Siobhán Cleary facts for kids
Siobhán Cleary was born in Ireland on May 10, 1970. She is a well-known Irish composer. Some of her most successful pieces are her orchestral works Alchemy and Cokaygne. She also wrote a popular choral piece called Theophilus Thistle and the Myth of Miss Muffett. Her opera Vampirella was first performed in Dublin in March 2017. Siobhán Cleary is a member of Aosdána, which is a special group for creative artists in Ireland.
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Early Life and Music Studies
Siobhán Cleary was born in Dublin. She started writing music when she was very young. She would often compose pieces even when she was supposed to be practicing piano. She began studying music at Maynooth University. There, she was inspired by a piece called Sinfonia by Luciano Berio. She also admired the works of other composers like Gerald Barry from Ireland, Olivier Messiaen from France, and György Ligeti from Hungary.
She continued her studies at Queen's University Belfast and Trinity College, Dublin. Siobhán also took special classes in composition. She learned from Italian composer Franco Donatoni and Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. She even had private lessons from American composer Tom Johnson. She also studied how to create music for movies. She learned this from famous composers like Ennio Morricone and Don Brandon Ray.
Famous Musical Works
Siobhán Cleary has created many interesting musical pieces. Here are some of her most famous ones:
Alchemy: A Musical Transformation
Her orchestral work Alchemy was created in 2001. It was inspired by the old idea of alchemists. These alchemists tried to turn cheaper metals into gold. Just like the steps in alchemy, Cleary's piece has four parts. It moves from slow and dark sounds to strong and bright ones. The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra performed this work in January 2002.
Cokaygne: A Land of Luxury
Cokaygne is another orchestral piece from 2009. It was also asked for by RTÉ for the National Symphony Orchestra. This piece is based on old stories and poems. They describe a magical land that is full of extreme luxury and happiness. The music is very detailed and uses many different instruments. The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra performed it in November 2009. Vladimir Altschuler conducted the performance. They played it again in June 2016, this time with Alan Buribayev as the conductor.
Theophilus Thistle: Fun with Words
Cleary's choral work Theophilus Thistle and the Myth of Miss Muffett was written in 2010. A choir performs this type of music. The Cork Choral Festival asked her to write it. It was first performed in April 2011 by Chamber Choir Ireland. Paul Hillier directed the choir. This piece is based on many tongue twisters and funny word combinations. These come from different languages across Europe.
In 2013, Chamber Choir Ireland performed it twice in Dublin and Cork. This was part of Ireland's time as president of the European Union. A music critic named Terry Blain praised the choir's "dazzlingly virtuosic performance." He called the piece "a clever and richly entertaining composition." Theophilus Thistle was also performed in the United States that same year.
Vampirella: An Opera Story
The chamber opera Vampirella was first performed in March 2017. It had a story written by Katy Hayes. Students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art performed it. The show took place at Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre. The opera is based on a short story by Angela Carter. It tells how a young soldier meets a vampire countess. Michael Dervan, a critic from The Irish Times, liked the electronic sounds in the music. He thought they were very effective.
Awards and Recognition
Siobhán Cleary has received several awards for her music. In 1996, she won a young artists award. This was from a group called Pépinières européennes pour jeunes artistes. The next year, in 1997, she won first prize. This was at the Arklow Music Festival Composers' Competition. In 2008, she was invited to become a member of Aosdána. This is a special Irish association for creative artists.
