Dillon, James
Dillon, James
Dillon, James, Scottish composer; b. Glasgow, Oct. 29, 1950. He attended the Glasgow School of Art (1967–68) and the Polytechnic of Central London (1972–73), then studied acoustics, music, and linguistics at the Polytechnic of North London (1973–76). He was active at the summer courses in new music in Darmstadt (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988). In 1986 he pursued research in computer music at IRCAM in Paris and was a visiting lecturer at the State Univ. of N.Y. in Stony Brook. In 1986–87 he was a lecturer at Goldsmith’s Coll., Univ. of London. As a composer, Dillon was largely autodidact. In his music, he pursued a course marked by diversity and complexity.
Works
ORCH Windows and Canopies (1985); tiber-schreiten (1986); helle Nacht (1986–87); La femme invisible for Chamber Orch. (1989); Introitus for 12 Strings, Tape, and Live Electronics (1989–90); L’oeuvre au noir for Chamber Orch. and Live Electronics (1990); ignis nosier (1991–92); Vernal Showers for Violin and Chamber Orch. (1992); Blitzschlag for Flute and Orch. (1994). CHAMBER : Crossing Over for Clarinet (1978); Ti re-Ti ke-Dha for Drummer (1979); …Once Upon a Time for 8 Instruments (1980); Who do you love for Flute, Clarinet, Woman’s Voice, Percussion, Violin, and Cello (1980–81); Parjanya-Vata for Cello (1981); Come live with me for Flute, Oboe, Mezzo-soprano, Piano, and Percussion (1981); East 11th St. N.Y. 10003 for 6 Percussionists (1982); 2 string quartets (1983, 1991); Zone (…de azul) for 8 Instruments (1983); Le Rivage for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon (1984); Sgothan for Flute (1984); Diffraction for Piccolo (1984); Shrouded Mirrors for Guitar (1988); Del Cuatro Elemento for Violin (1988): L’ECRAN parfum for 6 Violins and 3 Percussionists (1988); eileadh sguaibe for 9 Instrumentalists and Live Electronics (1990); Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1990–91); Siorram for Viola (1992); Lumen naturae for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1992). Piano : Dillug-Kefitsab (1976); Spleen (1980). VOCAL: Evening Rain for Voice (1981); A Roaring Flame for Woman’s Voice and Double Bass (1981–82); (Time Lag Zer0) for Woman’s Voice and Viola (1982); L’evolution du vol for Woman’s Voice, Clarinet, 2 Percussionists, Piano, and Double Bass (1993); Viriditas for 16 Solo Voices (1993); Oceanos for 16 Voices, Orch., and Electronics (1994).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire