Thomas Metcalf BA MSt DipABRSM Worcester College, Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HB [email protected] www.thomasmkmetcalf.com Education
Composition Tuition with Kenneth Hesketh 2020 – Present • Focused on the practical generation of musical material using graphical methods
Worcester College, University of Oxford: 2018 – 2021 | DPhil, Music: • Thesis concerns the transformation of graphical space into determinately notated music, centred on the idea of a ‘graphical ekphrasis’ which extends poetic metaphor • Thesis supported by composition portfolio of up to 90 minutes relating to the research area • Principal supervisor: Prof. Robert Saxton; Co–supervisor: Prof. Jonathan Cross
2017 – 2018 | MSt, Composition: Distinction
2014 – 2017 | BA, Music: First–Class Honours
The King’s School, Chester (2007 – 2014) • 4 A levels: Economics A*, History A*, Music A*, Maths B, EPQ A*; GCSEs: 10A*
Composition Experience
Courses • UPIC: Graphic Interfaces for Notation Conference (ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, September 2018)
• ‘Performing/Working with the New’: opera performance, composition, and libretto course with
Stephen Langridge (New College, Oxford, 2017)
• Masterclasses • Composers: Robert Fokkens, Henning Kraggerud; Judith Weir; Michael Zev Gordon • Performers: Sarah Dacey & Stephen Upshaw (Nonclassical Academy 2020); Johannes Marmen; Simon Wallfisch & Sholto Kynoch; Richard Casey; Libby Burgess & Clare McCaldin; Sebastiaan Kemner
Ensembles • Upcoming: Kreutzer Quartet; Psappha (violin & cimbalom) • Past: ANIMA Collective; BBC Singers; Choir of Christ Church Cathedral; Choir of St. Pancras Parish Church; GBSR Duo; Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra; Villiers Quartet; Oxford University Sinfonietta, Worcester College Chapel Choir
Collaborations • Syracuse University (NY), Vale of Glamorgan Festival 2020, Oxford Chamber Music Festival 2019; Thick and Thin Theatre, London; Ashmolean Museum; Ruskin School of Art; Queenie Li (www.liqueenie.com); Maria Darnborough; Oxford Lieder Festival 2018 Awards
Composition 2020 | The Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize, Worshipful Company of Musicians, London – Highly Commended (£1,000) 2019 | Composition Prize, Oxford University Music Society (£100) 2018 | Orlando Composition Prize, Christ Church College, Oxford (£800)
Academic 2020 | Humanities Cultural Programme Project Fund, The Oxford Research Centre for the Humanities, Oxford (£3,000) – Funding for project: ‘“Pixelating the River”: engagement with contemporary music through graphical inputs’ 2018 | John Lowell Osgood Travelling Scholarship, Faculty of Music, Oxford (£350) 2017 | Ogilvie Thompson Scholarship, Worcester College, Oxford (£10,000) 2014–2017 | Instrumental Scholarship, Worcester College, Oxford (£500)
Publications
Peer–Reviewed Articles
Metcalf, T. ‘Graphical Ekphrasis: Translating Graphical Spaces into Music’, Question Journal 5, AHRC. Forthcoming, September 2020.
Metcalf, T. ‘Labyrinths, Liminality and Ekphrasis: The Graphical Impetus of Kenneth Hesketh’, Tempo 74(295), Cambridge University Press. Forthcoming, November 2020.
Metcalf, T. ‘Graphical Data Sets as Compositional Structure: Sonification of Colour Graphs in “RGB” for clarinet and piano’, Leonardo 54, MIT Press. Forthcoming, 2021.
Metcalf, T. ‘“A Stone Soaked in Milk”: Cornelius Cardew's Graphical Camouflage in “Bun No. 2”’, Perspectives of New Music. Under review.
Compositions
Metcalf, T. ‘Worcester Service’, on Allery, T. (dir.), Qui Christi Vestigia Sunt Secuti. Worcester College Chapel Choir. Herald. 2019 (HAVPCD 408).
Conference Papers
Metcalf, T. Towards an Extended ‘Musical Ekphrasis’: Determinate Graphical Processes in Contemporary Music, SMI Plenary Conference, University College Dublin, forthcoming, 29–31 October 2020.
Metcalf, T. The (dis)solution of form: processes of pixelization in ‘Pixelation Variations’ (2020), 5th AHRC Interdisciplinary Conference “Form and Forgetting”, Cambridge University, forthcoming, September 21–23 2020.
Teaching Experience
Jan – March 2020 Developing Learning and Teaching, Humanities Division, Oxford • Undertook a series of classes resulting in the creation of a teaching portfolio which reflects on teaching and learning within Oxford – ‘SEDA: Professional Development Framework Supporting Learning’ accredited
Apr 2019 – Present Greene’s Tutorial College, Oxford – Tutor • First–ever tutor in GCSE & A–level Music; provided help with course infrastructure • Mark coursework, set mock examinations, provide formal assessment after each session
Nov 2018 – Present University of Oxford – Tutor • Colleges: Worcester, Christ Church • Subjects: Global Hip Hop; Musical Multimedia; History of Electronic Music; Composition (editing & typesetting)
Selected Administrative Experience
Oct 2018 – Present Faculty of Music, Oxford – Typesetter • Typeset music into Sibelius notation software for a visually disabled student, ensuring an efficient teaching environment
Sept 2018 Faculty of Music, Oxford – Admissions Interviewer • Administered academic interviews with a colleague for all candidates applying for Organ Scholarships at the university
Dec 2015 – Jan 2017 Oxford Student Publications Ltd. – Finance Director • Managed OSPL’s accounts (c. £100k) and negotiated shareholder dividends through quarterly summary presentations
Referees
Prof. Robert Saxton Dr. Matthew Cheung–Salisbury Fellow and Tutor in Music Director of Studies and Lecturer in Music Worcester College, Oxford University College, Oxford [email protected] [email protected]
THOMAS METCALF | SELECTED WORKS
SOLO
Vignettes of a Pixelated River No.1 – 4 for string quartet instruments (2020) [4’ each] No. 1 Premiere: 7/6/2020, as part of Peter Sheppard-Skærved’s At The Desk recording series on YouTube Part of the ‘Pixelation’ project for the Kreutzer Quartet, funded by the Oxford Humanities Cultural Programme
Pixelation Variations for organ (2020) [25’] Selected for performance in Syracuse University’s ‘Composing for Organ’ series in September 2020
Rust for trombone (2019) [6’30] Premiere: 3/5/2019, Sebastiaan Kemner, Faculty of Music, Oxford
CHAMBER (2–9 players)
All Dead Paper for soprano and viola (2020) [2’] Written during the Nonclassical Academy 2020 for Sarah Dacey (sop.) and Stephen Upshaw (vla.)
Diving Birds for piano and percussion (2020) [3’] Premiere: George Barton (pno.), Siwan Rhys (perc.), Vale of Glamorgan Festival 2020 [delayed]
Ornaments of the Passing Night for violin, clarinet, and piano (2019) [9’] Commissioned by the Oxford Chamber Music Festival Premiere: 11/10/2019, Johannes Marmen (vln.), Tom Carr (cl.), David Palmer (pno.)
The Unattended Moment for mixed ensemble (2019) [9’]* (Fl.(=picc.), Cl., Tr., Pno., Vln, Vc., Perc. (B.D., Cym., Bongos., Temp. Bl., Tri.))
Red Moon for string quartet, flute, tam-tam, 3 voices, and multimedia (2018) [5’] Premiere: 8/6/2018, Ensemble ANIMA / Chris Roe, Jaqueline du Pre Music Building, St. Hilda’s College, Oxford
Out of the Web: Approximation for piano duet (2017) [6’20”] Premiere: 30/5/2018, Karl Lutchmayer & David Palmer, Jaqueline du Pre Music Building, St. Hilda’s College, Oxford
LARGE ENSEMBLE
Brilliance and Fire for orchestra (2018) [5’] (2d1, 2, 2d1, 2d1 / 2, 2, 0, 0 / Timp. / Strings) Awarded the Oxford University Music Society Composition Prize 2019 Premiere: 22/2/2019, Oxford University Sinfonietta / Tom Fetherstonhaugh, University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford
States of Becoming for chamber orchestra (2018) [13’30”]* (1, 1, 1, 0 / 1, 1, 0, 0 / Perc. (Guiro, W. Bl., Tubular Bells) / Strings)
Quarters for orchestra (2018) [18’]* (4d2, 2, 4d2, 2 / 4, 3, 0, 0 / Timp., 2 Perc. (SD + Cym) / Strings)
1 THOMAS METCALF | SELECTED WORKS
CHORAL
Crow’s Triptych (2016 – 2017) [8’] Premiere: 31/3/2017, BBC Singers / David Hill, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
Worcester Service (2016; 2018) [7’30”] Commissioned by the Worcester College Chapel Choir Premiere: 12/2/2018, Worcester College Chapel Choir / Thomas Allery – released by the choir on Qui Christi Vestigi Sunt Secuti (Jan. 2019: Herald HAVPCD 408)
Psalm 150 (2018) [3’30”] Awarded the Orlando Composition Prize by Christ Church College, Oxford Premiere: 10/6/2018, Christ Church Cathedral Choir / Stephen Darlington, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford London Premiere: 16/5/2019, Choir of St. Pancras Church / Christopher Batchelor, St. Pancras Parish Church, London (part of the London Festival for Contemporary Music 2019)
Be Strong, All You People of the Land (2019) [2’30”] Premiere: 16/2/2019, Choir of Crown Court Church of Scotland / Geoffrey Higgins, Covent Garden, London
VOCAL
The Lights of London for baritone, French horn, and piano (2019) [9’]* ‘Highly Commended’ in The Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize (2020)
The Pine and the Palm for mezzo–soprano and piano (2018) [5’] Commissioned by the Oxford Lieder Festival Premiere: 26/10/2018, Clare McCaldin (pno.) & Libby Burgess (voice), Shulman Auditorium, Queen’s College, Oxford
Winter Trees song cycle for soprano and piano (2016–2017) [22’] Premiere: 24/1/2017, Susannah Hardwick & David Palmer, Worcester College, Oxford
OTHER
The Weedist’s Chant for multimedia and narrator (2018) [8’] Commissioned by the Ashmolean Museum Premiere: 26/10/2019, Kirsty Clark, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Black Snake incidental music for solo violin, piano, and electronics (2017) [12’] Premiere: 24/10/2017, Miranda Bardsley (vln.) & Thomas Metcalf (pno./elec.), Theatre N16, Balham
* = yet to be performed
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