Wilson, Ian

Wilson, Ian, Irish composer; b. Belfast, Dec. 26, 1964. He studied composition at the Univ. of Ulster (1983-86), where he was awarded the first doctorate in composition from the new, 7-year-old institution. A member of Aosdána, Ireland’s state-sponsored academy of creative artists, Wilson was a part-time instrumental teacher in Northern Ireland until 1998 when he became a full-time composer. His ear for engaging and exhilarating instrumental sonorities is particularly refreshing at the turn of the millennium. He has been especially inspired by pictorial art, most often by the works of Paul Klee.

Works

orch: Running, Thinking, Finding (1989); Rise (1993; Ulster, April 22, 1994); Rich Harbour, organ concerto (1994-95; Dublin, June 21, 1996); Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea (1997); Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Blue?, saxophone concerto (1998; Ulster, April 30, 1999); Shining Forth, concerto for Cello and Small Orch. (London, June 27, 1998); Limena, concerto for Piano and Strings (1998; Limerick, March 4, 1999); What We Can See of the Sky Has Fallen (1998-99; Belfast, April 24, 1999); 2 violin concertos: No. 1, Messenger (1998-99; Dublin, Jan. 12, 2000) and No. 2, An Angel Serves a Small Breakfast, after the Klee painting (1999). CHAMBER: …and flowers fall.., septet (1990); Drive for Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1992; also for Clarinet and Violin); 5 string quartets: No. 1, Winter’s Edge (1992), No. 2, The Capsizing Man and Other Stories (1994), No. 3, Towards the Far Country, after Klee (1996), No. 4, Oil and Temper (2000), and No. 5 (2000); Timelessly This for Flute or Clarinet and String Trio (1992); so softly for Saxophone Quartet (1992); 3 piano trios: No. 1, Mais quand elle sourit (1993), No. 2, The Seven Last Words (1995), and No. 3, Catalan Tales (after Miró) (1996); 6 Days at Jericho for Cello and Piano (1995); Leaves and Navels for Flute, Guitar, Viola, and Cello (1996-97); Phosphorus, string trio (1997); Spilliaert’s Beach for Alto Flute and Piano (1999). Piano : BIG (1991); A Haunted Heart (1996). VOCAL: Near the Western Necropolis for Mezzo-soprano and Chamber Orch. (1998); Limbo for Chorus, after Seamus Heaney (1999); Under the Lark Full Cloud for Chorus, after Dylan Thomas (1999).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire