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216:, holding the position of head of music for four decades until March 2020. White's contribution as a musical educator and artistic mentor had a significant influence on the aesthetic outputs of multiple generations of British actors and directors.
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Although White had worked in what could be called an 'experimental' style since 1962, he composed music using indeterminate means after 1966. His later work included music with numerical and other systems processes.
742:
Anderson, Virginia. 1983. "British
Experimental Music: Cornelius Cardew and his Contemporaries". M.A. thesis, Redlands, California: University of Redlands (Facsimile edition published 2000, Leicester:
158:. Upon graduation, White became the musical director of the Western Theatre Ballet, and then professor of composition at the Royal College of Music from 1961 to 1967. He was a skilled pianist and
132:
John White was born in Berlin to an
English father and German mother. The family moved to London at the outbreak of war. Originally a sculptor, White decided on a composition career when he heard
300:(1980, for Virginia Taylor's Kickstart company), which featured an electronically enhanced piano - White became interested in electronic music, often using "low-tech" toy instruments, such as
308:(1993), performed by the Gemini Ensemble with clarinettist Ian Mitchell accompanied by the pre-set sounds of mass-market home electronic keyboards and "little machines".
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White's style was informed by what Dave Smith called an "apparently disparate collection of composers from the world of 'alternative' musical history", including
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279:. Although it is so eclectic as to cover a wide range of styles, White's work has been called ironic, "experimental", and even "avant postmodern".
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Piano
Sonatas Nos. 15, 29, 31, 54, 55, 56, 57, 75, 76, 78, 86, 87, 95, 104, 108, 109, 121 & 124. NMC DO38 (1996), Roger Smalley.
263:. These composers influenced his piano sonatas, which White wrote from 1956 onward, but other influences on his wider work included
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for the stage, all in a highly eclectic style (or, more accurately, range of styles). His stage music includes commissions by the
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Piano
Sonatas Nos.1, 4, 5 and 9. Lyrita REAM 2108 (2008 re-issue of Lyrita RCS 18, 1965), Colin Kingsley.
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White died on 4 January 2024, at the age of 87. A memorial service was held on 12 April 2024 at
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In the 1960s and 1970s he was closely associated with
English experimental composers such as
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composer and musical performer. He invented the early
British form of minimalism known as
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Smith, Dave, "Albus Liber: Exploits and
Opinions of John White, Composer Volume I" (
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Walker, Sarah E. 'The New
English Keyboard School: A Second "Golden Age"',
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John White: Piano
Sonatas, NMCD038 (1997), performed by Roger Smalley
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and Eric
Harrison. He also took analysis classes privately with
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The Essay: Sarah Walker on John White, BBC audio, 17 March 2014
343:, one of which consists of settings of friends' addresses.
714:
Convivium Records. John White: Adventures at the Keyboard
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player and has written extensively for both instruments.
189:. White's association with younger composers, including
554:. Journal of Experimental Music Studies. Archived from
355:. ANTS AG22 (2020), includes 11th and 16th Symphonies.
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John White was the longest-serving faculty member at
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Experimental Music: John White performs his sonatas
523:"A Celebration of the Life and Music of John White"
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177:. His Royal College of Music pupils have included
296:In the 1980s - specifically following the ballet
205:has led to many British ensembles, including the
369:(John White/Gavin Bryers), Obscure OBS8 (1978).
116:(5 April 1936 – 4 January 2024) was an English
756:Journal of the London Institute of Pataphysics
434:'White, John (English composer and performer)'
223:, and a memorial concert at the Round Chapel,
386:Adventures At The Keyboard: The Early Sonatas
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735:Anderson, Virginia. 1991. "White, John". In
395:). Convivium CR051 (2019), Jonathan Powell.
388:). Convivium CR006 (2007), Jonathan Powell.
373:Music for Tubas: Killer Tuba Songs, Vol. 3
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339:(2015). Other projects include a set of
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834:21st-century English male musicians
549:"'The Piano Sonatas of John White'"
304:miniature keyboards. An example is
271:, and the electronic pop ensembles
670:Jonathan Powell, Convivium Records
584:, Vol. 138, No. 1848 (1997), p.42.
311:As of 2019, White had written 180
14:
495:Potter, Keith (23 January 2024).
142:. He studied composition at the
829:21st-century classical pianists
804:English male classical pianists
337:Mother Courage and her Children
824:English experimental musicians
747:; new edition forthcoming, as
656:Lyrita REAM 2108, reviewed at
521:Howell, Anthony (April 2024).
104:Keyboard, piano, tuba, helicon
88:Experimental, opera, classical
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749:Experimental Music in Britain
580:Wright, David. 'Party Time',
819:English male opera composers
745:Experimental Music Catalogue
375:, CD Baby (2017), Jay Rozen.
16:English composer (1936–2024)
809:English classical composers
695:White's Piano sonata no. 95
406:Promenade Theatre Orchestra
207:Promenade Theatre Orchestra
173:, and a participant in the
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739:. London: St. James Press.
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329:Royal Shakespeare Company
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457:, performed by Jay Rozen
221:St Paul's, Covent Garden
814:English opera composers
146:from 1955 to 1958 with
758:), Atlas Press, 2014.
737:Contemporary Composers
658:MusicWeb International
597:Leonardo Music Journal
527:The Fortnightly Review
391:Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 (
384:Piano Sonatas Vol. I (
333:Royal National Theatre
144:Royal College of Music
40:Background information
497:"John White obituary"
139:Turangalîla-Symphonie
298:They are Not Like Us
289:, a 1978 album with
599:, 11 (2001), p. 18.
561:on 16 February 2012
227:, on the 14 April.
214:Drama Centre London
96:Composer, performer
438:Grove Music Online
710:' festival, 2008.
582:The Musical Times
191:Christopher Hobbs
175:Scratch Orchestra
156:Elisabeth Lutyens
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563:. Retrieved
556:the original
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504:. Retrieved
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187:William York
183:Brian Dennis
171:Gavin Bryars
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118:experimental
113:
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73:(2024-01-04)
55:5 April 1936
18:
784:2024 deaths
779:1936 births
341:song cycles
323:, and much
253:Szymanowski
773:Categories
645:, Bandcamp
506:23 January
417:References
347:Recordings
317:symphonies
195:Dave Smith
114:John White
51:1936-04-05
25:John White
273:Kraftwerk
203:John Lely
80:, England
565:10 March
532:28 April
400:See also
331:and the
265:Messiaen
245:Schumann
134:Messiaen
730:Sources
700:YouTube
321:ballets
261:Medtner
225:Hackney
62:Germany
762:
708:Levoca
440:(2001)
257:Busoni
201:, and
85:Genres
78:London
58:Berlin
559:(PDF)
552:(PDF)
436:, in
319:, 30
315:, 25
302:Casio
249:Reger
241:Alkan
237:Satie
231:Works
760:ISBN
567:2012
534:2024
508:2024
275:and
259:and
185:and
169:and
160:tuba
68:Died
45:Born
698:on
136:'s
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