bio
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Holly Gowland originates from Manchester, UK and is currently researching the intersection between sound, space, and performance for her PhD at University of Birmingham, supervised by Annie Mahtani, Scott Wilson, and Phil Jones. Gowland studied BMus (Hons) Composition at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire supervised by Andrew Hamilton, Emma Margetson, Seán Clancy and Joe Wright and MSt Music (Composition) at University of Oxford with Jennifer Walshe and Martyn Harry. Within her compositions, she focuses on new ways of combining real and virtual elements; she often builds new technologies to facilitate harmonic blending. Her work usually consists of field recordings and draws special attention to spatial aspects. She has presented on blend techniques at the University of Greenwich, addressing climate issues affecting recording technique and therefore impacting layering of sound. Adapting the acoustic and altering the material within the work are two ways in which Holly blends acoustic instruments with the electronic. Some of her recent work has used gesture to promote the activation of action plans by providing visual signals. These aid the perception of musical structure and therefore gesture and facial expressions are integral to shape the way music is perceived, understood, and experienced. Holly won the Peter Redfearn Prize for Composition in 2019 and was commissioned by NMC (New Music Cassette) in 2022. She has also received the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Composition Prize, John Mayer Prize, Musicians’ Union Bill Warman Award for the most promising music creator, McQueen bursary, Carole Emery Scholarship, Ida Carroll Scholarship, and the 7th Annual Henfrey Prize for Composition. Her pieces have been played internationally at the 2023 International Electroacoustic Music Exhibition at Anthropological Museum of Contemporary Art, Ecuador; Colaboradio in Berlin, Germany; and in Milwaukee, US. During her undergraduate studies, her pieces have been premiered at The Hippodrome, Centrala, and Bradshaw Hall. She has received commissions including from Molly Welling in partnership with the University of Birmingham, and Naomi Sullivan in partnership with Yamaha for the International Saxophone Festival. Holly is the co-founder of Electra Music, which promotes electronic music and production for women. Electra Music has communicated and worked with people such as Linda Buckley, Natalie Holt, and Sarah Belle Reid.
On the side of composing, she is a classically trained double bassist who has performed with orchestras and experimental groups at venues such as Centrala, Hippodrome Birmingham, Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, and Symphony Hall Birmingham.
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Awards:
Peter Redfearn Prize for Composition
Ida Carroll Bursary
Carole Emery Bursary
McQueen Bursary
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Composition Prize
John Mayer Prize
Musicians' Union Bill Warman Award for the most promising music creator
7th Annual Henfrey Prize for Composition
AHRC Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership
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