Peter Seabourne

Peter Seabourne (born 1960) is an English contemporary classical composer based in Lincolnshire, England.

Seabourne studied at Clare College, Cambridge with Robin Holloway, and University of York with David Blake.

In 1984 he was joint winner of the Overseas League Composition Competition, and was second in the Benjamin Britten Prize in 1986.

In his student years works were performed in the Camden, York, Huddersfield, Cambridge and Devizes Festivals and three times in the Purcell Room on London's South Bank, by Lontano, Tapestry, Endymion, and others.

Around 1989 he abandoned composition, feeling a growing separation with the new music world, and doubting his technique and voice.

He remained silent for some 12 years and rejected all his work to date.

In 2001 he resumed composition, rapidly creating a large number of pieces.

Since this time he has been awarded several times in international competitions.

The Darkness of Ages – poem for orchestra 12mins – 2001 rev.2009

Piano Concerto no.1 – dur.

In 2004 his 1st Piano Concerto won 3rd Prize and joint-orchestra prize in the 1st International Uuno Klami Composition Competition in Finland.

In the same year he took 3rd prize in the Ivan Spassov competition in Bulgaria with Soaring.

28mins – 2004 rev. 2006

Scherzo Serioso – dur.

In 2005 his song cycle Sappho Songs was highly commended in the IMRO International Competition in Ireland, and the following year his Soaring took 1st prize.

10mins – 2005 (also as arrangement for 2 pianos 2014)

Piano Concerto no.2 – dur.

Also in 2006 his septet My River was selected by North/South Consonance Ensemble from over two hundred scores and performed in New York City.

Seabourne's catalogue includes six symphonies, seven concerti and ten large piano cycles called Steps.

25 mins – 2006 (première Kristina Stepasjuková, piano, with Ondřej Vrabec and the Academy Orchestra of the Czech Philharmonic March 2016)

Tu Sospiri? – dur.

His work has been commissioned by the Rio International 'Cello Festival (On the blue shore of silence 2007), Rheinische Philharmonie/Daniel Raiskin (Tu Sospiri? 2010), Paul Klee Zentrum/Kaspar Zehnder (Storyteller for solo double bass and ensemble 2011), Moravská Filharmonie/Ondrej Vrabec (Double Concerto for Horn and Orchestra 2011), Coull Quartet (Accept these few roses 2011), Vestfold Festival/Henning Kraggerud, Spalding Flower Festival (Mille Fiori for four trumpets 2011), Norfolk Concerts and Douglas Gowan (String Quintet 2012), Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein (Violin Concerto 2016) and Musica Nova Reutlingen (Freeing the Angel – viola/piano 2019).

Seabourne's work has been broadcast in Norway, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Portugal, Israel, Norway and United States.

It has been played in many European countries, the Americas, China and in Armenia.

The Italian label Sheva Collection has issued thirteen CDs of the composer's work.

Six have been reviewed in Gramophone Magazine, BBC Music Magazine, The Strad, Musical Opinion in the UK, and elsewhere.

Further works are included on SIMAX (Norway), Da Vinci (Japan), Sheva Collection (Italy) and Willowhayne Records (UK).

Seabourne's work has roots in the neo-Romantic tradition, with influences from Janáček, Mahler, Ravel, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Carl Nielsen and Robin Holloway.

However his musical language is distinctively idiosyncratic, with its own modernity.

It is particularly "inventive with regard to rhythm" and hovers on the edge of tonality.

Orchestral:

13mins – 2010

Double Concerto for Horn and Orchestra – dur.

23mins – 2011

Cor Anglais Concerto – dur.

26mins – 2013

Symphony of Roses – dur.

32mins – 2014 (première Biel-Bienne May 2016 Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn conducted by Kaspar Zehnder)

Symphony no.2 – dur.

45mins – 2014