David Bruce

Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1970, composer David Bruce grew up in England and now enjoys a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 2013/14 season David was Associate Composer of the San Diego Symphony , for whom he wrote three pieces, including Night Parade for the orchestra's highly successful Carnegie Hall debut in October 2... 013; and the violin concerto Fragile Light for Gil Shaham for 2014. His fourth Carnegie Hall commission That Time with You (2013) for mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor follows Steampunk (2011), Gumboots (2008) and Piosenki (2006), which have all gone on to be widely performed by leading ensembles around the world. In the UK, David's piece Sidechaining was featured in the 2018 BBC Proms, he was 2012-13 Composer-in-Residence with the Royal Opera House, who co-commissioned with Glyndebourne the opera Nothing (after the book by Janne Teller), which premiered in Glyndebourne in February 2016. Bruce's chamber opera The Firework Maker's Daughter (after the Philip Pullman story) toured the UK and New York in 2013 and was shortlisted for both the British Composer Awards, and the 2014 Olivier Awards for Best New Opera Production. It was revived for a 27-performance run at ROH Lindbury Studios in December 2015. Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1970, David Bruce grew up in England and now enjoys a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. Bruce's music draws on the wild dances and heart-felt laments of gypsy music, flamenco, klezmer and other folk traditions, as well as having a direct connection to composers like Stravinsky, Janacek, Berio and Bartok who shared similar passions. Often witty and always colourful, pulsing with earthy rhythms, Bruce's music has a directness rarely heard in contemporary music, but also contains an emotional core of striking intimacy and sensitivity. Since the premiere of Piosenki (2006) in Carnegie Hall, Bruce's career in the US has flourished. Carnegie Hall itself has been a huge supporter of Bruce's music, going on to commission Gumboots ...Read More