News
Forthcoming Events
Something New, Something Old, Something Else (2)
Sheffield City Hall's five40five series in 2009 features two concerts by Philip Thomas
Wednesday May 6th featured the premiere of a new work by Markus Trunk, ah, he likes to write, likes to get writing done, likes to get things on paper, alongside his earlier work Böotische Riten and music by Chris Newman, Juerg Frey, Martin Arnold, John Cage and the UK premiere of James Saunders' relative distance Click here for details.
Wednesday July 15th features a new work by Laurence Crane, Piano Piece No.23 'Ethiopian Distance Runners', alongside earlier works, including Derridas, and music by Michael Finnissy, John White, Bryn Harrison and Howard Skempton. Click here for details.
Both programmes will be repeated as part of the University of Huddersfield's concert series in Autumn 2010: October 15th, 5.30pm (Trunk) and October 22nd, 5.30pm (Crane)
The works by Trunk and Crane, together with others drawn from the above programmes, will be presented subsequently as part of Sound and Music's Cutting Edge series in London in the Autumn.
Philip is appearing at this year's Ostrava Days 2009 Institute as a guest lecturer, alongside other guests such as Christian Wolff, Petr Kotik, Bernhard Lang, Rebecca Saunders, Richard Ayres, Michael Schumacher and Elliot Sharp
Philip will be presenting a concert of recent American experimental music as part of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2009. The programme will feature UK premieres of works by Travis Just, Joseph Kudirka, Michael Pisaro, Larry Polansky, Michael Winter, Christian Wolff and others.
Recent Concerts
During Spring 2009, Philip performed Long Piano (Peace March 11) by Christian Wolff, together with recent pieces by Laurence Crane, Bryn Harrison, James Saunders (his latest piano work relative distance) and Tim Parkinson, at venues in the U.S.A., including New York (part of the Ontological Theater's Experimental Music series), Dartmouth College, Hanover, and CalARTs, LA
Philip also presented a lecture-recital at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, as part of their 'Works in Progress' series. Whilst in the USA Philip was researching issues relating to the performance of music by John Cage and Christian Wolff, working at the John Cage Trust (NY), Northwestern University (Chicago), and the Getty Research Institute, where the David Tudor archive is located.
Conway Hall, February 16th 7.30pm
Concert of American music performed by Apartment House (Anton Lukoszevieze, David Ryan, Philip Thomas) with composer David Behrman. Programme included works by Behrman, Alvin Lucier, Robert Ashley, and solo piano works by Gordon Mumma. See the Eccles Centre for American Studies (British Library) for details
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2008
Philip directed John Cage: Concert Reclaimed, a recreation of the infamous 1958 New York Town Hall retrospective of John Cage's works, culminating in a performance of the Concert for piano and orchestra (see here for more details and a clip of Philip discussing his preparation of the score.)
Masterfully handled by Philip Thomas and Apartment House (Guy Dammann, The Observer)
...performances that had been lovingly prepared....The Concert with its array of indeterminate notations for the solo part [was] heroically realised by Thomas (Andrew Clements, The Guardian)
...the considerable technical complexities... were in the capable hands of pianist Philip Thomas... this self-assured and scrupulous performance had an authentic sweep (Paul Conway, Tempo) Click here for full review
For Pianist: the piano music of Christian Wolff
Philip has recently completed a major solo project, a three concert survey of Christian Wolff’s solo piano music, alongside works by composers influenced by or influential upon him. Including three specially commissioned works by Stephen Chase, Tim Parkinson and Michael Parsons.
Performances in Sheffield 'Persistence Works', and London 'The Warehouse'
News
Ashgate Publishing has confirmed that they are to publish a book about Christian Wolff, to be co-edited by Philip Thomas and Stephen Chase, and to which Philip will contribute two chapters relating to the piano music and performing Wolff's music
The book, as yet untitled, will be due for release in 2010
Philip will be giving a lecture recital at the Sixth Biennial International Conference on Music Since 1900, at Keele University, Friday 3rd July, entitled 'Abstruse indeterminacy: Christian Wolff's For Pianist as extreme performance practice'
CDs
Philip has recorded a CD of improvisations with pianist Chris Burn and bassist Simon H Fell for future release on another timbre
Over 2009, Philip will be recording the complete solo piano music of Christian Wolff, for future release.
Solo CD: Comprovisation
Featuring pieces by Beck, Burn, Cage, Fell, Finnissy and Obermayer
