Oliver Kentish
Oliver John Kentish (born 1954 in London, England) is a British-born cellist, tutor, and composer, living in Reykjavík, Iceland, moving there in 1977 and being granted Icelandic nationality in 1989.[1] Kentish composes orchestral, choral, vocal, and chamber music.[2]
In addition to composition, Kentish has been the Artistic Director of the Iceland Amateur Symphony Orchestra (Sinfóníuhljómsveit áhugamanna) since 2005.[3]
Kentish was commissioned by the British Government in 1993 to write the work Mitt Folk which was performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.[1] The work commemorates the 50th anniversary of Iceland as a republic and was a gift from Britain to Iceland.
Much of Kentish's current work (2008) is for the countertenor Sverrir Guðjónsson.[1]
His work Prelude and Fugue for 10 violas was premiered in the United Kingdom at the Purcell Room in London on 30 November 2008.[4]
Selected works
- Jakobslag, Little Duet for viola and marimba (1999)
- Draumar og dansar (Dreams and Dances) for viola and chamber orchestra (2002)
- Prelúdía og fúga (Prelude and Fugue) for 10 violas (2005)
- Kvinnan fróma for viola and piano (2008)
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Cadenza Musicians Directory". Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ↑ White, John David; Christensen, Jean (2002). New Music of the Nordic Countries. Pendragon Press. p. 361. ISBN 978-1-57647-019-0.
Oliver Kentish is at his best composing to texts, primarily for solo voices
- ↑ "About the Iceland Amateur Symphony Orchestra". Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ↑ Miller, Malcolm (30 November 2008). "Israeli Music". Jewish Music Institute. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
Other premieres included Prelude and Fugue for Ten Violas, by Oliver Kentish, a British cellist based in Iceland, with solos for each viola is based on the B-A-C-H motif, performed vividly by the Viola Ensemble of Trinity College of Music.