Prof Andrew Lewis
Professor of Composition
Overview
Andrew Lewis is an award-winning composer and an internationally recognised figure in the field of acousmatic composition. His most recent work includes more music for orchestras and ensembles, but retains a strong interest in the phenomenon of sound as raw material and the use of technology to realise new kinds of musical ideas. He is especially interested in spatial sound, in the relationship between 'real-world' and 'abstract' sounds, and in the phenomena of aural perception as part of the creative process.
His music first came to prominence through the award of several international prizes, including the EMAS/PRS Prize for 'Storm-Song' (piano and tape) in 1986, which was also featured at the Gaudeamus Music Week (Amsterdam). Subsequent awards include First Prizes at Concours de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges, 1997 ('Ascent'); Concurso Internacional ART’S XXI, Valencia, 2001 ('Cable Bay'); Concurso internacional de música eletroacústica, São Paulo, 2003 ('Penmon Point'); KLANG, Montpellier, 2016 ('Fern Hill'); Destellos, Argentina, 2017 ('Skyline') and KLANG, Montpellier, 2018 ('Lebenslieder'). In 2004 he was the recipient of a prestigious 'Euphonie d’Or' at Bourges for one of the ten most significant works of the decade 1995-2004 ('Ascent'), and in the same year his string quartet 'Tempo Reale' was chosen by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies for a Wigmore Hall concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of SPNM.
His instrumental music has been commissioned and performed by numerous prominent artists, including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, l'Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie, the Kreutzer Quartet, Psappha, Ensemble Mise-En, Ensemble Cymru, Duo Contour, UPROAR, Elinor Bennet, Jane Chapman, Wendy Holdaway, Yoshikazu Iwamoto, Gerald Garcia, Phillip Mead, Xenia Pestova, Carla Rees, Heather Roche and Vivienne Spiteri.
Recent projects include the audiovisial work 'LEXICON' (funded by the Wellcome Trust) which was seen live by more than 1700 people during its UK tour, and 'Fern Hill' for orchestra and electronics, which was commissioned for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for the centenary celebrations of Dylan Thomas, and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. This work won first prize in the KLANG! competition, Montpellier, and was given its French premiere there by the Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie. In 2016 he was awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship to compose a large scale work for orchestra and electronics featuring the voices of people with dementia and their partners who care for them ('Lebenslieder'). The resulting work was awarded second prize in the KLANG! competition, Montpellier, in 2018. In 2019 'Straatmuziek' for flute, clarinet, piano and electronics was one of only two works chosen to represent Wales at the ISCM World Music Days in Estonia. In 2018 he was one of ten composers from Wales commissioned for the debut concert of the UPROAR Ensemble, and in 2020 completed a new commission them for ensemble and electronics, for a tour in the UK and Europe.
Numerous recordings are available, including two collections of his works: 'Miroirs obscurs' and 'Au-dèla' (empreintes DIGITALes) as well as 'Schattenklavier' on Shadow Piano (Innova). His instrumental and vocal music is published by Composers Edition, and his acousmatic music by Ymx média, Montréal (electrocd.com).
He is married with four grown-up daughters, and lives in Bangor.
WEBSITES
- Composer website: www.andrewlewis.org.uk
- Acousmatic music publisher: electrocd.com
- Scores publisher: composersedition.com
Additional Contact Information
Head of Department of Music, Drama and Performance
Email: a.p.lewis@bangor.ac.uk
Phone: 01248 382188
Location: Music Building
Website: www.andrewlewis.org.uk
Andrew Lewis is an award-winning composer and an internationally recognised figure in the field of acousmatic composition. His more recent work includes more music for orchestras and ensembles, but retains a strong interest in the materiality of sound, and the use of technology to realise new kinds of musical ideas. He is especially interested in spatial sound, in the relationship between 'real-world' and 'abstract' sounds, and in the phenomena of aural perception as part of the creative process.
(For more information, see 'Overview' below.)
Qualifications
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Higher Education Academy, 2019 - PhD Composition
University of Birmingham, 1991 - PGCE Music in Education
Birmingham City University, 1991 - BMus (Hons)
University of Birmingham, 1984 - Professional: Member of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)
Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), - Professional: Member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)
Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), - Professional: Member of the Performing Right Society (PRS)
Performing Right Society (PRS),
Teaching and Supervision
Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate modules:
- Sonic Art
- Music Since 1850
- The Nineteenth Century Symphony
- Interactive Sound and Music
- Composition
- Acousmatic Composition
- Composition in Context
I am currently main supervisor for three PhD's in composition and electroacoustic composition:
- Sara Pinheiro: Acousmatic Foley
- Hu Yu: Nuo Opera in Acousmatic Music
- Shen Lin: Chinese Folk Music in Interactive and Acousmatic Music
Recently completed PhD projects in Composition:
- Katherine Betteridge: Nature and Magic – Rediscovering Connections (2020)
- Steven Tunnicliffe: Perception and Structure in Electroacoustic Music (2019)
- Richard Garrett: Generative Music from Fuzzy Logic and Probability (2017)
- Emmannouil Gregoriadis: An Invitation to Listen: exploring engagement in technologically mediated music (2016)
Postgraduate Project Opportunities
Publications
2023
- PublishedTwo Lakes: acousmatic music in 8 channels
Lewis, A., 10 Mar 2023
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2022
- PublishedCori Spezzati: acousmatic music in 8 channels
Lewis, A., 1 Jul 2022
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedIn Memory: for orchestra and electronics
Lewis, A., 2022
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedThree Storms: acousmatic music in 8 channels
Lewis, A., 2 Nov 2022
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2020
- Accepted/In pressCanzon in Double Echo: for ensemble and electronics
Lewis, A., 28 Feb 2020, (Accepted/In press)
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2019
- PublishedEarthline: for solo bass/alto flute and electronics
Lewis, A., 9 Feb 2019
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2018
- PublishedBAT (Bangor Audio Toolkit) version 4
Lewis, A., 25 May 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Software - PublishedLEBENSLIEDER (complete): Version for Chamber Ensemble
Lewis, A., 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedLEBENSLIEDER: Daybreak: Version for Chamber Ensemble
Lewis, A., 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedLEBENSLIEDER: Nachtmusik: Version for Chamber Ensemble
Lewis, A., 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedLEBENSLIEDER: Scherzo: Version for Chamber Ensemble
Lewis, A., 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedÉtude aux objets: For ensemble
Lewis, A., 2018
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2016
- PublishedSkyline: acousmatic music in 8 channels
Lewis, A., 20 Oct 2016
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedStraatmuziek: for flute, clarinet, piano and electronics
Lewis, A., 16 Feb 2016
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2014
- PublishedFern Hill
Lewis, A. P., 30 Oct 2014
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedThe Creative Practice Research Manifesto
Skains, R., Lewis, A. & Muse, E., 7 Jul 2014.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
2012
- PublishedLexicon (2012 - Wellcome Trust project)
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2012
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2010
- PublishedDark Glass
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2010
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedNumber Nine Dream
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2010
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2009
- PublishedSchattenklavier
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2009
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedSchattenklavier: for piano and live computer processing (8-channel and stereo versions)
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2009
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2007
- PublishedCable Bay (8 channel version)
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2007
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedDanses Acousmatiques.
Lewis, A. P., 25 Oct 2007
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2006
- Published'Budo' Variations.
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2006
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedSona.
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2006
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedTypes de sons et comportements sonores dans Novars.
Lewis, A. P. & Castanet, P. A. (ed.), 1 Jan 2006, Portrait polychrome No 10 : Francis Dhomont. 2006 ed. INA
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
2004
- PublishedBenllech Shells.
Lewis, A. P., 13 Feb 2004
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedFrancis Dhomont’s Novars
Lewis, A. P. & Roy, S. (ed.), 1 Jan 2004, L’analyse des musiques electroacoustiques: modeles et propositions. 2004 ed. L'Harmattan, p. 0
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
2003
- PublishedLlanddwyn Skies.
Lewis, A. P. & Lewis, A., 3 Apr 2003
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - PublishedPenmon Point.
Lewis, A. P., 30 Oct 2003
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2002
- PublishedEQ(uivocation) 1982
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2002
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition - Publisheddouble(serenâd)
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2002
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
2001
- Publisheddouble (fragment)
Lewis, A. P., 1 Jan 2001
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
1998
- PublishedCân: stereo acousmatic music
Lewis, A., 9 Jan 1998
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
1994
- PublishedAscent: stereo acousmatic music
Lewis, A., 4 Dec 1994
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
1992
- PublishedScherzo: stereo acousmatic music
Lewis, A., 29 Jun 1992
Research output: Non-textual form › Composition
Activities
2023
- Two Lakes (performance)
Performance of Two Lakes at ArteScienza Festival, Rome
12 Jul 2023
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Three Storms (performance)
Performance of Three Storms at Noisefloor 2023
11 May 2023
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Two Lakes (performance)
Held annually since 2005 in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, focuses on artistic proposals that include new technologies at the core of artistic creation, offering a current perspective of what is happening globally in artistic creation.
10 Mar 2023
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Listening to the Lakes
What lakes are telling us about climate change, and how we can listen to them
6 Mar 2023
Links:
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2022
- Ascent (performance)
Performance of Ascent at Echochroma XIX
28 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline at Echochroma XIX
28 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Three Storms (performance)
Performance of 'Three Storms' at Echochroma XIX
28 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - In Memory (broadcast)
Radio 3 broadcast of 'In Memory', on 'Radio 3 In Concert'. BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Gergely Madaras (conductor)
15 Nov 2022
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - In Memory (performance)
World premiere of 'In Memory', BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Gergely Madaras (conductor)
11 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Canzon in Double Echo (broadcast)
Radio 3 broadcast of 'Canzon in Double Echo' on the 'New Music Show'. Uproar/Michael Rafferty
5 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Cori Spezzati (performance)
Performance of 'Cori Spezzati'
2 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Three Storms (performance)
World premiere of 'Three Storms'
2 Nov 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline at the concert 'El laboratorio del Espacio' as part of 'Landscape and Sustainability: Listening to Multiplicity' at UAM
13 Oct 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Cori Spezzati (performance)
World premiere of 'Cori Spezzati'
1 Jul 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Canzon in Double Echo (performance)
Performance of Canzon in Double Echo by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
1 Jun 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Canzon in Double Echo (performance)
Performance of Canzon in Double Echo by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
20 May 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Canzon in Double Echo (performance)
Performance of Canzon in Double Echo by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
8 May 2022
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Member of AHRC Peer Review College
1 Mar 2022 →
Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Membership of peer review panel or committee (Contributor)
2020
- Canzon in Double Echo (performance)
Performance of Canzon in Double Echo by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
13 Mar 2020
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Canzon in Double Echo (performance)
World premiere of Professor Bad Trip, performed by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
28 Feb 2020
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)
2019
- Scherzo (performance)
Performance of Scherzo as part of the diffusion competition ay L'Espace du son, Theâtre Marni, Brussels
11 Dec 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Cân (broadcast)
'Acoustic Frontiers', CKCU FM Ottowa, Canada
16 Sep 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline
20 Jun 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline, Music Technology Department, Shanghai Normal University
9 Jun 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (broadcast)
Broadcast of Skyline
23 Mar 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Earthline (performance)
World premiere of Earthline performed by Richard Craig
9 Feb 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Étude aux objets (broadcast)
Broadcast of Étude aux objets
9 Feb 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Étude aux objets (performance)
Performance of Étude aux object by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
9 Feb 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline
27 Jan 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)
2018
- Ascent (performance)
Performance of Ascent
2 Nov 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Danses acousmatiques (performance)
Performance of Danses acousmatiques
2 Nov 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Dark Glass (performance)
Performance of Dark Glass
2 Nov 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline
2 Nov 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Ascent (performance)
Performance of Ascent at L'Espace du son, Theâtre Marni, Brussels
28 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - LEXICON (performance)
Performance of LEXICON at L'Espace du son, Bar Marni, Brussels
28 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Penmon Point (performance)
Performance of Penmon Point at L'Espace du son, Theâtre Marni, Brussels
28 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Scherzo (performance)
Performance of Scherzo at L'Espace du son, Theâtre Marni, Brussels
28 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline at L'Espace du son, Theâtre Marni, Brussels
28 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of Skyline by BULO, Victoria Rooms, Bristol
26 Oct 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Étude aux objets (performance)
World premiere of Étude aux objets, performed by UPROAR and Michael Rafferty
26 Oct 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (performance)
Performance of 'Skyline' at BEAST FEaST, Elgar Concert Hall, Birmingham
27 Apr 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Lebenslieder (performance)
World premiere of 'Lebenslieder' (three movements) at Studio Theatre, Pontio, Bangor
19 Mar 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Fern Hill (performance)
French premiere of 'Fern Hill' by l'Orchestre national Montpellier–Occitanie conducted by David Niemann, Opéra Berlioz, Montpellier, France
23 Feb 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Fern Hill (broadcast)
Broadcast of 'Fern Hill' on 'Hear and Now', BBC Radio 3
17 Feb 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - LEXICON (broadcast)
Broadcast of 'LEXICON' on 'La boîte noire', RTR – Radio France Rodez
30 Jan 2018
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
2017
- Cân (performance)
Performance of 'Cân' at 'Acousmatrix #3', Salle Marguerite Long, Conservatoire de musique de Nîmes, France
28 Nov 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline (broadcast)
Broadcast of 'Skyline' on 'Acoustic Frontiers', CKCU FM Ottowa, Canada
13 Nov 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Danse des gestes (pas de trois) (Performance)
Performance of 'Danse des gestes (pas de trois)' (from 'Danses Acousmatiques')
2 Nov 2017
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Sparks in the Dark
2 Nov 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline
Performance of Skyline
26 Sep 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - LEXICON
23 Sep 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Straatmuziek
1 Jul 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Straatmuziek
25 Jun 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Straatmuziek
28 Apr 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - LEXICON
5 Apr 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Skyline
17 Mar 2017
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Leverhulme Research Fellowship
Songs from Afar: composing the experience of dementia (RF-2016-527)
1 Feb 2017 – 31 May 2017
Activity: Types of Award - Fellowship awarded competitively (Contributor)
2016
- Skyline
Premiere of Skyline
20 Oct 2016
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor) - Penmon Point
Broadcast of Penmon Point
28 Aug 2016
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
223
- Listening to the Lakes: what lakes are telling us about climate change, and how we can listen to them
Composer Andrew Lewis and scientist Iestyn Woolway discuss how lakes can help us understand climate change, and how this data can be used to make music. Lakes and reservoirs are a critical natural resource, supporting biodiversity and providing many benefits to people around the world. But lakes are critically susceptible to climate change, especially the increase in global temperatures. Climatic warming can have a huge influence on the physical environment of lakes, including warming of surface water and effects on water levels Ultimately, the physical environment of lakes is responding dramatically to a warming world. In this talk, Iestyn Woolway will discuss the response of key lake variables to climate change, and Andrew Lewis will explain how this data has been used in composing his new piece ‘Two Lakes’.
6 Mar 223
Links:
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
Projects
-
01/02/2020 – 01/08/2022 (Finished)
-
Spatial Audio in Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies
14/02/2019 – 30/06/2020 (Finished)
-
Songs from afar: composing the experience of dementia
01/01/2017 – 12/09/2017 (Finished)
-
Lexicon' - dyslexia: sound, sign and meaning
01/01/2012 – 30/09/2015 (Finished)
Links:
Other Information
Departmental Responsibilities
- Head of Department
- Studio Director