April 2013
Delighted to have been awarded a place at the Royal College of Music for my doctoral studies (DMus) starting this September. My research and practice will focus on the impact of modern theatre and installation-based art on contemporary classical music.
Commissioned to write a new music-theatre work for
viola and electronics for violist Ruth Gibson. Premiere at Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin, July
2013. More details to follow.
March 2013
Recently returned from a great weekend at the New Music Dublin festival after I was invited to write for the Fidelio Trio and take part in masterclasses with British composer, Tansy Davies. Special thanks to the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland for their hospitality, Tansy and the Fidelio Trio for their wonderful input!
February 2013
Currently writing a new work for American violist, Stephen Upshaw to be premiered at
Navid Nuur's Phantom Fuel exhibition at the Parasol Arts Foundation in London.
"Nuur's works are based on phenomenological experiences. He commonly attributes transformative properties to found objects, thereby repositioning their function, meaning and impact in ways that provide viewers with a whole new experience."
"Whilst often sculptural in form, Nuur's works are neither sculpture nor installations, forms which he considers to be too immobile and rigid to produce the spatial and temporal interaction he wants them to have with their environment and viewers. Although often referred to as a conceptual artist, Nuur's art refuses to be simply the physical manifestation of an idea or concept. Rather, his work is imbued with a certain feeling and subjectivity, in which temporary or interim situations and opportunities play an important role."
Extended extracts from Occupy the Pianos are now available to listen to on Soundcloud! The full score can now be obtained from the composer.
Occupy the Pianos by Ruaidhri Mannion
January 2013
Very excited to have been selected to take part in the New Music Dublin festival in March of this year. A new work of mine for piano, violin and 'cello will be workshopped by the Fidelio Trio with Austrian composer, Johannes Maria Staud. The festival forms part of Ireland's EU Presidency Cultural Programme and will also feature performances from the RTE Concert Orchestra, Hilliard Ensemble, Crash Ensemble and others. More details to follow...
November 2012
'Pearly' is featured on the latest edition of conceptual music e-zone CNCPTN. Click below to read about the concepts behind this work for piano and electronics. The score is now also available to buy from the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland.
October 2012
Extracts from the world premiere of Occupy the Pianos are now available to listen to on Soundcloud. Click below for a preview.
September 2012
Premiere of Occupy the Pianos in Bern, Switzerland. This 30 minute work for the Francoise-Green piano duo and electronics was kindly commissioned by the
Association du Concours Nicati.
August 2012
Thrilled to have been part of Experimentalstudio de SWR's Matrix 12 on Tour at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam! Lessons and masterclasses were delivered by a fabulous range of composers and conductors including Detlef Heusinger (composer, conductor and artistic director of Experimentalstudio de SWR), Fabio Nieder and Dániel Péter Biró.
July 2012
"No trouble in South Kensington' is performed at this year's Thornham Magna music festival alongside works by Schubert, Boulez and Sciarrino.
Soundbites from 'Occupy the Pianos'
June 2012
Delighted to announce that I've been awarded a place at EXPERIMENTALSTUDIO de SWR to study with Chaya Czernowin this August. The 'matrix12 on tour' masterclasses and workshops will be held this year in Amsterdam where the focus will be on western and non-western instruments in interaction with live-electronics.
May 2012
Work begins for 'Occupy the Pianos'! Watch the project unfold step-by-step with weekly audio clips from the project, beginning mid-June.
April 2012
New commission 'Occupy the Pianos' announced for the Francoise-Green Piano Duo, recent winners of the Nicati Competition in Switzerland. This new work for two pianos and electronics will explore the identity and journey of the international protest movement, Occupy. Premiere on September 14th at the Biennale Festival für zeitgenössisches Kunstschaffen in Bern, Switzerland.
January and February 2012
Recently completed 'Pearly' for piano and electronics to be premiered by Joseph Houston in London, March 2012. Check the events section for more details.
'Mosaic Manifesto', released on Gabriel Prokofiev's award winning 'Nonclassical' label is now available; a remix of the Mercury Quartet's beautiful improvisation 'Last Orders'. Click onto the 'Listen' page and download for free.
December 2011
Finished work on 'Howl, sough, moan, sigh' for soprano, Sue Rynhart and violist, Abigail Smith. The work is dedicated to the memory of the late Christopher Hitchens and will be premiered in January 2012 at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
November 2011
'No trouble in South Kensington' for solo violoncello was completed and premiered at the Music and Transcendence conference at Cambridge University. Click here for a programme note exploring the ideas and process of writing this piece.
October 2011
New sound installation, 'The Interspersed Vacancies', is premiered at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden.
September 2011
New video for Partial Gathering piece, 'Kaleidoscope Variations', in collaboration with artist Elisabeth Lecourt and producer Raphael Nivet.
My instrumental work is now published by the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland.
August 2011
New piece underway for cellist, Corentin Chassard. 'No trouble in South Kensington' will be premiered in late November 2011; see the 'Events' section for details and ticket details.
Recently collaborated with Irish music producer, Martin Byrne, on his ambitious 'Song a Day for Year' project. We worked together on one of my previous projects, The Summer Experiment 2009, a creative partnership between artists based in Northern Ireland and London. Hear our new work, 'Coffee Table of Destruction' below.
July 2011
Delighted to announce that I've been selected for the PRS for Music Foundation's international creative exchange programme, 'New Music Incubator'. The chosen artists will collaborate with 10 Swedish Artists for two creative residencies in the UK and Sweden. The first will be hosted this September in Brunel University before travelling to scenic Northern Sweden in April 2012 for the final residency.
April 2011
Partial Gathering perform at the Sonic Arts Research Centre and Belfast Film Festival in Ireland.
Very excited to announce that I've been selected to be represented by the Contemporary Music Centre in Ireland. Click below for more details on the CMC's work for Irish New Music.
January 2011
Click on the image below to read a recent interview with me on Second Square to None about my collaborative duo with French cellist, Corentin Chassard; Partial Gathering. Featuring a preview and discussion about our upcoming single release 'Un/Able to Negate Reason'.
December 2010
Partial Gathering announce the release of their debut Double A-Side Single 'Un/Able to Negate Reason and Picture Something / / / Out on January 31st 2011.
UK release of 'Mercury Acoustic' on Nonclassical/Naxos, a tour-de-force of contemporary classical improv by the fantastic Mercury Quartet. Featuring remixes by yours truly, Monsieur Morphee, Gabriel Prokofiev, Heavy Deviance and others. Available on iTunes, Amazon and the Nonclassical Website.
November 2010
Partial Gathering perform at 'Blank Canvas', King's Place with John Matthias, Adrian Corker, Andrew Prior and London Sinfonietta as part of the 'Out Hear' series.
Partial Gathering appear on Resonance FM's Rockfort show for live performance and interview and announce plans for new release in early 2011. Click below to listen.
Premiere of my new work 'What will we do' by Linda Hirst and The Mercury Quartet at Mercury Acoustic//Nonclassical Album Launch. Also I'll be a guest performer on a new work 'Guard' for voice, quartet, ukulele, fruitbowl and electronics.
October 2010
Recording sessions with The Mercury Quartet as I prepare a new selection of remixes of concert work. 'Broken Flames and Little Wind'/remixed now available in the 'listen' section.
September 2010
Renowned mezzo soprano, Linda Hirst, to perform my new work for Mercury Quartet and Actor at the launch party of their debut album release 'Mercury Acoustic' on Nonclassical.
Partial Gathering perform at the Alpha-Ville Festival of Digital Arts and Culture lineup, alongside renowned electronica artists such as Scanner and BOLA at Whitechapel Gallery in London.
Thrilled to have been nominated for the 'Creatives in Residence 2011' at Covent Garden's creative industries centre, The Hospital Club.
August 2010
Remix completed for upcoming Mercury Quartet release. This record features the incredible improvisations of quartet and remixes by Gabriel Prokofiev and myself to be released by Nonclassical//Naxos.
Partial Gathering perform at The Old Vic Tunnels as part of the _Drift Urban Sound Series, a 3 day long festival curated by acclaimed singer/songwriter, Johnny Parry.
New theatrical piece underway for The Mercury Quartet and 'actor', to be premiered in Autumn 2010. Details coming soon!
July 2010
Partial Gathering perform at Nonclassical Club with Will Dutta and James Moore. For more information on Nonclassical's incredible work please visit their website.
Delighted to say that I've recently graduated from the Royal College of Music with an MMus in Advanced Composition achieving distinction.
June 2010
World premiere of 'Jigsaws and Jitters' at Cadogan Hall in London: a brand new work for wind quartet, electric guitars and electronics. This work was commissioned by the Royal College of Music after I was named a RCM Rising Star of 2010.
World premiere of 'Broken Flames and Little Wind': a brand new work written for The Mercury Quartet performed at St. Luke's in Brighton. This piece celebrates the beginning of my partnership with the quartet as their Composer in Association.
