Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music

• Home
• About
• Resources
• Composers
• Performances
• 20/21 Ensemble
• Contact Us

Search Pytheas   use Pytheas SiteSearch   need help searching?

Thomas Adès (1971-     )

Thomas Adès is among the brightest young stars in contemporary composition, and a musician of broad achievement and influence. His complex and appealing music exhibits a flair for drama, humor, and personal expression and is notable for the creative use of instrumental color. Also active as a pianist and conductor, Adès divides his time between composition and a busy performing schedule, as well as teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and serving as artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival until 2008. Having studied at the Guildhall School of Music, Adès took second prize in piano at the 1989 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Further studies at King's College, Cambridge, confirmed a move toward composition as his primary vocation, and his first works were written there. After his graduation in 1992, Adès moved quickly into the professional world with a performance of his Chamber Symphony by the BBC Philharmonic. Further performances came during his tenure as Composer in Association with the Halle Orchestra. Adès' reputation was secured by his chamber opera, Powder Her Face, a commission from Almeida Opera for the 1995 Cheltenham Festival. Its premiere, as well as productions in Germany and the United States, attracted enormous critical attention and praise, and led to a commission for the 2004 season at Covent Garden (The Tempest, an adaptation of Shakespeare). His first large-scale orchestral work, Asyla, established Adès' reputation as a composer of lasting value and individuality.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Adès Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Adès on Adès
The Lover in Winter (4 songs), counter-tenor and piano (1989)
Five Eliot Landscapes, soprano and piano, op. 1 (1990) [text: T.S. Eliot]
Aubade, soprano solo (1990) [text: Philip Larkin]
Chamber Symphony, chamber ensemble [15 players], op. 2 (1990)
Anthems, op. 3 (1990)
    - O thou who didst with pitfall and with gin, anthem, male chorus (1990) [tex: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam]
    - Gefriolsae Me, anthem, male chorus and organ (1990) [text: Psalm 51]
Catch, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, op. 4 (1991)
Fool's Rhymes, chorus, harp, prepared pf, org & perc,  op. 5 (1992) [text: John Donne; anon. Elizabethian & 14th-century poetry]
Under Hamelin Hill, chamber organ [1-3 players], op. 6 (1992)
Darknesse Visible, piano (1992) [after John Dowland]
Le Diable au Corps, oboe, bassoon and piano (1992, withdrawn)
Still Sorrowing, piano, op. 7 (1991-92)
Life Story, soprano, 2 bass clarinets and double bass, op. 8 (1993) [text: Tennessee Williams] [also arr. for soprano and pf]
Living Toys, chamber ensemble [14 players], op. 9 (1993)
... but all shall be well, orchestra (or small orchestra), op. 10 (1993)
Sonata da Caccia, baroque oboe (or oboe), horn and harpsichord, op. 11 (1993)
The Origin of the Harp, chamber ensemble [10 players], op. 13 (1994)
Les baricades mistérieuses, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello and double bass (1994) [arr. of music by François Couperin]
Arcadiana, string quartet, op. 12 (1994)
Cardiac Arrest, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello, double bass and piano 4-hands (1995)
Powder Her Face, chamber opera in 2 acts and 8 scenes [4 singers and 15 players], op. 14 (1995) [libretto: Philip Hensher]
    - Dances from "Powder Her Face", orchestra (2007) [from 1995 chamber opera]
Traced Overhead, piano, op. 15 (1995-96)
Etude, piano (1995-96, withdrawn)
These Premises Are Alarmed, orchestra, op. 16 (1996)
Asyla, orchestra, op. 17 (1997)
Concerto Conciso, piano and chamber ensemble [10 players], op. 18 (1997)
The Fayrfax Carol, chorus, w/opt. organ (1997)
America, a Prophecy, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, w/opt. large chorus, op. 19 (1999) [text: Matteo Flexa]
January Writ, chorus and organ (1999)
Piano Quintet, op. 20 (2000)
Brahms, baritone and orchestra, op. 21 (2001) [text: Alfred Brendel]
The Tempest, opera in 3 acts (2003) [libretto: Meredith Oakes, based on Shakespeare]
    - Overture to "The Tempest", orchestra (2004)
    - Scenes from "The Tempest", vocal soloists and orchestra (2004)
    - Court Studies, from "The Tempest", clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2005)
Concerto for Violin, "Concentric Paths", violin and chamber orchestra, op. 23 (2005)
Three Studies from Couperin, chamber orchestra (2006)
Tevot, orchestra (2007)
In Seven Days, piano and orchestra (2008) [with moving image by Tal Rosner]
Concert Paraphrase on "Powder Her Face", piano (2009)
Lieux retrouvés, cello and piano, op. 26 (2009)
Three Mazurkas, piano, op. 27 (2009)
The Four Quarters, string quartet, op. 28 (2010)
Polaris, voyage for orchestra (2010) [with moving image by Tal Rosner]
Thrift, piano (2012)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Adès Links    ~ ~ ~    Adès on Adès     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Powder Her Face, chamber opera in 2 acts and 8 scenes [4 singers and 15 players], op. 14 (1995) [libretto: Philip Hensher]
The Tempest, opera in 3 acts (2003) [libretto: Meredith Oakes, based on Shakespeare]

Orchestra
... but all shall be well, orchestra (or small orchestra), op. 10 (1993)
Dances from "Powder Her Face", orchestra (2007) [from 1995 chamber opera]
    - Overture
    - Waltz
    - Finale
These Premises Are Alarmed, orchestra, op. 16 (1996)
Asyla, orchestra, op. 17 (1997)
Overture to "The Tempest", orchestra (2004)
Three Studies from Couperin, chamber orchestra (2006)
Tevot, orchestra (2007)
Polaris, voyage for orchestra (2010) [with moving image by Tal Rosner]

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto Conciso, piano and chamber ensemble [10 players], op. 18 (1997)
Concerto for Violin, "Concentric Paths", violin and chamber orchestra, op. 23 (2005)
In Seven Days, piano and orchestra (2008) [with moving image by Tal Rosner]

Chorus w/Orchestra
America, a Prophecy, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, w/opt. large chorus, op. 19 (1999) [text: Matteo Flexa]

Choral
Anthems, op. 3 (1990)
    - O thou who didst with pitfall and with gin, anthem, male chorus (1990) [tex: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam]
    - Gefriolsae Me, anthem, male chorus and organ (1990) [text: Psalm 51]
Fool's Rhymes, chorus, harp, prepared pf, org & perc,  op. 5 (1992) [text: John Donne; anon. Elizabethian & 14th-century poetry]
The Fayrfax Carol, chorus, w/opt. organ (1997)
January Writ, chorus and organ (1999)

Chamber
Chamber Symphony, chamber ensemble [15 players], op. 2 (1990)
Catch, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, op. 4 (1991)
Le Diable au Corps, oboe, bassoon and piano (1992, withdrawn)
Living Toys, chamber ensemble [14 players], op. 9 (1993)
Sonata da Caccia, baroque oboe (or oboe), horn and harpsichord, op. 11 (1993)
The Origin of the Harp, chamber ensemble [10 players], op. 13 (1994)
Les baricades mistérieuses, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello and double bass (1994) [arr. of music by François Couperin]
Arcadiana, string quartet, op. 12 (1994)
Cardiac Arrest, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, cello, double bass and piano 4-hands (1995)
Concerto Conciso, piano and chamber ensemble [10 players], op. 18 (1997)
Piano Quintet, op. 20 (2000)
Court Studies, from "The Tempest", clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2005)
The Four Quarters, string quartet, op. 28 (2010)
    - Nightfalls
    - Serenade: Morning Dew
    - Days
    - The Twenty-fifth Hour

Instrument and Piano
Lieux retrouvés, cello and piano, op. 26 (2009)

Piano or Organ
Under Hamelin Hill, chamber organ [1-3 players], op. 6 (1992)
Darknesse Visible, piano (1992) [after John Dowland]
Still Sorrowing, piano, op. 7 (1991-92)
Traced Overhead, piano, op. 15 (1995-96)
Etude, piano (1995-96, withdrawn)
Concert Paraphrase on "Powder Her Face", piano (2009)
Three Mazurkas, piano, op. 27 (2009)
Thrift, piano (2012)

Vocal
The Lover in Winter (4 songs), counter-tenor and piano (1989)
Five Eliot Landscapes, soprano and piano, op. 1 (1990) [text: T.S. Eliot]
Aubade, soprano solo (1990) [text: Philip Larkin]
Life Story, soprano, 2 bass clarinets and double bass, op. 8 (1993) [text: Tennessee Williams] [also arr. 1994 for soprano and pf]
America, a Prophecy, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, w/opt. large chorus, op. 19 (1999) [text: Matteo Flexa]
Brahms, baritone and orchestra, op. 21 (2001) [text: Alfred Brendel]
Scenes from "The Tempest", vocal soloists and orchestra (2004)


ADÈS  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Adès on Adès      ~ top of page ~
Adès Re-Creates The World With The BSO (WBUR, Boston)
Composer of the Year 2011 (Musical America Worldwide)
A Guide to Thomas Adès's Music (Tom Service, The Guardian)
Interval Cycles, Their Permutations and Generative Properties in Thomas Adès' Asyla (Aaron Travers)
An Interview with Thomas Adès (The Metropolitan Opera)
A Life in Music: Thomas Adès Interviewed (Nicholas Wroe, The Guardian)
Rich And Strange: Thomas Adès' Tempest (Alex Ross, The Rest Is Noise)
Thinking Irrational - Thomas Adès and New Rhythms (Huw Belling)
Thomas Adès: From Both Sides of the Music (Ben Finane, PlaybillArts)
Thomas Adès: Full of Noises - Conversations with Tom Service (Macmillan Publishing)
Thomas Adès: Leading Light Composer (Brett Campbell, San Francisco Classical Voice)
Thomas Adès Returns to BSO with Creation Myths, ‘Infinity Pools’ (Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe)
Thomas Adès’s Eight-Year Itch (Justin Davidson, New York Magazine)

Composer's website   . . .   contact Thomas Adès:  here

Adès @ Wikipedia
Adès @ Answers.com
Adès @ Askonas Holt
Adès @ Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Adès @ Audiophile Audition (via Google Advanced Search)
Adès @ BarbWire
Adès @ Boston.com
Adès @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Adès @ Boston Symphony Orchestra
Adès @ British Council
Adès @ Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Adès @ Carnegie Hall
Adès @ Classical Archives
Adès @ Classical Composers Database
Adès @ Classic FM    also    here
Adès @ ClassicsToday (via Google Advanced Search)
Adès @ composition:today
Adès @ The Contemporary Classical Music Guide
Adès @ Faber Music
Adès @ Facebook
Adès @ 5 against 4
Adès @ Grawemeyer Award
Adès @ The Guardian
Adès @ I Care If You Listen
Adès @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Adès @ IMG Artists
Adès @ InstantEncore
Adès @ IRCAM
Adès @ Klassika
Adès @ lies like truth
Adès @ London Sinfonietta
Adès @ Los Angeles Philharmonic    also     here    and     here
Adès @ Minnesota Public Radio
Adès @ Modern Classical
Adès @ MusicBrainz
Adès @ MusicWeb International
Adès @ musicianguide.com
Adès @ Naxos
Adès @ New York Magazine
Adès @ The New York Times
Adès @ NPRmusic
Adès @ Piano Spheres
Adès @ (le) poisson rouge
Adès @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Adès @ Signum Classics

Publisher
Adès @ Faber Music    also    here

Streaming Audio
Adès @ Classical Archives
Adès @ Faber Music
Adès @ last.fm
Adès @ Los Angeles Philharmonic
Adès @ Minnesota Public Radio
Adès @ NPRmusic
Adès @ Rhapsody.com
Adès @ Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Adès @ SoundCloud
Adès @ WQXR

Recordings
Adès @ Composer's website
Adès @ Amazon.com
Adès @ ArkivMusic
Adès @ CD Universe
Adès @ ClassicsOnline
Adès @ Discogs
Adès @ itunes
Adès @ Naxos
Adès @ Signum Classics

Video
Adès @ YouTube
Adès @ The Boston Symphony Orchestra
Adès @ WGBH, Boston
Adès @ Google Video
Adès @ Vimeo (via Google Advanced Search)
                                                                                                                        ~ top of page ~
Adès on Adès: Thomas Adès Interview with Tom Service (VIDEO)







 Adès on Adès: A Conversation with Thomas Adès/Boston Sym Orch (VIDEO)
Composers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~