Garth Knox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Garth Knox
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Knox performing on the viola d'amore, 2008
Photo: Claire Stefani |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 8 October 1956 Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | Contemporary classical music |
| Occupation(s) | violist, composer |
| Instruments | Viola, viola d'amore |
| Years active | 1983– |
| Labels | Naïve Records, ECM Records, Zeitklang records |
| Associated acts | Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain, Arditti Quartet |
Garth Knox is a famous musician from Dublin, Ireland, born on October 8, 1956. He plays the viola and also writes music. He is known for playing and creating new music or contemporary classical music, which is a style of classical music from our time.
About Garth Knox
Early Life and Training
Garth Knox grew up in Scotland, even though he was born in Ireland. His family loved music, and all four children played string instruments. Garth chose the viola as his main instrument.
He studied music at the Royal College of Music in London. His teacher there was a well-known musician named Frederick Riddle.
A Career in Music
After his studies, Garth Knox joined a famous music group in Paris called the Ensemble InterContemporain. He played with them from 1983 to 1990. This group was led by a very important composer, Pierre Boulez.
Later, from 1990 to 1997, Garth joined another famous group called the Arditti Quartet in London. A quartet is a group of four musicians.
Garth Knox has worked with many of the world's top composers. He has performed their new pieces for the very first time. Some of these composers include György Ligeti, Iannis Xenakis, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Today, Garth Knox lives in Paris. He performs as a solo musician, playing both the viola and the viola d'amore. The viola d'amore is an older string instrument that looks a bit like a viola but has more strings.
Recordings and Albums
Garth Knox has made many recordings throughout his career. He recorded with the Ensemble InterContemporain and especially with the Arditti Quartet.
His first solo album was called Works for Viola. It won a special award in Germany called the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis. His second solo album was Spectral Viola.
In 2008, he released an album called Viola d'Amore. This album was chosen as "record of the month" by a well-known British music magazine called Gramophone.
In 2012, Garth Knox released another album called Saltarello. A saltarello is a fast Italian dance from the 14th century. On this album, Garth played the fiddle, viola, and viola d'amore. He was joined by Agnès Vesterman on cello and Sylvain Lemêtre on percussion.
The music on the Saltarello album is very diverse. It includes old music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, like pieces by Hildegard von Bingen and John Dowland. It also features music from more recent times, including some pieces written by Garth Knox himself. This album was even praised by jazz music critics!
