Emily Howard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Howard
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 23 February 1979 Liverpool
|
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford; Royal Northern College of Music; University of Manchester |
| Occupation | Composer |
|
Notable work
|
Antisphere (2019); The Anvil (2019); Torus (2016); Magnetite (2007) |
Emily Howard, born in 1979, is a British composer. She is famous for creating music that cleverly connects with mathematical ideas and shapes.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Emily Howard was born in Liverpool, England. She first studied maths and computer science at Lincoln College, Oxford. After that, she went on to study how to compose music. She attended the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester.
Music Career Highlights
Emily Howard has created many exciting musical pieces. Her work often mixes art with science.
Early Success and Awards
In 2008, Emily wrote a special piece for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This piece, called Magnetite, was a big success. It helped Liverpool celebrate being a European Capital of Culture. Because of this, Emily won an award from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
In 2010, Emily became the first UBS Composer in Residence. This was with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). She wrote a piece called Solar for them. Critics said it showed "galactic power on a compact scale." Her music was also featured in a big festival in Vienna in 2011.
Blending Music and Science
Emily Howard loves to explore how music and science connect. Even though her music is very scientific, conductor Simon Rattle said it "doesn't feel the least bit mechanical."
She worked with a mathematician named Marcus du Sautoy. Together, they created a string quartet called Four Musical Proofs and a Conjecture. This piece was first performed at a science festival in 2017.
Emily has also explored "orchestral geometries." These are large musical works that sound like shapes and processes. Her piece Torus, from 2016, was called "visionary" by the Times newspaper. It won an award for orchestral music in 2017. Another piece, Antisphere, continued this idea.
Major Performances and Operas
In 2019, Emily's music was part of the Barbican's "Life Rewired" season. This season looked at how art responds to technology. Emily also helped create an event about Ada Lovelace. Ada Lovelace was a famous mathematician.
Emily's first full-length opera is called To See The Invisible (2018). It was based on a science fiction story. Critics praised her unique and clear musical style in this opera.
In 2023, Emily Howard was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award. Her piece Elliptics was nominated for Best Orchestral Composition.
Research and Teaching
Besides composing, Emily Howard is also a researcher and teacher. In 2015, she was an artist in residence at the University of Liverpool. She worked in their Department of Mathematical Sciences.
In 2017, she helped start PRiSM. This is a special center at the RNCM for research in science and music. Emily is the Director of PRiSM. She has also been a Professor of Composition at the RNCM since 2010.
Musical Style
Emily Howard uses many different sounds in her music. She explores the extreme sounds of instruments and voices. The shape and story of a piece are very important to her.
Her interest in maths and computers shows in some of her titles. For example, Calculus of the Nervous System (2011) and Pi (a Pie?) (2013) for children. She also loves chess, which inspired her piece Chaos or Chess (2016). Emily also enjoys playing with words in her music.
Personal Details
Emily Howard's father used to play in the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra. This is the same orchestra that conductor Simon Rattle was involved with. Emily was also the British Junior Girls Chess Champion from 1990 to 1996.
Selected Works
Works for Orchestra
- Antisphere (2019)
- sphere (2017)
- Torus (2016)
- Axon (2013)
- Calculus of the Nervous System (2011)
- Solar (2010)
- Magnetite (2007)
Chamber Orchestra
- Mesmerism (2011)
- Lachrymose (2006)
- Passacaglia (2002)
Orchestra with Choir
- The Anvil (2019)
Opera and Vocal Works
- To See The Invisible (2018)
- Zátopek! (2012)
Solo Vocal Works
- But then, what are these numbers? (2019)
- Threnos (2015)
- Ada sketches (2011)
- Songs from Dickens (2010)
- Wild Clematis in Winter (2008)
Choral Works
- Two Songs after Friday Afternoons (2013)
- Ite Fortes (2006)
Ensemble Works
- Carillon (2013)
- Settle (2010)
- Obsidian (2010)
- Broken Hierarchies (2008)
- Dualities (2005)
Chamber Works
- Four Musical Proofs and a Conjecture (2017)
- Afference (2014)
- Deconstruction V (2012)
- Zugzwänge (2012)
- Broken Hierarchies II (2009)
- The Summoning of Mephisto (2007)
Solo Works
- Outlier (2018)
- Chaos or Chess (2016)
- Orbits (2015)
- Leviathan (2015)
- Masquerade (2009)
- Cloud Chamber (2006)
- Sky and Water (2005)
Selected Discography
- Torus (NMC), NMC D274 (2023)
- The Anvil (Delphian), DCD34285-CD (2023)
- Magnetite (NMC), NMCD219 (2016)
- Zátopek! (NMC), NMCDL2012-10 (2012)
- Sky and Water featured in John McCabe: Farewell Recital (Toccata Classics), TOCC0139 (2011)
- Wild Clematis in Winter featured in The NMC Songbook (NMC), NMCD150 (2009)
- Outback in A Garland For John McCabe (Divine Art), DDA25166 (2018)
- Masquerade for basset clarinet and piano featured in Prism: New Works for Clarinet (NMC), NMCD139 (2011)
- Cloud Chamber featured in Paul Vowles's recital disc (Prima Facie), PFCD035 (2015)
