bio

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Holly Gowland originates from Manchester, UK and currently is studying at the University of Oxford for her Master’s in Composition. Gowland studied BMus (Hons) Composition at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire supervised by Andrew Hamilton, Emma Margetson, Seán Clancy and Joe Wright. 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. 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, and Ida Carroll Scholarship. 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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