performances:

• In the Ranelagh Gardens (2005): Features Benjamin Dwyer on guitar, with poetry and other musicians. Includes his pieces Apuntes sin títulos I-IV, Afterjoyce I, Parallaxes, and Crow.
• Evolution (2005): A collaboration between Benjamin Dwyer and Mike Nielsen.
• Benjamin Dwyer: Twelve Études for Guitar (2008): Features his complete Twelve Études for guitar.
• Crow (2010): Performed by William Dowdall on flute.
• Irish Guitar Works (2012): Performed by Benjamin Dwyer and the Callino Quartet. Includes Dwyer's Twelve Studies and Guitar Quintet.
• Benjamin Dwyer: Scenes from Crow (2014): Performed by the VOX21 ensemble.
• Homenaje a Maurice Ohana for piano (2014): Performed by Mary Dullea.