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As a successful contemporary composer, Andy Scott integrates his composition work with his various performance projects and education activities. He works to commission, and is increasingly in demand to write for leading instrumentalists and ensembles on the world stage. Self taught as a composer, Andy’s distinctive compositional voice speaks with a unique and effective mix of jazz, world music and contemporary classical elements.
Andy Scott received a British Composer Award in 2006 for his double saxophone concerto Dark Rain. In 2010 Crossing Waves, a work for solo harp, was premiered at Carnegie Hall NYC, Three Letter Word, commissioned by the Park Lane Group was premiered at the South Bank Centre London, Seven Dances and No Looking Back featured on the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet Chandos CD Dances, and his piece Jukebox was given a world premiere at the Southbank Centre by respected harpist Sioned Williams. A project with Lancashire Sinfonietta and Nicholas Kok saw Andy commissioned to write an hour of music for strings, rhythm section and solo saxophone. Andy is composer in residence with Foden’s Band, whose first recording of his works A World Within won the British Bandsman CD of the Year in 2010. Having made an impression as a skilled writer for brass, the relationship with Foden’s has led to Andy’s works being featured on prizewinning recordings by Les Neish (tuba) and Glyn Williams (euphonium). Andy’s work Spirit of Mingus, commissioned by Foden’s, was shortlisted for a British Composer Award in 2012, and features on Spirit of Foden’s, a second CD of Andy Scott brass band works released in 2013. Andy Scott was one of 20 composers selected for a prestigious New Music Biennial commission, composing a new work for Foden’s Band, harpist Lauren Scott, soprano/narrator Anna-Clare Monk and four narrators drawn from Foden’s Youth Band. Entitled A Child Like You, the composition received its world premiere performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester in May 2014. It also featured in special weekend festivals at London’s Southbank Centre and Glasgow UNESCO City of Music. A Child Like You was nominated for a BASCA British Composer Award in 2015. The Bad Tempered Flute, an album of Andy’s compositions for flute, was released in 2011 on the Nimbus Alliance label, featuring Paul Edmund-Davies, Clare Southworth and Andy Findon, with Craig Ogden, Peter Lawson, Lauren Scott and Tim Carey. In 2012 he was commissioned to write a Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra, which was premiered at the World Saxophone Congress in St Andrews by Branford Marsalis and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Clark Rundell. All his works are published exclusively by Astute Music, and as well as concert works, Andy has a number of compositions on the syllabi for ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall grade examinations. Andy often has the opportunity to integrate composition and performance in his various ensembles. As Tenor Saxophonist and a founder member of the internationally acclaimed Apollo Saxophone Quartet, Andy composed several works specifically for the group. His Phantom Sweetheart, a four movement work written as part of the quartet’s black and white film project, features on their CD Words and Pictures. My Mountain Top, a moving, atmospheric composition incorporating a poem by Lemn Sissay, appears on the same recording and has subsequently been arranged for a variety of other instruments, proving to be one of Andy’s most popular works. Andy also writes much of the material for his own large jazz ensemble Group S, which has recorded three CDs and featured on BBC Radio 3 Jazz Notes. Andy and percussionist Dave Hassell have worked as an experimental Duo since 1996, performing internationally and releasing two albums. Andy is involved in many collaborative projects with other artists, most recently Caliente, a trio with flautist Clare Southworth and harpist Lauren Scott, for which he writes. 2016 saw the world premiere of 'Freedom of Movement' a Concerto for trumpet, commissioned and performed by Rex Richardson, subsequently recorded on both the CD Roar! - the wind band music of Andy Scott, and 'Freedom of Movement - 21st Century Trumpet Concertos' by Rex. In late 2017 Claude Delangle gave the premiere of the revised Saxophone Concerto at EurSax in Porto, and Craig Ogden & Northern Chamber Orchestra gave the world premiere of Andy's Concerto for Guitar, a co-commission with the University of Western Australia, the Australian premiere was in 2018. Andy also contributed to a collaborative project between Craig & singer Jacqui Dankworth. 2018 also saw the world premieres of 'Defiance', for the Fairey Band at the European Brass Band Championships in Holland, 'XiYu' for the Aurora Percussion Duo (commissioned by Swaledale Festival and subsequently performed throughout China) and 'Brass Revolution!' a commission from the Love Music Trust for massed youth brass bands and wider opportunities students, premiered at Birmingham Town Hall as part of Music for Youth. 2019 will see the release of a CD of works for saxophone by Andy, recorded by Grammy winner Tim McAllister, a CD of works written by Andy specifically for tenor saxophone, recorded by Joao Pedro Silva, and a third CD from Foden's Band that is dedicated to commissions from Andy. www.andyscott.org.uk |
