Damien Ricketson
| Damien Ricketson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Damien Ricketson 9 May 1973 Wollongong, NSW, Australia. |
| Education | Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Bachelor of Music (Composition)), Doctorate of Music |
| Occupation | Composer, artistic director, lecturer, performer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Damien Ricketson (born 9 May 1973, Wollongong) is an Australian composer of contemporary classical music. He is best known for his innovative compositional practice and in his capacity as the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Ensemble Offspring. [1] He is currently Program Leader of the Bachelor of Music (Composition) at the Sydney Conservatorium, University of Sydney.[2]
Ricketson studied composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music from 1991-5, after which he continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague from 1996-8 Under Louis Andriessen. He holds a PhD from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he also teaches. Ricketson is the co-founder and former co-Artistic Director of the Sydney-based Ensemble Offspring – an organisation dedicated to the performance of new music.
Ricketson’s music is self-described by the composer as "characterised by exotic sound-worlds and novel forms". An early interest in Spectral music can be seen in his frequent exploration of unusual timbres and microtonal pitch structures. 'Some Shade of Blue', for example, features a newly invented string instrument in a Just Intonation system. Recent stylistic tendencies have moved away from an earlier abstract style, exemplified in works such as 'Ptolemy’s Onion', towards what the composer terms a more "corporeal" approach embracing tangible references to existing music and a highly physical performance aesthetic. His works are heavily gesture-focussed, with pieces such as 'Imagining Le Verrier' and 'Chinese Whisper' being based upon "sets of physical actions on instruments". This extends to the idea of open instrumentation in later pieces such as 'Trace Elements', which is intended to be playable by any two string and two woodwind instruments. Indeed, much of Ricketson’s recent work reveals an ongoing interest in open forms with works such as 'Same Steps', 'Length and Breath' and 'Not by Halves' employing unconventional notational strategies to elicit a creative and collaborative engagement from performers. Ricketson’s major show-length works such as 'The Secret Noise' and 'Fractured Again' also show an interest in multimedia and hybrid arts practice, combining conventional acoustic instruments with unconventional (sometimes self-built) instruments and electronic music as well as other media.
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