Composer
Anthem without words
Agustín Fernández A Northumbrian Anthem 0 Comments
Let the music do the talking.
City Hall
Agustín Fernández City Hall 0 Comments
I bumped into this old friend yesterday. Since it has to do with my music, the relevant post belongs in Agustín Fernández, composer. That is where it is.
City Hall
Agustín Fernández Approaching Melmoth, Bach's Cantata No. 4, Belfast, Carlisle, City Hall, J Summers, Lincoln Center, Mauricio Kagel, N Cleobury, Northern Sinfonia, Sage Gateshead, Sir Thomas Allen, Ulster Hall 0 Comments
Walking the streets of Newcastle yesterday, I came to the old City Hall. To call it ‘old’ does not mean that it is particularly ancient; it opened in 1927, which, for the standards of central Newcastle, is mature, but not that aged. Nor does it mean that there is a new one to replace it […]
May 2019
Agustín Fernández Ana-Maria Vera, Arreglos bolivianos, Cancillería, Círculo de la Unión, Museo Nacional de Arte, Par par palomita, Thomas Gould, Trío 1 Comment
Tuesday 7 May 2019Cancillería del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, La Paz Par, par, palomitaTrioArreglos bolivianosThomas Gould, violintbc, celloAna-María Vera, pianoOrquesta Bolivia Clásica, conducted from the violin by Thomas Gould Wednesday 8 May 2019Museo Nacional de Arte, La Paz Programme as above Thursday 9 May 2019Círculo de la Unión, La Paz Programme as above
A Northumbrian Anthem, an update
Agustín Fernández A Northumbrian Anthem, Alexandru Murariu, Barrett, Boulez, Elgar, Espaces IV Spezzati, Ferneyhough, Instituto Laredo, Walton 0 Comments
That contemporary music has distanced itself from society is a frequent contention. That society has given up on new music is the obverse claim. A simplistic view would be that educated composers have secluded themselves in ivory towers where rarified music is heard by a few connoisseurs, mostly other composers. They compose for themselves and […]
Momenta in Bolivia
Agustín Fernández Alejandro Posada, Cochabamba, Convento Santa Teresa, Eric Nathan, Fundación Bravura, Instituto Laredo, Koussevitzky, Momenta Quartet, Philip Glass, Roberto Sierra, String Quartet No. 2, USA Embassy in Bolivia 0 Comments
The Momenta Quartet have been among my main collaborators for quite some time. In 1997 they gave the first performance of my String Quartet No. 1 ‘Montes’ at Rock Hall Auditorium, Philadelphia, and they went on playing the piece many times since. In 2008 they visited Newcastle, playing ‘Montes’ at the ¡Vamos! Festival and at […]
Première of LoA at Sage Gateshead
Agustín Fernández Adrian Lee, Clarence Adoo, Gem Lunt, Head Space, Lads of Alnwick, LoA, Northeast of England, Northumberland, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sage Gateshead, Stephanie West 0 Comments
I was not able to attend the première of LoA on 22 September. The reports are heartening, both about how the piece was performed and about the reception by the audience.A première is a difficult thing to miss and this one in particular was special in a number of ways. It is an intensely personal […]
A Northumbrian Anthem
Agustín Fernández A Northumbrian Anthem, organ 0 Comments
The organ piece I completed yesterday (23 August) was written to very precise specifications by the commissioner. In the event it proved a more than suitable vehicle for the feelings outlined in the final paragraph of the last entry, below. It is an anthem of love, gratitude, faith and hope. As special thanks for their interest […]
LoA
Agustín Fernández Clarence Adoo, Head Space, LoA, North Music Trust, Royal Northern Sinfonia 0 Comments
I report completion of LoA, a ten-minute chamber piece for nine instruments (Head Space, Oboe/cor anglais, Soprano/alto saxophone, Lever harp, Electric guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass). This is a commission from North Music Trust as part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Royal Northern Sinfonia. The première is scheduled for 22 September […]
Fourteen
Agustín Fernández A Northumbrian Anthem 0 Comments
I will play this fourteen times today. Nothing will destroy what it contains. It has nothing to do with valediction, but everything to do with love, faith and hope.