Rhona Clarke facts for kids

Rhona Clarke (born 21 January 1958) is an Irish composer and teacher. She writes many different kinds of music, including pieces for orchestras, choirs, and smaller groups of instruments.

About Rhona Clarke

Rhona Clarke was born in Dublin, Ireland. She grew up in a family that loved music. From the age of 14, she sang in a women's choir. She was also a very talented piano student at the College of Music in Dublin. This college is now called the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama.

Her Education and Early Career

Rhona studied music at University College Dublin. She earned a Teacher's Diploma in 1978 and a Bachelor of Music degree in 1980. After her studies, she taught music at several schools around Dublin.

In 1985, she attended a special summer school for composers. There, she discovered the music of famous composers like Luciano Berio and Witold Lutoslawski. Their music greatly inspired her.

Awards and Achievements

Some of Rhona's early musical pieces won awards. Her Six Short Piano Pieces (1982) won a prize at the Feis Ceoil, a big music festival. Her choir piece Suantraí Ghráinne (1983) won the Seán Ó Riada Memorial Trophy in 1984. This was at the Cork International Choral Festival.

For her work Sisyphus (1985), she received the Varming Prize. This special award is given only every four years to an Irish composer under 30. In 1991, Rhona finished her first piece for a full orchestra, called A Great Rooted Tree. She earned her Ph.D. from Queen's University Belfast in 1992. Today, she teaches music at St. Patrick's College, which is part of Dublin City University.

Working with Others

Rhona Clarke has been asked to write music for many groups. These include RTÉ (Ireland's national broadcaster) and the Cork International Choral Festival. Her music has been played and broadcast all over Ireland and in other countries.

In 2014, RTÉ featured her as a special composer in their Horizon Series. For this event, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra asked her to write an orchestral piece called SHIFT (2013). Since 2009, Rhona has also worked with visual artist Marie Hanlon. They create short films with music, live music with visual art, and joint art shows.

Rhona Clarke is a member of Aosdána. This is a special group in Ireland that supports creative artists.

Rhona Clarke's Music Style

Rhona Clarke creates many types of music. She writes for choirs, small groups of instruments (chamber music), orchestras, and electronic sounds. Her early choir piece, Suantraí Ghráinne, was calm and beautiful. It made people curious when it was first performed in 1984.

Early Chamber Works

Her early chamber pieces, like Sisyphus (1985) and Purple Dust, often use wide-spaced sounds. They have a simple musical feel. Some parts of her music allow musicians to play freely, while other parts are written very precisely.

Exploring New Sounds

Since the early 1990s, Rhona has explored electro-acoustic music. This type of music uses electronic sounds and technology. In 1992, she won an award for her electronic music score Whaling Afloat and Ashore.

Her orchestral piece SHIFT shows her experience with electronic sounds. In this piece, she uses special playing techniques for strings and percussion. The music changes from slow and intense to sudden and harsh.

Selected Musical Works

Recordings of Her Music

Many of Rhona Clarke's works have been recorded. Here are some of them:

• The Old Men Admiring Themselves in the Water and Autobiography, from Five Songs (1998). Performed by Judith Mok (soprano) and Dearbhla Collins (piano). Found on: Hugh Lane November Series 1998, Association of Irish Composers AIC 001 (1999).
• The Old Men Admiring Themselves in the Water, from Five Songs (1998). Performed by Judith Mok (soprano) and Dearbhla Collins (piano). Found on: Contemporary Music from Ireland Vol. 3, Contemporary Music Centre CMC CD03 (2001).
• Reflection on the Sixth Station of the Cross (2001). Performed by members of the Tiroler Ensemble für Neue Musik. Found on: Contemporary Music from Ireland Vol. 6, Contemporary Music Centre CMC CD06 (2006).
• Tread Softly (2005). Performed by Maria McGarry (piano). Found on: Hiccup: RTÉ Lyric fm Commissions 2002–2008, RTÉ lyric fm CD123 (2009).
• Four Pieces for Solo Flute (2006). Performed by William Dowdall. Found on: Breathe: New Notes for Flute from Ireland and New Zealand 1978-2010, Atoll Records acd 111 (2010). Available from Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin.
• Piano Trio No. 2. Performed by Fidelio Trio. Found on: Dancing in Daylight: Contemporary Piano Trios from Ireland, Metier MSV 28556 (2015).
• smiling like that .... Performed by Aylish Kerrigan (mezzo) with tape. Found on: Métier MSV 28558 (2016).
• Purple Dust. Performed by Concorde. Found on: RTÉ lyric fm CD 153 (2016).
• Piano Trio No. 3; Gleann dá loch; Piano Trio. No. 2; Con coro; Piano Trio No. 4 (A Different Game); In umbra. Performed by Fidelio Trio. Found on: Métier MSV 28561 (2016).
• Sempertinam: Choral Music by Rhona Clarke. Performed by State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais (conductor). Found on Métier MSV 28614 (2022). This recording includes: A Song for St Cecilia's Day; Rorate caeli; Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep; Two Marian Anthems; The Kiss; Three Carols on Medieval Texts; The Old Woman; Ave atque vale; O vis aeternitatis; Requiem.