On Thursday 1 December Edward Gregson’s new work for solo violin, Triptych, will be premiered at the Royal Northern College of Music International Violin Competition in Manchester. It has been commissioned as the test piece for the semi final stage where the last eight competitors will perform it for a place in the concerto final. All of the original 30 competitors selected have to learn it.

The composer writes

“Competition pieces are always something of a dilemma for a composer. If you are not careful, the need to set an exacting technical test tends to predominate one’s thinking. Therefore, to …

Edward Gregson has just returned from Italy, where he was on the jury for the 5th International Composer’s Competition, part of the Stresa Festival (on beautiful Lake Maggiore) which this year celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Gregson was the only  jury member from the UK, the others included Detlev Glanert (Germany) and conductor Gianandrea Noseda, who is also Artistic Director of the Festival.

Gregson will be taking part in a special composer’s forum at the Mahler Centenary Conference later this week being held at the University of Surrey. Along with four other composers, including David Matthews and Anthony Payne, he will …

Michael Collins, together with pianist Piers Lane, will give the London premiere of Edward Gregson’s Tributes for clarinet and piano in a concert at the Wigmore Hall on Thursday 5 May. Tributes consists of five pieces, each dedicated to a composer known for his contribution to the clarinet repertoire: Poulenc, Finzi, Stravinsky, Messiaen, and Bartok. In addition, each piece is dedicated to a different clarinettist, with the final piece (Bartok) belonging to Michael Collins.…

The celebrated international flute player, Wissam Boustany, will give the world premiere of the new flute version of Edward Gregson’s Aztec Dances at a concert at St James Piccadilly on Thursday 19 May 2011 (7.30pm). Originally written to a commission from the young recorder player Christopher Orton, and premiered by him last year in the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, this new version for flute and piano has been specially written for Wissam Boustany. The work lasts some 17 minutes and is in four movements.

Click here to download the flyer.…