Richard Barrett British composer Date of Birth: 07.11.1959 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Richard Barrett
2. Early Influences
3. FURT and Collaborations
4. Teaching Career
5. Travel and Political Activism
6. Musical Style and Achievements
7. 'Resistance & Vision'

Biography of Richard Barrett

Richard Barrett is a British composer who began seriously pursuing music relatively late in life. He obtained a degree in genetics and microbiology from University College London before delving into the field of composition.

Early Influences

From 1980 to 1983, Barrett took private lessons with Peter Wiegold. It was during this time that he also attended the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, where he met Brian Ferneyhough and Hans-Joachim Hespos. Around the same time, Barrett became involved with the British group of composers known as the 'New Complexity', primarily attracted by the unusual complexity of his musical notation.

FURT and Collaborations

Barrett also showcased his talent for improvisation as part of the electronic duo 'FURT', alongside Paul Obermayer. He collaborated with Ute Wassermann and the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. In 1990, Barrett began writing extensively for the ensemble 'Elision', with notable works from this period including 'Opening of the Mouth' and 'Dark Matter'. In 2005, Barrett and Obermayer founded the electroacoustic octet 'fORCH'.

Teaching Career

Barrett taught composition at Middlesex University from 1989 to 1992 and later taught electronic composition at the Institute of Sonology of the Hague Royal Conservatory from 1996 to 2001. He returned to the institute in 2009. Barrett also worked as a professor at Brunel University in London from 2006 to 2009.

Travel and Political Activism

Throughout his career, Barrett traveled extensively throughout Europe. He moved from London to Amsterdam in 1993 and settled in Berlin in 2001 as part of the 'Berliner Künstlerprogramm'. Barrett is also known for his involvement in political activism, having joined the Socialist Workers Party in 1990.

Musical Style and Achievements

Barrett's compositions often form series, and he frequently collaborated with artists from other disciplines such as Samuel Beckett, Paul Celan, and Chilean artist Roberto Matta. His works display a deep knowledge of physics, mythology, astrology, and philosophy, particularly evident in his piece 'Dark Matter'. Barrett's unique approach to composition combines logical, random, and intuitive techniques. He extensively utilized computer programs he created himself starting from the mid-80s. Unlike many of his peers, Barrett viewed improvisation as a method of composition.

'Resistance & Vision'

Since 2003, Barrett has been working on a cycle of eight compositions titled 'resistance & vision'. The entire cycle is expected to last over six hours, with the first, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth parts already completed. The eighth part consists of 20 separate works, organized into four intersecting cycles.