Volans, Kevin

Volans, Kevin, gifted South African-born Irish composer; b. Pietermaritzburg, July 26,1949. He studied at the uni vs. of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and Aberdeen before pursuing training in composition with Stockhausen, A. Kontarsky, and Kagel in Cologne (1973-81). After serving as a teacher at Natal Univ. in Durban (1982-84) and as composer-in-residence at the Queen’s Univ. in Belfast (1986-89), he settled in Dublin and became a naturalized Irish citizen. In 1992 he was composer-in-residence at Princeton Univ. Volans developed the so-called “new simplicity” style of composition in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s he created a synthesis of Western and African music as he was influenced by field trips he made in Africa to record traditional music of Zululand and Lesotho.

Works

dramatic: The Man with Footsoles of Wind,chamber opera (1988-93; London, July 2,1993); Correspondances,dance opera (London, Oct. 16, 1990; also as String Quartet No. 4, The Ramanugan Notebooks,London, Dec. 16, 1990; rev. 1994); Plane-Song,television piece (1994; BBC2, London, April 11,1995; rev. as String Quartet No. 5, Dancers on a Plane,1994); Duetti,dance piece (1995; Ghent, May 7, 1996; in collaboration with Matteo Fargion); 5.4,dance piece (1996; Frankfurt am Main, Jan. 31, 1997); Things I Don’t Know,dance piece (1997-98; London, April 29, 1998); Wild Air,dance piece (1998; Oxford, May 7, 1999). ORCH.: One Hundred Frames (Belfast, Dec. 6, 1991); Concerto for Piano and Winds (Rotterdam, Oct. 18,1995); Cello

Concerto (Munich, Dec. 12, 1997); Double Violin Concerto (Belfast, May 4,1999). CHAMBER: Matepefor 2 Harpsichords and Rattles (1980); Mbirafor 2 Harpsichords and Rattles (1980); White Man Sleepsfor 2 Harpsichords, Viola da Gamba, and Percussion (1982; also as String Quartet No. 1, London, July 13, 1986); Walking Songfor Flute, Harpsichord/Virginal or Piano, and 4 Handclappers/Finger Clickers (1984; also for Organ, 1986); She Who Sleeps With a Small Blanketfor Percussion (Salzburg, Oct. 22, 1985); 5 string quartets: No. 1, White Man Sleeps (London, July 13,1986; also for 2 Harpsichords, Viola da Gamba, and Percussion, 1982), No. 2, Hunting: Gathering (San Francisco, Dec. 11, 1987), No. 3, The Songlines (N.Y., Nov. 26, 1988; rev. 1993), No. 4, The Ramanugan Notebooks (London, Dec. 16, 1990; rev. 1994; also as the dance opera Correspondances,London, Oct. 16,1990), and No. 5, Dancers on a Plane (1994; rev. from the television piece Plane-Song,1994; BBC2, London, April 11, 1995); Into Darknessfor Piano, Clarinet, Trumpet, Violin, Cello, and Percussion (London, Jan. 28, 1987; rev. 1989); Movementfor String Quartet (Durban, April 8, 1987); Chevronfor Chamber Ensemble (Brighton, May 24, 1990); Wanting to Tell Storiesfor Piano, Clarinet, Viola, and Double Bass (Brighton, May 13,1993); Leaping Dancefor Wind Ensemble (1995; also for 2 Pianos, 1984; London, Aug. 25, 1985); Asangafor Percussion (1997; Berlin, June 12, 1998); Akrodhafor Percussion (1997-98; Southampton, March 18, 1999). KEYBOARD: Piano: Nine Beginningsfor 2 Pianos (1976; Cologne, June 1, 1979; rev. 1985); Newer Music (1981); Leaping Dancefor 2 Pianos (1984; London, Aug. 25,1985; also for Wind Ensemble, 1995); Kneeling Dancefor 2 Pianos (London, Aug. 25, 1985; also for 6 Pianos, Southampton, Nov. 13, 1992); Cicadafor 2 Pianos (Los Angeles, April 25, 1994); March (1996; Dublin, May 1997). Organ: Walking Song (1986; also for Flute, Harpsichord/Virginal or Piano, and 4 Handclappers/Finger Clickers, 1984). ELECTRONIC: Studies in Zulu History (1977-79); Kwazulu Summer Landscape (1979); Cover Him with Grass (1982).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire