John Psathas (1966- )
John
Psathas is one of New Zealand's most frequently performed
composers, his work being played in dozens of countries every year. In
his music one can hear both Western classical tradition as well as the
kinetic enthusiasm found in jazz and folk music. The composer's
personal artistic vision was first realized comprehensively in his
debut album Rhythm Spike released by Rattle Records and picked as NZ
Classical Album of the Year. However he may best be known for being
chosen from more than 600 international composers to write and arrange
13 pieces of music for the Athens Olympics, including the official
fanfares and ceremonial music during the opening and closing
ceremonies. It took John seven months and four trips to Greece to
complete the project, which involved creating music for up to 250
musicians to record for the Olympics opening ceremony. This included
compositions and arrangements for the Olympic Flag, the arrival and
setting of the flame, and music for the fireworks. He has also
collaborated with Evelyn Glennie, Pedro Carneiro, Michael Brecker,
Joshua Redman, The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, The Halle
Orchestra, The Takacas Quartet as well as many of New Zealand's leading
performance ensembles. 2006 saw the release of John's most ambitous
work to date: View From Olympus, an album of contemporary concertos
featuring Pedro Carneiro, Michael Houstoun, Joshua Redman and the NZSO
conducted by Marc Taddei. Psathas has written extensively for Evelyn
Glennie, who, in her New York debut devoted nearly half her programme
to Psathas pieces. His percussion orientated pieces, Matre's Dance
and Drum Dances, are well on the way to becoming standard repertoire.
Closer to home, John Psathas has written for New Zealand's leading and
chamber groups. His music is energetic and vibrant, with a passionate
exuberance that is a product of his Greek heritage. His compositional
style is difficult to define as each piece is unique and creates its
own musical language, but regardless of the medium, there is a constant
intensity and immediacy in his writing.COMPOSITIONS Psathas Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Waiting for the Aeroplane, piano (1988-90)
Shocked Awake, piano (1991)
Matre’s Dance, percussion and piano (1991-94)
Zeal, piano duo (1992)
Percussion Concerto, 4 percussion soli and orchestra (1992-2001? - rev.)
Drum Dances, drum kit and piano (1993)
Rhythm Spike, piano (1994)
Overture, brass and percussion (1994)
Baw My Barne, solo voices or chorus (1995)
Calenture, electric guitar and 2 pianos (1995)
Island Songs, clarinet, cello and piano (1995)
Stream 3, large chamber ensemble (1996)
Abhisheka, string quartet (1996)
Island Songs: Piano Trio (1996)
Happy Tachyons, marimba, vibraphone and piano (1996)
Nocturnes, sax quartet and percussion (1997)
Te Papa Fanfare, brass and percussion (1997) [arr. by Lloydd, brass band, 2002]
Motet, piano duet (1997)
Stream 3.3, chamber ensemble and digital audio playback (1998)
Manurewa Fanfare, wind orchestra (1998)
Seikilos, orchestra (1998)
Spike, marimba, vibraphone and piano (1998)
Luminous, orchestra (1999)
Jettatura, piano (1999)
Terra, chamber ensemble (1999)
Saxon, brass band (1999)
Piano Quintet, piano and string quartet (2000)
Omnifenix, tenor sax, drum kit and orchestra (2000)
Fragment, piano duet (2001)
View from Olympus, double concerto, percussion, piano and orchestra (2001)
Psyzygysm, percussion and chamber ensemble (2001)
Fragment, vibraphone and piano (2001) [percussion version]
Orpheus in Rarohenga, soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra (2002)
Three Psalms, piano, percussion, harp and string orchestra (2003)
Zeibekiko, wind ensemble (2003)
Mal Occhio, chamber ensemble (2003)
Kartsigar, string quartet (2004)
Mayors’ Exit, orchestra (2004)
Pyros I, chorus and orchestra (2004)
Torch Journey Around the World, orchestra (2004) [ Debussy: Le Roi Lear]
Fanfare for Oaths II, brass and percussion (2004)
Fanfare for Oaths I, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Fanfare for Speeches (opening), orchestra (2004)
Walk of the Presidents, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Fanfare for IOC and ATHOC Presidents, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Zahara, saxophone (soprano/tenor) and orchestra (2005)
Ukiyo, vibraphone, marimba and digital audio playback (2005)
One Study One Summary, marimba, junk percussion and digital audio playback (2005)
Helix, piano trio (2006)
Sleeper, piano (2007)
Planet Damnation, timpani and orchestra (2007)
Abhisheka: String Orchestra (2008) [choreographed as a ballet by Adrian Burnett]
Four Ancient Greek Songs, large chamber ensemble (2008)
A Cool Wind, string quartet (2008)
Djinn, concerto for marimba, strings, percussion and harp (2009)
Waiting Still, piano and gamelan musician (2009)
WORKS BY GENRE Psathas Links ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Overture, brass and percussion (1994)
Manurewa Fanfare, wind orchestra (1998)
Seikilos, orchestra (1998)
Luminous, orchestra (1999)
Mayors’ Exit, orchestra (2004) [for 2004 Olympics]
Torch Journey Around the World, orchestra (2004) [Debussy: Le Roi Lear]
Fanfare for Oaths II, brass and percussion (2004)
Fanfare for Oaths I, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Fanfare for Speeches (opening), orchestra (2004)
Walk of the Presidents, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Fanfare for IOC and ATHOC Presidents, brass, percussion and string orchestra (2004)
Abhisheka: String Orchestra (2008) [choreographed as a ballet by Adrian Burnett]
Band
Te Papa Fanfare, brass and percussion (1997) [arr. by Lloydd, brass band, 2002]
Saxon, brass band (1999)
Zeibekiko, wind ensemble (2003)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Manurewa Fanfare, wind orchestra (1998)
Percussion Concerto, 4 percussion soli and orchestra (1992-2001? - rev.)
Omnifenix, tenor sax, drum kit and orchestra (2000)
View from Olympus, double concerto, percussion, piano and orchestra (2001)
Psyzygysm, percussion and chamber ensemble (2001)
Three Psalms, piano, percussion, harp and string orchestra (2003)
Zahara, saxophone (soprano/tenor) and orchestra (2005)
Planet Damnation, timpani and orchestra (2007)
Djinn, concerto for marimba, strings, percussion and harp (2009)
Chorus w/Orchestra
Orpheus in Rarohenga, soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra (2002)
Pyros I, chorus and orchestra (2004)
Choral
Baw My Barne, solo voices or chorus (1995)
Large Ensemble
Overture, brass and percussion (1994)
Stream 3, large chamber ensemble (1996)
Te Papa Fanfare, brass and percussion (1997) [arr. by Lloydd, brass band, 2002]
Stream 3.3, chamber ensemble and digital audio playback (1998)
Terra, chamber ensemble (1999)
Psyzygysm, percussion and chamber ensemble (2001)
Mal Occhio, chamber ensemble (2003)
Fanfare for Oaths II, brass and percussion (2004)
Four Ancient Greek Songs, large chamber ensemble (2008)
Chamber
Matre’s Dance, percussion and piano (1991-94)
Drum Dances, drum kit and piano (1993)
Calenture, electric guitar and 2 pianos (1995)
Island Songs, clarinet, cello and piano (1995)
Abhisheka, string quartet (1996)
Island Songs: Piano Trio (1996)
Happy Tachyons, marimba, vibraphone and piano (1996)
Nocturnes, sax quartet and percussion (1997)
Spike, marimba, vibraphone and piano (1998)
Piano Quintet, piano and string quartet (2000)
Fragment, vibraphone and piano (2001) [percussion version of piano work]
Kartsigar, string quartet (2004)
Ukiyo, vibraphone, marimba and digital audio playback (2005)
One Study One Summary, marimba, junk percussion and digital audio playback (2005)
Helix, piano trio (2006)
A Cool Wind, string quartet (2008)
Waiting Still, piano and gamelan musician (2009)
Piano
Waiting for the Aeroplane, piano (1988-90)
Shocked Awake, piano (1991)
Matre’s Dance, percussion and piano (1991-94)
Zeal, piano duo (1992)
Drum Dances, drum kit and piano (1993)
Rhythm Spike, piano (1994)
Motet, piano duet (1997)
Jettatura, piano (1999)
Fragment, piano duet (2001)
Sleeper, piano (2007)
Waiting Still, piano and gamelan musician (2009)
Vocal
Baw My Barne, solo voices or chorus (1995)
Electronic
Stream 3.3, chamber ensemble and digital audio playback (1998)
Ukiyo, vibraphone, marimba and digital audio playback (2005)
One Study One Summary, marimba, junk percussion and digital audio playback (2005)
PSATHAS LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Abhisheka - Royal New Zealand Ballet
Is it Time to Declare John Psathas a Genius? ( Ian Dando, New Zealand Listener)
John Psathas (Stephen Gibbs, New Zealand Musician)
John Psathas (Alan Wells, Salient)
John Psathas' Olympiad XXVIII ... (New Zealanders in Greece/Griwis)
Olympian Feats (Rod Biss, New Zealand Listener)
Composer's website
Psathas @ Wikipedia
Psathas @ AllExperts
Psathas @ Amplifier NZ Music
Psathas @ The Art of Film Memory
Psathas @ Arts Foundation of New Zealand
Psathas @ Auckland Chamber Orchestra
Psathas @ Chamber Music New Zealand also here
Psathas @ Digital Conversations
Psathas @ Everything2
Psathas @ Global Greek World
Psathas @ MusicWeb International
Psathas @ MySpaceMusic
Psathas @ NationMaster
Psathas @ The New York Times
Psathas @ New Zealand Herald
Psathas @ New Zealand School of Music
Psathas @ Presto Classical
Psathas @ Promethean Editions
Psathas @ Rattle
Psathas @ Royal New Zealand Ballet
Psathas @ SOUNZ/Centre for New Zealand Music
Psathas @ trustcds.com
Psathas @ View From Olympus
Streaming Audio
Psathas @ Digital Conversations
Psathas @ last.fm
Psathas @ MySpaceMusic
Recordings
Psathas @ ArkivMusic
Psathas @ ClassicsOnline
Psathas @ Marbecks
Psathas @ SmokeCDs.com
Psathas @ YouTube
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