News
Forthcoming Events
CANADA CONNECTIONS
Philip's current major solo project features recent experimental music from Canada and the UK, including four specially commissioned works by Canadians Martin Arnold and Cassandra Miller and English composers Christopher Fox and Bryn Harrison
Also featured are works by Richard Glover, Michael Oesterle, Eldritch Priest, Marc Sabat and Linda Smith.
The new works by Arnold, Fox and Miller were premiered during the 2012 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on Thursday 22nd November.
Other performances took place at Sheffield University on Tuesday 30th October, at which Bryn Harrison's new work 'Vessels' was premiered, and Tuesday 4th December; Thursday 7th February, 7.30pm at the University of Huddersfield (click here for details); and London, at The Forge on Tuesday 19th February, 7.30pm.
In April Philip will be performing in Canada, visiting Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. In Montreal as well as giving a solo concert he will be performing with the Bozzini Quartet and giving workshops and talks, whilst in Toronto he will also be performing with Continuum. Full details of all the concerts are as follows:
Open Space, Victoria. Friday April 12th, 8.00pm. Music by Arnold, Fox, Harrison, Miller, Oesterle.
Music on Main Studio, Vancouver. Saturday April 13th.
Salon qb II, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, Montréal. Thursday April 18th, 8.00pm. Performing with the Bozzini String Quartet in music by Laurence Crane and Maxime Mckinley
Innovations en concert, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, Montréal. Saturday April 20th, 8.00pm. Music by Music by Arnold, Fox, Glover, Harrison, Miller, Oesterle.
Gallery 345, Toronto. Wednesday April 24th, 8.00pm. Music by Arnold, Fox, Harrison, Miller, Oesterle and Smith.
Correlation Street: The Music Gallery, Toronto. Thursday April 25th, 8.00pm. Performing with Continuum in music by Clarke, Crane, Grahl, Harrison, Mayo and Williamson.
On 25th May 2013, Philip performs with Apartment House in a programme of music by Christian Wolff, joined by the composer performing, at the Angelica Festival, Bologna, Italy.
Recent Concerts
On Monday October 15th Philip performed with Apartment House at the Purcell Room as part of the SouthBank Ether Festival
The programme consisted of two works by John Cage: Hymnkus and a simultaneous performance of 45' for a speaker, 26'1.1499" for a string player, 31'57.9864" for a pianist
edges ensemble
The edges ensemble, directed by Philip Thomas since 2007, featured in the 2012 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, performing a programme of music by Philip Corner and Malcolm Goldstein, and a second concert featuring the 'postal pieces' of James Tenney, performed alongside the Bozzini Quartet, Rhodri Davies and Dominic Lash.
The edges ensemble made their London debut this year as part of the Music We'd Like To Hear series on Wednesday July 11th. The programme included music by Pat Allison, Jurg Frey, Joe Kudirka, Michael Pisaro, Kunsu Shim and Taylan Susam. Video footage of the performance can be seen here
Merce Cunningham Dance Company Legacy Tour
Wednesday October 5th, Barbican Centre, London.
Philip performed with the MCDC as part of their final London appearances, playing Cage's Concert for piano and orchestra alongside the iconic dance Antic Meet
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Tuesday September 13th,7.30pm, as part of the International Chamber Music Series
A concert of music by JOHN CAGE, coinciding with the end of the Hayward Gallery's touring exhibition Every Day Is A Good Day. The concert included 4'33", Concert for Piano and Orchestra and Music for nine
January 23rd 2011, IGNM Concerts, Basel
Three works by Christian Wolff alonside music by Laurence Crane, Michael Finnissy and Bryn Harrison.
Recent CD releases
Wandelweiser und so weiter, is an extraordinary 6-CD box set of recordings on 'another timbre', exploring music from composers and others associated with the Wandelweiser movement. Philip features on many of the performances, and the edges ensemble features also.
divisions that could be autonomous but that comprise the whole
CD of music by James Saunders featuring Philip Thomas performing PART OF IT MAY ALSO BE PART OF SOMETHING ELSE as well as the edges ensemble, directed by Philip, performing imperfections on the surface are occasionally apparent released on another timbre
Positions and Descriptions
Simon H Fell's remarkable genre-defying, Boulez- Sun Ra- and Mingus-infused Positions and Descriptions: Composition No.75 gets a CD release at last. Philip plays piano alongside luminaries from the jazz and improvised worlds. Available through Clean Feed Records
Nothing but the hours
New DVD of composer and film maker Geoffrey Cox, including No Escape for film, piano and electronics. Available through CeReNeM
fields have ears, a CD of piano music by Michael Pisaro out now on another timbre
piano piece piano piece
A CD of piano music by Tim Parkinson released on edition wandelweiser
the isolde scores
limited edition high-quality cdr as part of Jez Riley French's engraved glass label. Includes performances of French's photo scores by Michael Pisaro, Philip Thomas, Jez riley French & Daniel Jones, Anastasia Chrysanthakopoulou, Maile Colbert, Greg Stuart, Barry Chabala and Coastguard All stars
For reviews of all the above, see recordings
Out Soon:
The first volumes of the complete solo piano music of Christian Wolff, for release on sub rosa
.
Other News
Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards 2012
Apartment House, with whom Philip has been a regular performer since 2001, have been awarded the prestigous Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music and Song. "Their performances are always revelatory, and the concert of John Cage's music at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in September 2011 was an epiphany, confirming the status of Apartment House as one of the most innovative and exciting chamber ensembles in Europe."
OUT NOW: Changing the System: The Music of Christian Wolff, to be published by Ashgate Publishing in July 2010.
The first major study of Wolff's music, co-edited by Philip with Stephen Chase. Philip has contributed two chapters relating to the piano music and performing Wolff's music. The book is available for order on-line. Click here for full details
In August 2011, Philip was promoted to position of Reader in Music at the University of Huddersfield.
Since January 2010 Philip is heading up both the performance programme and the Masters programme at the University of Huddersfield Music Department. He is also pioneering the Music Department as a centre for the study of the performance of experimental music and welcomes proposals at doctorate and post-doctorate levels. See CeReNeM for related information and here for Philip's research page.
The Ashgate Companion to Experimental Music, edited by James Saunders and to which Philip has contributed a chapter concerning performance, 'A Prescription for Action', is now available for sale. Click here for more details.