music composition - biography

Marc Yeats began composing seriously in 1994. Since then he has received performances by The Edinburgh String Quartet, the Chamber Group of Scotland, Psappha, Richard Casey, the London Sinfonietta, the Endymion Ensemble, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 175 East (N.Z.), Sarah Watts, the Commonwealth Sinfonietta, Contempo Ensemble (Italy), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo City Philharmonic, with broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland, German, Japanese and New Zealand radio.

In 1997 he was commissioned by the St. Magnus Festival to write the anatomy of air (25 mins.), for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The premiere was conducted by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Later in that year the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra performed I see blue, also conducted by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Psappha gave the world premiere of pumping iron (20 mins.) for ten musicians, in Manchester. The Endymion Ensemble gave the work its second performance at the South Bank, London in April 1999. I see blue has so far been broadcast 3 times on BBC Radio 3.

In 1996 Marc was awarded a three-year composer bursary by The Scottish Arts Council to enable him to compose full time.

In November 1997, pagan II for orchestra and is it me? (Cl, Vc, Pno) were premiered in Tokyo as part of The Next Millennium Composition Award. pagan II was premiered by Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra. The event has been broadcast in Japan. In 1997 Marc was also awarded a two-year composition bursary from the Hope Scott Trust.

In February 1998, room (12’ for Piano), was given its premiere by Richard Casey in a Psappha promoted concert in Manchester, it has subsequently been performed in the 1998 Cheltenham Festival and throughout the UK. In February 1999 pagan II was recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

In December 1999, a waiting ghost in the blue sky (Cl. Vc. Pno Percussion (1)) was premiered by Contempo Ensemble in Prato, Italy. November 2000 saw Sir Peter conduct I see blue with the Gewandhaus Radio Orchestra in Leipzig. This concert has been broadcast in Germany. Other commissions include a new work for The London Sinfonietta and a commission from the BBC to write a work for piano and orchestra for Kathryn Stott and the BBC Philharmonic. The round and square art of memory was premiered in February 2000 in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester. This work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 twice. The summer of 2000 saw a waiting ghost in the blue sky performed by Psappha at the St. Magnus Festival. The piece was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

In March 2001, a new work for solo alto saxophone, metaphors of battle and conquest, commissioned by Kathryn Stott for the Italian saxophonist Federico Mondelci, was premiered at the Bromsgrove Festival. In September 2001, the premiere of only the trees will whisper in the dark (Alto Flt. BCl. Vln. Vc. Pno) was given by the Commonwealth Sinfonietta at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen and later performed in London.

2002 saw the commissioning of several new works including vox for solo bass clarinet (Sarah Watts) and davy jones' locker (175 East, New Zealand), which was also recorded for New Zealand F.M. mad canary, for solo piccolo, was also given its premiere in New Zealand later that year. October 2002 saw the premiere of colour songs, (high soprano, flt (picc). Cl (bcl) vla. Vc. (35 mins)) by illegal harmony with a tour of five Scottish islands, It was commissioned by Hebridean Music Workshops with funds from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery.

2003 saw the premieres of hunting magic for flute and piano (Rarescale), whereto my wishes lie for bass clarinet and piano (Sarah Watts), and jigsaw for clarinet, trumpet, double bass, piano and timpani drum (Paragon Ensemble) and for there's a kind of world remaining still for string trio in November (illegal harmony).

February 2004 saw the premiere of repeat offenders, a bass clarinet duo, with Henri Bok and Sarah Watts at the RNCM in Manchester and illegal harmony premiered ASCII dialogues for soprano and alto flute and have heard this dialogue of one for alto flute solo. Further premieres in 2004 include two performances of objects that the sense delude for wind quintet and piano, by Lonba in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in June, stillness in movement, for eight instrumentalists (commissioned by An Tuireann Art Centre with subsidy from the Scottish Arts Council), was premiered by illegal harmony. A commercial recording of this music was produced. Also in June where do these voices stray, for bass clarinet and Bb clarinet, was premiered by Henri Bok in Washington, America, with subsequent performances in China and Europe. ASCII dialogues is to have its London premiere at the RCM in July - the sea bell's perpetual angelus and an interrupted passacaglia, for solo piano, was premiered by Sarah Nicolls in Somerset in September. Later that year a fractured melody for alto flute and piano, received its world premiere with Rarescale in London.

2005 will see more performances and premieres. In January a fractured melody will receive its American premiere with Rarescale in New York. In February, tales of enchantment for bass clarinet, (commissioned by Henri Bok), will be premiered at Rotterdam Conservatoire, Holland. In February,I have a charm for bruising for string trio, will be premiered by illegal harmony trio. Have heard this dialogue of one for alto flute, will have its London premiere with Carla Rees. In March and April, my songs, for soprano, clarinet and cello, and hocus-pocus, for wind trio, will receive their premieres with illegal harmony at An Tuireann Art Centre. Also in April, torment of the metals, for chamber orchestra and soprano, will be premiered at Rotterdam Conservatorium, Holland. May will see the second London performance of ASCII dialogues with Rarescale. July will see the London premiere of Hunting Magic (pno and flute) with Rarescale.

In October 2005 Marc was awarded first prize (1500 euro) in the World Bass Clarinet Conference's Composition Competition for his new work for bass clarinet and piano, child to the black faced night. This work will be used as the test piece for the finals of the WBCC performance competition and is to be published by the WBCC 2005. Sarah Watts and Antony Clare are also to perform whereto my wishes lie, (bass clarinet and piano) at the WBCC.

In 2006, mimesis for bass flute, cello and piano and the viciousness of circles (piano), will receive their world premieres by Rarescale in London. Paul Goodey is also to give the world premiere of a journey to nowhere in particular (for oboe and piano) and Sarah Watts will give the UK premiere of tales of enchantment (bass clarinet solo).There is also a project to record a selection of Marc's chamber music for commercial CD, includingobjects that the sense delude (sextet for wind and piano), passions of a discontented mind (bass clarinet quintet)and my songs (soprano, bass clarinet and cello). It is also Marc's intention to enable this website to download complete MP3 files of his works onto home CD for those who wish to purchase recordings direct from the composer.

Visual art has been and remains my starting point and frame of reference for composition. I began painting as a teenager and although I wished to compose at this age, I had not acquired the necessary technique to do so. It was not until I was nearly thirty that I began to compose 'on paper'. My composition techniques are drawn primarily from experiences with the practices of the abstraction in the visual arts. Over time I learnt how to translate my personal visual language of colour, form and texture into sound. This translation, along with what I absorbed listening to music, enabled me to approach composition from a very personal point of view.

Marc Yeats was born in London in 1962. His career encompasses painting, nursing, composition and educational projects which relate to several aspects of his talent. He lives and works on the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland.