Jonathan Cole
Jonathan Cole is a London based composer and teacher. During this teens he began having private lessons with Malcolm Williamson in return for copying and editing his work. Williamson was the first of an eclectic group of teachers – David Lumsdaine, Peter Wiegold, Simon Bainbridge and Simon Holt followed, with Cole completing his doctorate in 2001. Other composers with whom he came into contact and who were to have a lasting influence on his work include Lou Harrison and Louis Andriessen From 1997 to 2006 he composed a series of acclaimed works, working closely with the London Sinfonietta who premiered three pieces and toured his music in Sweden and Switzerland, recording Testament with conductor Oliver Knussen. Both Ouroboros II and Testament were nominated for RPS awards and in 1999 he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Composition prize. In 1999, 2000 and 2002 his music was featured as part of the 'State of the Nation' Festival in London's South Bank Centre. Besides Knussen, early advocates of his work included George Benjamin and Mark Anthony Turnage. In 2006 he stopped composing for three years and underwent a period of intense self-reflection in which he radically reconsidered his whole approach to composition. In the works which follow, his music explores a wide variety of notation and performance practices, influenced as much by the free improvisation classes he has led at the RCM since 2010 as by his fascination with acoustics. Tim Rutherford-Johnson has described this music as sounding “a world away from anything written by his British contemporaries” marking him out “as one of the most strikingly original and provocative voices in British contemporary music.” At the time of writing his most recent works include Templum (2019) for organ, A Passing Moment (2019/20) for viola and cello and Hidden Corners (2019/20) for solo string instruments. He has been lucky enough to have works performed and commissioned by many ensembles including the Asko Ensemble, BBC Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Composer’s Ensemble, Explore Ensemble, Fukio Quartet, G Project, Italian Radio Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, Mercury Quartet, Nash Ensemble, New Perspectives, Nomad Ensemble, Ojai Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonietta and Tre Voci. His works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as well as in Belgium, Japan, Sweden and USA. CDs include Caught (NMC), Testament (London Sinfonietta), tss’k’haa (NMC) and 50 Florentine Breaths (EMA Vinci Contemporanea). From 2009 - 2013 he was composer-in-association with the London Contemporary Orchestra and in 2012 he was instrumental in setting up the re:sound collective. Jonathan Cole is well known as a teacher of composition having taught at the Royal College of Music since 2005 where he leads the postgraduate composition programme. Prior to this, he taught at King's College, London and the Purcell School. In 2018 he was awarded an FRCM.
Jonathan Cole is a London based composer and teacher. During this teens he began having private lessons with Malcolm Williamson in return for copying and editing his work. Williamson was the first of an eclectic group of teachers – David Lumsdaine, Peter Wiegold, Simon Bainbridge and Simon Holt followed, with Cole completing his doctorate in 2001. Other composers with whom he came into contact and who were to have a lasting influence on his work include Lou Harrison and Louis Andriessen From 1997 to 2006 he composed a series of acclaimed works, working closely with the London Sinfonietta who premiered three pieces and toured his music in Sweden and Switzerland, recording Testament with conductor Oliver Knussen. Both Ouroboros II and Testament were nominated for RPS awards and in 1999 he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Composition prize. In 1999, 2000 and 2002 his music was featured as part of the 'State of the Nation' Festival in London's South Bank Centre. Besides Knussen, early advocates of his work included George Benjamin and Mark Anthony Turnage. In 2006 he stopped composing for three years and underwent a period of intense self-reflection in which he radically reconsidered his whole approach to composition. In the works which follow, his music explores a wide variety of notation and performance practices, influenced as much by the free improvisation classes he has led at the RCM since 2010 as by his fascination with acoustics. Tim Rutherford-Johnson has described this music as sounding “a world away from anything written by his British contemporaries” marking him out “as one of the most strikingly original and provocative voices in British contemporary music.” At the time of writing his most recent works include Templum (2019) for organ, A Passing Moment (2019/20) for viola and cello and Hidden Corners (2019/20) for solo string instruments. He has been lucky enough to have works performed and commissioned by many ensembles including the Asko Ensemble, BBC Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Composer’s Ensemble, Explore Ensemble, Fukio Quartet, G Project, Italian Radio Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, Mercury Quartet, Nash Ensemble, New Perspectives, Nomad Ensemble, Ojai Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonietta and Tre Voci. His works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as well as in Belgium, Japan, Sweden and USA. CDs include Caught (NMC), Testament (London Sinfonietta), tss’k’haa (NMC) and 50 Florentine Breaths (EMA Vinci Contemporanea). From 2009 - 2013 he was composer-in-association with the London Contemporary Orchestra and in 2012 he was instrumental in setting up the re:sound collective. Jonathan Cole is well known as a teacher of composition having taught at the Royal College of Music since 2005 where he leads the postgraduate composition programme. Prior to this, he taught at King's College, London and the Purcell School. In 2018 he was awarded an FRCM.
Compilations with this composer
Compilations
