Agustín Fernández – The Living Composers Project

Bolivian composer, later resident in the UK, of mostly stage, orchestral, chamber, and choral works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.

Prof. Fernández studied at the Instituto Eduardo Laredo in Cochabamba from 1967–73 and studied composition with Alberto Villalpando at the Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo in La Paz. He had postgraduate studies in composition at the University of Liverpool in 1984–85, where he earned his MMus, then studied composition at City University London from 1985–90 and earned his PhD there. He also studied composition privately with Akira Ifukube and Takashi Iida in Japan, as well as conducting privately with Daniel Asia in the UK and violin privately with Takeshi Kobayashi in Japan. He later received an honorary doctorate from the Academia de Muzică Gheorghe Dima in Cluj-Napoca in 2018.

Among his honours are Primer Premio in an interprovincial competition for charango (10-string lute from Bolivia) in Cochabamba (1971), Primer Premio in the competition for the Sesquicentenario de la República in La Paz (1975), the Training Award from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (1980–81), and an award from the Rotary Club in Tōkyō (1981–82, which enabled studies in Japan). He later received the FCO Award from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1984–89, which enabled postgraduate studies in the UK) and the Hamlyn Bursary from the Dartington International Summer School (1991).

He taught at the Conservatorio Plurinacional de Música in La Paz from 1977–80. He taught as composer-in-residence at Queen's University Belfast from 1990–94 and lectured at the Dartington College of Arts in Devon in 1994–95. He taught at Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne from 1995–2019, where he was a lecturer from 1995–2000, a senior lecturer from 2000–07, professor of composition from 2007–19, chair in composition from 2007–11, and head of music from 2011–14.

In addition to the works listed below, he has made many arrangements of folk music from Bolivia.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: agustin@agustinfernandez.com

Website: http://www.agustinfernandez.com/

Crossroads Talk (music-theatre work; percussionist also speaks), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), alto saxophone (+ baritone saxophone), violin (+ viola), piano (+ synthesizer), percussion, 1984

Teoponte (music-theatre work, text by the composer), 6 mixed voices, fixed media, 1988

Botanic Journey (music-theatre work, text by Robyn Archer), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1991

A Queen Has her Portrait Painted (music-theatre work, text by Edward Kemp), 2 sopranos, piano, 1991

The Wheel (music-theatre work, text by Felicity Hayes-McCoy), 4 mixed voices, guitar (+ mandolin), viola, double bass, piano, accordion, percussion, 1992–93, revised 2003

Books and Night (music-theatre work, texts by the composer, Felicity Hayes-McCoy, John Keats), 4 sopranos, baritone, female chorus, 2 trumpets, trombone, timpani, 1995

Prison Letters (chamber opera), soprano, bass, mixed chorus, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, 2013

A Northumbrian Anthem, brass band, 2020 (version of Northumbrian Anthem, organ; also version for large orchestra [12 winds, 11 brass, piano, timpani, 2 percussion, strings], 2021)

Meditación, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, harpsichord, 3 percussion, 1985

Fantasia on a Theme by Kathryn Tickell, Northumbrian smallpipes, ensemble (flute [+ piccolo], oboe [+ English horn], bass clarinet, 2 French horns, double bass), 2007

Souvenir de Teoponte, double bass, piano, 2011 (also version for cello, piano, 2017)

After the Gathering, Northumbrian smallpipes, Celtic harp, cello, accordion, 2016

Río Bravo, flute (+ piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon (+ contrabassoon), French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, piano, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2016

LoA, oboe (+ English horn), soprano saxophone (+ alto saxophone), Celtic harp, electric guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, 2018

Tres Canciones sobre poemas de Rachel (text by Rachel [Spanish translation]), mixed chorus, 1976

Misa de Corpus Christi, baritone, children's chorus, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 1977, reconstructed 2010

Cantata de Navidad y Epifanía (text by the composer), baritone, speaker, children's chorus, 2 pianos, 1978

Himno del Instituto Laredo (text by the composer), children's chorus, mixed chorus, orchestra ad libitum, 1978

Collier's Rant (text from the folksong The Collier's Rant), children's chorus, boys' chorus, 2 mixed choruses, 2013 (also version for string orchestra, 2015)

Notes from Underground (text by Sean O'Brien), baritone, mixed chorus, flute (+ piccolo), oboe (+ English horn), clarinet, bassoon (+ contrabassoon), French horn, trumpet, piano, 2 percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2015 (also version for baritone, mixed chorus, large orchestra [12 winds, 11 brass, piano, timpani, 2 percussion, strings], 2015)

Pájaro negro (text by the composer), soprano, flute, 2 clarinets (1st + bass clarinet), violin, viola, cello, piano, 1986 (also version for soprano, flute, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, 2020)

The Song of the Morrow (text by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by the composer), soprano, tenor, piano, 1992

Alquimia (text by the composer), soprano, piano, 2006 (also version for tenor, piano, 2023)

Northumbrian Anthem, 2020 (also version as A Northumbrian Anthem, brass band [also version for large orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, piano, timpani, 2 percussion, strings)])