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Pedro Amaral, London Sinfonietta
Works For Ensemble

Album UK 2007 on Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation label
Classical (Contemporary)

Recorded at Henry Wood Hall, London, on 10-11 November 2006 Total time: 61:06 Distributor: Harmonia Mundi (UK) Building on the increasing success that the Atlantic Waves festival has achieved over the past six years, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation launched a new CD series to promote Portuguese musicians and music internationally. Like the festival, the series aims to showcase diversity and uniqueness featuring collaborations between Portuguese and musicians from around the world. The first release, Works For Ensemble, by the young Portuguese composer Pedro Amaral (also his debut CD), was recorded by the London Sinfonietta at the Henry Wood Hall, London, in November 2006, and consists of four world premieres in the best tradition (Berio, Boulez, Stockhausen…) of the classical contemporary genre. Born in Lisbon in 1972, Pedro Amaral is one of the most dynamic European musicians of his generation. Whether as composer, conductor or musicologist, his work is characterised by a profound unity of thinking. He studied composition with Fernando Lopes-Graça and Emmanuel Nunes, and conducting with Emilio Pomàrico and Peter Eötvös. He was frequently a resident composer at IRCAM, and since 2005 has been Karlheinz Stockhausen’s personal assistant for the revision of “Momente”. "It is an excellent work that taught me a lot of things" Karlheinz Stockhausen on Pedro Amaral PhD thesis, Le Monde de la Musique London Sinfonietta is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest ensembles. Specialising in contemporary music, it works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and jazz musicians. The ensemble places new music at the heart of contemporary culture, reaching out to new audiences and embracing the technical challenges of pushing musical boundaries. Since its foundation in 1968, the ensemble has been committed to commissioning and performing works by both emerging and established composers. Its list of over 200 commissions reaches from its early support of Birtwistle, Xenakis and Berio to Tansy Davies, Dai Fujikura, Jonny Greenwood (from Radiohead) and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Works For Ensemble was launched at a concert at LSO St Luke’s, on 23 June 2007, 7.30 pm. Amaral conducted the London Sinfonietta in two of his sparkling works (Spirales and Paraphrase), plus Boulez’s luscious miniature for six instruments (Derive I) and Berio’s rarely performed Chemins IV for eleven strings and oboe (Gareth Hulse). For further information, please contact: Miguel Santos Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 98 Portland Place London W1B 1ET UK T: +44 20 7908 7622 E: miguel.santos@gulbenkian.org.uk W: www.gulbenkian.org.uk

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	Pedro Amaral , *1972 composed by, conductor, album by
	London Sinfonietta , GB orchestra, album by

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