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Darragh Morgan Interview
Posted on Thursday, September 07, 2006. © Copyright 2004-2008 David Bruce
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C:T talks to belfast-born violinist Darragh Morgan who is one of the country's leading advocates of new music.
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Darragh Morgan
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Tell us something about your background.
Violinist, member of the Smith Quartet, the Fidelio Trio and violin and piano duo with Mary Dullea. I've also lead Ensemble Modern, Musik Fabrik, BCMG, Remix Ensemble (Portugal) and worked with Icebreaker, London Sinfonietta. Solo gigs at Wien Modern, Sonorities, OCM, Aldeburgh, Huddersfield and Cheltenham Festivals.
Born in Belfast. Lived there until 18 and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Since then I have lived in London, Cyprus, South Africa and again London!
How did you become interested in Contemporary Music?
Philip Hammond, composer and director of Performing Arts at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland first gave me a piece of his entitled Elegiac Variation for violin and piano to play when I was 16 with Derek Bell (famous as harpist in the Chieftains but also wonderful classical pianist). I was immediately struck by how natural this music felt to me, not purely Philip's individual voice, but stylistically, how natural the interpretataion of any new piece I was presented with became. As soon as I went to Guildhall I got involved with their new music society and was soon conducting concerts including early premieres by the likes of Morgan Hayes. I think by the time my final recital came about I was firmly ensconced in the world of new music having already recorded and appeared with the London Sinfonietta and by programming Elliot Carter next to Fritz Kreisler in my final recital.
What excites you about a piece of music - what keeps you interested?
Individualism, extremes, rhythmic precision, looking at a score and knowing the composer can hear this piece, has thought long and hard about the concept and architecture.
And what turns you off ?
Composers who try to convince you they can hear their piece but you (everyone) knows that actually they have just written a load of notes on to a page purely to impress i.e. the <i>competition piece</i>.
Interview by David Bruce © Copyright 2004-2008
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