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I'm a composer, performer and sound artist. My work draws on a wide range of influences reflecting a keen interest in improvisation, transformation of sound, and space. Many of my works are made in collaboration with other artists from a range of media. It explores a range of contexts beyond the concert hall, often using interactive technology. Find out more about my work, listen to sounds and watch videos here.

I'm a member of invisiblEARts, a group of Scottish based composers. I teach composition and direct the Electroacoustic Studios at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where I was made Professor in 2017, and I'm a keen tango dancer.

Alistair in Huntly

News

NEW CD on empreintes DIGITALes:
Cabinets de curiosité

Two CDs out on Leo Records:
Untold Story with Anne-Liis Poll, and
Free Radicals with Anne-Liis Poll, Mieko Kanno, Anto Pett and Aaron Shorr.

 

Unknown Story
free radicals

Recent and upcoming performances:

22 March 2019: with Núria Andorra, Barcelona, details tbc.

9 March 2019: Ceòl 's Craic 'Gaelictronica 2019' with Mairi McGillivray,  at CCA, Glasgow

5 January 2019: The San Francisco Tape Music Festival

7 December 2018: Improvisatsioonikursuse lõppkontsert, Chamber Hall, Estonian Academy of Music and Drama, Tallinn, Estonia

7 November 2018: Improdimensija with Arnas Mikalkėnas, Mama Studios, Vilnius, Lithuania

27 October 2018: - music for A string Section (dance) with Reckless Sleepers part of sound festival and DanceLive festival in The Anatomy Rooms, Aberdeen

19 October 2018: music for Murnau's 1922 silent film Nosferatu with Vlady Bystrov and Phil Minton at Roter Saal im Schloss Braunschweig.

13 October 2018: Soundings: Percussion Stones, Bodies, Pulses with Alex Wäber, percussion (Basel Chamber Orchestra/Musik Akademie Basel) at Younger Hall, St Andrews.

Current and past projects

include Strange Rainbow, a live electroacoustic improvising duo with Scottish harp player Catriona McKay. We're planning more performances of The Last Post with trumpet player Tom Poulson and director Susan Worsfold commissioned by the St Magnus Festival and performed at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe. I have also been working with Carrie Fertig, on pieces for glass percussion, electronics and live flame-working. Le Sirenuse (with percussionist Stu Brown and film maker Rob Page) was selected for the Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition 2015.

Other recent works include The Imagining of Things with Brass Art (video and audio installation) for Huddersfield Art Gallery, Mitaki(string quintet and live electronics) for the Scottish Ensemble, and Scintilla. You'll find more details on the Works page

I've been lucky enough to work with lots of great musicians and other artists. They include Marco Blaauw, Elision, the Scottish Ensemble, Sarah Rubidge, Shobana Jeyasingh, Jennifer Angus, Theatre Cryptic, Anna Krzystek, Jos Zwaanenburg and many others.