Gerald Barry

Irishman Gerald Barry was born in Ireland in 1952 and studied composition with Stockhausen and Kagel. He first came to public attention in 1979 with his radical ensemble works '_____' and '¿. His music is direct and uncompromising, with a forceful dynamism that makes it instantly recognisable. His catalogue of works spans virtually every genre. He has written a number of solo instrumental pieces, and an ever-increasing number of works for ensemble. In 2005 his third opera was premiered at ENO in London to widespread acclaim.

In the 1990s Gerald had a long association with choreographer Siobhan Davies and her dance company. This successful collaboration led to the creation of several dance pieces:

• White Bird Featherless - 20 minutes, using music from three different Barry works
• Affections - choreography set to new arrangements of six arias by Handel, arr. Barry
• Trespass - a vibrant work that uses music from two of Gerald's piano quartets as its basis

'Affections' and 'Trespass' were premiered by the Siobhan Davies Dance Company in a double bill, in London in 1996. The work was then taken on tour around the UK and Finland.

Gerald's music is increasingly heard around the world, with ensembles from the UK, US, and in many other countries discovering and programming his music. Works of note are:

• Au milieu - The term Au Milieu - in the centre - is used in ballet to describe exercises performed away from the bar. Abandon, balance, virtuosity, vulnerability and danger are its elements. It is a tribute to those who have conquered and died at the keyboard.
• Bob - A thrilling and fast-paced work for ensemble that quickly (and spectacularly) grabs the attention of the listener.


• Piano Quartet No.1 - this was written in 1992, and has already previously been set to choreography, in the SDDC work 'Trespass'. Gerald writes: "while writing it I was reminded of painting where blocks of colour meet or where objects intersect, of the mysteriousness of those moments. The painter Robert Ryman said that whatever is made should delight and have a rightness about it. That was my aim."