David Ibbett is a British composer based in Boston. He has found musical inspiration in many places – songs, symphonies, pop, classical and the electronic – and bringing these strands together is his ultimate aim. The son of a scientist, he co-directs the Music of Reality performance series with pianist Sophia Vastek.
David composes works for instruments and ensemble, often featuring live electronics. He is an active electronics performer, working with Original Gravity, Aeolian Progression, and the Equilibrium Ensemble.
David teaches composition at the Yamaha School of Boston -- Full Bio here
“[Without Words], really appealed to us and we have taken it into our repertoire. It is the only commission on our CD and we love it. It has really pushed us technically, and opened doors to new ideas and compositions.” – Living Room in London Ensemble
Listen
Beauty From Nothing, for solo piano and electronics
Where does beauty come from? Did we invent it, or was it always here - a property of the universe?
Composer David Ibbett and pianist Sophia Subbayya Vastek met by pure happenstance in late 2015 and very quickly recognized an artistic and philosophical kinship. They have since brought Music of Reality to fruition – an event series that brings musicians, scientists, and other such creative minds together through a shared pursuit of discovery.
The Beauty from Nothing EP is their debut recording and was the organic outpouring of their work in Music of Reality. It is ultimately ecstatic music for piano and live electronics, through-composed by David, that explores the human, emotional response to learning about our origins and interconnectedness to all life.
Visit the EP's Bandcamp Page
Islands, concerto for cello and electronics
Without Words, for quintet - vln, vln, vc, bclar, hang
-- alternatively as a sextet for vln, vln, vc, bclar, marimba, perc
Albion Trails, for octet - fl/picc, clar/bclar, hn, hp, vib, vln, vla, vc
Re: Noir, for tenor saxophone and electronics
For Mending, song without words for cello & electronics
Piano Poems, electroacoustic miniatures
List of works
Click the titles for score samples in .pdf format
Works for Instruments and Electronics
Music of Reality II: Web of Life (2016) for solo piano and electronics performer, 10:00
Commissioned by the Sophia Vastek for the Music of Reality performance series
Premiered at Spectrum, NYC, 2016
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Music of Reality I: Beauty from Nothing (2016) for solo piano and electronics performer, 10:00
Commissioned by the Sophia Vastek for the Music of Reality performance series
Premiered at Spectrum, NYC, 2016
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Branches (2015) for marimba, bass clarinet and electronics, 6:30
Commissioned by the Transient Canvas ensemble
Premiered at the Boston’s Record Company, 2015
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Watch the premiere performance
Europa (2015) tone poem for solo flute (doubling piccolo, flute, bass flute) and electronics, 30:00
Commissioned by Karin de Fleyt for Aeolian Progression
Premiered at the Coventry University Recital Series, 2015
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Islands (2014) concerto for solo cello and electronics, 15:00
Written for Gregor Riddell
Premiered at the BEASTiary concert series, University of Birmingham, 2014
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Song for Piano Trio (2013) for piano trio and electronics, 10:00
Written for the Hermes Ensemble
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
For Climbing Towards Buried Lights (2013) for violin and electronics, 6:00
Premiered at the Red Sonic Festival with BEAST, 2013
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Live Sampling Study (2012) for piano and electronics, 4:20
Premiered at the BEAST Anniversary concert, University of Birmingham, 2013
Version available for Ableton Live
Music for an Evening Mind (2011) for modern violin, baroque violin and electronics, 12:18
Commissioned by the Early Music Experiment
Premiered at the Rag Factory, 2011
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Cambrian Air (2011) for horn duo and electronics, 13:08
Commissioned by the Seven Bridges Festival and urban regeneration project
Premiered under the Cambrian Bridge by Meredith Moore and Letitia Stott, 2011
Rain Dances (2011) for alto saxophone and electronics, 6:12
Commissioned by the Workers Union Ensemble
Premiered at the Leeds Festival, 2011
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Impulse Imagined (2010) for cello and electronics, 6:00
Premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival’s Faster Than Sound event, 2010
Version available for Ableton Live
Sound Tracks (2009) for tenor saxophone, oboe, bass, piano, percussion and electronics, 13:00
Commissioned by the Workers Union Ensemble for
Premiered at the Huddersfield Music Festival, 2009
Versions available for Max MSP, Ableton Live
Re: Noir (2009) for tenor saxophone and electronics, 9:40
Concert version of dance score commissioned by choreographer Jacob Hobbs
Premiered at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, 2009
Fixed Media: available as a CD or audio file
Cellosampler (2008) for cello and electronics, 5:40
Premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival’s Faster Than Sound event, 2008
Fixed Media: available as a CD or audio file
Solo and Chamber Ensemble
Here and Nowhere Else (2016) for percussion quartet, 10:00
Commissioned by the the Boston Percussion Group
Premiered at Boston College, 2017
Where the Path Ends (2015) sonata for horn and piano, 7:00
Commissioned by Meredith Moore
Premiered at the Shapeshifter Lab, Brookyln, 2015
you lift the weight from my eyes (2014) sonata for viola and piano, 7:20
Briar Rose (2014) for sextet: flute, clarinet, vibraphone, piano, viola and cello, 6:20
Commissioned by the Hermes Ensemble
Premiered in Birmingham’s Elgar Concert Hall, 2014
Hymn Portraits (2010) for organ solo, 8:30
Commissioned by the choir of St. John’s Cambridge
Premired in St. John’s Chapel, 2010
Without Words (2010) for quintet: 3 hangs, clarinet/bclar, two violins and cello, 8:45
Arrangement available with marimba/percussion replacing hangs
Commissioned by the Living Room in London ensemble
Premiered at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 2010
Quintet (2009) for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello, 7:00
Written for the Aspen Music Festival
Large Ensemble/Orchestra
Collaborations (2015) for four pianos, guitar and violin, 8:00
Commissioned by the Yamaha School of Boston
Premiered at the National Heritage Museum, Lexington, 2015
Albion Trails (2009) for octet: flute, clar/bclar, horn, vibraphone, harp, violin, viola, cello, 7:00
Commissioned by Barbican Total Immersion for the BBC Symphony Orchestra Octet
Premiered in the Barbican Centre, 2009
Lodestar (2009) for sinfonietta, 6:40
Commissioned by the City of London Festival
Premiered at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 2009
Naca Gana (2008) for sinfonietta, 6:20
Commissioned by the City of London Festival
Premiered at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 2008
Minster Bells (2007) for orchestra, 8:00
Commissioned by the Nottingham Youth Orchestra
Premiered in Southwell Minster, 2007
Short Symphonic Drama (2006) for orchestra, 12:00
Commissioned by Clare College Cambridge for the Clare College Orchestra
Premiered at the West Road concert hall, 2006
Vocal/Choral
Fever of Unknown Origin (2011) for sextet: oboe, tenor saxophone, pno., bass, percussion & narrator, 7:30
Commissioned by the Wellcome Trust
Premiered by the Workers Union Ensemble and poet Gethan Dick, Brixton 2011
The Madness of Lady Macbeth (2009) for soprano and piano, 4:00
Offensive to What? (2007) for baritone, trumpet, oboe, piano and electronics, 5:00
A collaboration with poet Dustin Stevenson
Premiered at the Voiceworks event at Wigmore Hall, 2007
Contemporary Dance
27 Dragonflies (2013) electronic score
Commissioned by choreographer Mariana Cameloti
Premiered at The Place Resolutions! festival of 2013
Project 51 (2012) electronic score
Commissioned by choreographer Jacob Hobbs
Premiered at The Place Resolutions! festival of 2012
Miksang (2011) electronic score
Commissioned by choreographer Letizia Mazzeo
Premiered at the Laban Dance Theatre, 2011
Dahlia (2011) live electronic score for sampler keyboard and Ableton Live
Commissioned by choreographer Letizia Mazzeo
Premiered at The Place Resolutions! of 2011
Highwalking (2010) screen dance
Commissioned by choreographer Jacob Hobbs for the Circuit Soup Festival, 2010
Re: Noir (2009) for tenor saxophone and electronics, 9:40
Commssioned by choreographer Jacob Hobbs
Premiered at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, 2009
Fixed Media: available as a CD or audio file
Installation
Piano Poems (2014) four acousmatic miniatures, diffused through a site-specific sound system
Written for the IKON Gallery concert series
Live diffused by David Ibbett with BEAST in February 2014
Available in stereo format
Baba Yaga (2011) reactive soundscape installation with Max for Live
Commissioned by the Firehazard Collective to run through September 2011 at the Barbican Centre
A collaboration with game designer Casey Middaugh
The King and the Minotaur (2011) reactive soundscape installation with Max for Live
Commissioned by Architects Wignall and Moore through Ideas Tap to run through April 2011
A collaboration with Trumpet Creepers Dance
Film Scores
Rainbird (2011) advert with director Hayden Bannochie
Insomnia (2010) short film with director Laura Plancarte
In the Garden (2009) live performed film score for violin and electronics
Written for the Bath Festival, screened over June 2009
A collaboration with director Chris Daniels
Acid Reality (2009) live performed film score for piano, bass, percussion, female choir and electronics
A collaboration with directors Hayden Bannochie and Carlos Mancebo
Premiered at the Mapmaking event at LSO St. Luke’s, 2008
Crumble Away (2008) short film with director Chris Huang
Recordings
Beauty from Nothing EP (2017) EP of works for piano and electronics with pianist Sophia Vastek and Music of Reality. Listen on Bandcamp
For Now (2012) album of electroacoustic songs without words
Released through Spotify, iTunes and Amazon mp3
1. For Each Step – Sarah Ibbett, violin
2. For Moving On
3. For Unfolding
4. For Mending – Gregor Riddell, cello
5. For The Ride Home
6. For Facing Up – Sarah Ibbett, violin
7. For Pressing On – Gregor Riddell, cello
8. For Getting it Right – Ellie Steemson, tenor saxophone
9. For Love, Labour, Loss – Meredith Moore, horn – Stephanie Oatridge, oboe
