Trevor Wishart

Trevor Wishart (1946, Leeds, England) has been very active, since the early 1970s in the area of electro-acoustic music (first with tape manipulation, later with computer pieces) and musical theatre pieces. He pays special attention to the objectives of musical education, to holding collaborative perform-projects and solo practice with the use of original vocal techniques. In 1973 he did his doctorate dissertation at the University of York (musical composition). Since the mid 70s he has been doing systematic research into various vocal-speech figures and the possibilities for their noting, giving special emphasis to the computer technologies. He is the author of a number of theoretical books on the issues of musical composition, philosophy and sociology, including such as: Whose Music?.. A Sociology of Musical Languages (Transaction Books Ed.), On Sonic Art. Music in a Technological Age (Gordon & Beach Ed.), Audible Design: A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practical Sound Composition (Orpheus the Pantomime Ed.), and also editions of musical and educational character: Sounds Fun (Universal Edition), Sounds Fun 2 (Universal Edition), Sun (Creativity & Environment, Universal Ed.), Sun 2 (A Creative Philosophy, Universal Ed.). His theoretical and practical musical productions are presented in various international collections and journals, including the following ones: Computer Music Journal, (USA), Leonardo (USA), Contemporary Music Review (Great Britain), Interface (Holland), Les Cahiers d’IRCAM (France), Music Realta (Italy). For many years he taught music and composition at various British educational institutions (such as University of Nottingham, University of Leeds, University of York, etc.), and also abroad: Sogetu Hall (Tokyo), University Complutense (Madrid), Academie d’Ete (Paris), Akademie der Kunst (Berlin), Kyoto University of Arts (Kyoto), Sibelius Akatemia (Helsinki), University of Sidney (Sidney), Royal Conservatory (Hague), Lund University (Lund) and others. He is the author of a number of musical and lingua-artistic productions that were created with support and order from: BBC (London), Paris Bienniale (Paris), Bourges Festival (Bourges), Swedish Radio (Stockholm), French Ministry of Culture (Paris) and others. Wishart is the holder of numerous prizes and awards, among them are the prizes of the International Festival of ElectroAcoustic Music (Bourges, 1978), Ars Electronica (Linz, 1988), and also the main prizes at the: Euphonie d’Or (Bourges Festival, Bourges, 1992), Golden Nica Award (Ars Electronica, Linz, 1995). Several times he was a jury member at festivals and professional contests, among them are the following ones: Ars Electronica (Linz, 1991-93), International Computer Music Conference (1991-94), Stockholm International Electronic Music Festival (1995). Since 1980 till 1999 he was a member of the organizing committee (1990-93 – a chairman) of the Sonic Art Network (EMAS), also initiated the Composers Desktop Project aimed at providing composers with high technology software. He is the author and designer of the unique in Britain 54-channel sounding of the Jorvik Viking Center Multimedia Museum (York). Trevor Wishart lives and works in York (Great Britain).

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