Joanna MacGregor

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Joanna MacGregor
Joanna MacGregor The image above is believed to be a replaceable fair use image. It will be deleted on 2006-12-21 if not determined to be irreplaceable. If you believe this image is not replaceable, follow the instructions on the image page to dispute this assertion.
Joanna MacGregor
The image above is believed to be a replaceable fair use image. It will be deleted on 2006-12-21 if not determined to be irreplaceable. If you believe this image is not replaceable, follow the instructions on the image page to dispute this assertion.
Background information

Joanna MacGregor (born July 16, 1959) is an internationally renowned classical, jazz and contemporary pianist. She is also a promoter, artistic director and runs her own record label SoundCircus.

She grew up in North London and was educated at home by her Seventh Day Adventist parents until she attended South Hampstead High School at the age of 11. Her mother is a piano teacher who studied at the Royal Academy of Music. Joanna studied music at New Hall, University of Cambridge (1978-81) and was taught by Hugh Wood. After Cambridge, she did a Masters in performance at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with Christopher Elton. She also studied at the Van Cliburn Piano Institute in Texas which included masterclasses with Jorge Bolet.

In the early years of her career, she made a living from writing music for TV. Her first significant break was being selected as an artist for the Young Concert Artists Trust in 1985.

Her next major break was a record deal with Collins Classics, with whom she made a more than ten recordings for. These recordings tend towards 20th Century composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Bartok, Ives, Messaien, Birtwhistle, Britten and Hugh Wood. There are also recordings of Bach and Scarlatti.

In 1998, she launched her own record label SoundCircus in association with Unknown Public. The label combines new recordings with re-releases of the Collins material. MacGregor was able to buy back the rights to these Collins recordings. The must succesful release on Soundcircus was "Play", a diverse collection mainly of solo piano pieces. "Play" was nominated for the Mercury Prize 2002. It came within two votes of winning the award. Initially, the label was internet based and mail order only. The label was distributed in the UK by MackTwo until it went out of business. The label is now distributed by New Note.

She has performed in over sixty countries often appearing as a solo artist with many of the world's leading orchestras. These include the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The many eminent conductors with whom she has worked include Pierre Boulez, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Colin Davis and Michael Tilson Thomas. She has premiered many landmark compositions ranging from Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Django Bates to John Adams and James MacMillan.

She has toured South Africa with jazz artist Moses Molelekwa, recorded with pop artist Talvin Singh and toured China (with her own music combining traditional Chinese instruments and electronics) with Jin Xing's Contemporary Dance Theatre of Shanghai.

MacGregor was the subject of an episode of The South Bank Show in December 2001. She also presented her own series entitled Strings, Bows, and Bellows for BBC Television.

In 2003, she was recognised for her innovation and crossover appeal with a Royal Philharmonic Society award for imaginative programming and tireless work in opening up music to a new audience. Other awards include European Encouragement Prize for Music 1995, NFMS Sir Charles Grove Award 1998, and South Bank Show Award for Classical Music 2000

Between 1997 and 2000, she was Professor of Music at Gresham College, London, giving free public lectures. She has received honorary Professorships and Fellowships from the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music and an Honorary Doctorate from the Open University.

On 20th May 1990, The BBC broadcasted a radio play that she wrote entitled "Memoirs of an Amnesiac" about the life of Eric Satie. It was nominated for the Prix Italia, a prestigious radio award.

In September 1991 her musical adaptation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle was performed at the Unicorn Theatre.

She organised the Platform Festival of New Music from 1991 until 1993. This included an eight-day festival at the Arts Theatre in Great Newport Street in 1991 which featured performers Simon Limbrick and the Norwegian cellist, Oystein Birkeland, and composers ranging from Paul Kellett (The Birth of Liquid Desires 2 `eight minutes of wildness' for 13 cellos) to the George Crumb.

MacGregor was appointed as Member of the Arts Council England in 1998 alongside Anish Kapoor, Brian McMaster, andAndrew Motian. She resigned in 2004.

Her series of piano teaching books for children called Piano World were published in May 2001 by Faber Music. They feature storytelling, cartoons, games and include a companion CDs with cartoon style narration and musical accompaniments.

In 2005, she was appointed as Artistic Director of the Bath International Music Festival. The climax of the festival was a programme of renaissance and electronic music with herself, Brian Eno and the Bath Camerata in Bath Abbey.

Contents

[edit] Discography

Collins Classics

  • MacGregor on Broadway. (1991) Collins Classics.
  • Hugh Wood: Piano Concerto, Op. 31. (1993) BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis. Collins Classics 20072.
  • Bartók/Debussy/Ravel - Piano Works. (1994) Collins Classics.
  • Krauze/Messiaen - Quartets. (1994) Collins Classics.
  • Olivier Messaien - Vingt Regards sur L'Enfant Jesus. Collins Classics.
  • Ives: Sonata No.1/Barber: Sonata, Op.26/Excursions, Op.20 . (1993)
  • The Music of George Gershwin. (1992) Collins Classics 13622. MacGregor's performances of numerous short pieces by Gershwin alongside the composer's "Piano Concerto in F" and the original jazz band version of "Rhapsody In Blue."Carl Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra provide invaluable instrumental support.
  • Britten: "Paul Bunyan," Piano Concerto/Saxton: Music to Celebrate. Collins Classics.
  • Birtwistle: Antiphonies for Piano and Orchestra/Nomos/An Imaginary Landscape. Collins Classics .
  • Rhapsody in Blue. (1993) Collins Classics.
  • Britten - Piano Concerto. English Chamber Orchestra, Stuart Bedford. Collins Classics. Also re-released on Naxos.
  • Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, Collins Classics.
  • Erik Satie's piano music, Collins Classics.
  • Counterpoint, contains Bach's Art of Fugue and works by Conlon Nancarrow. Collins Classics.


Sound Circus

  • Piano Language. Sound Circus SC001.
  • Outside in Pianist. Sound Circus SC002.
  • Perilous Night. Sound Circus SC003.
  • Harrison's Clocks. Sound Circus SC004.
  • Lou Harrison Piano Concerto. Sound Circus SC005.
  • Damba Moon, Ensemble Bash. Sound Circus SC006.
  • Play. (2001), Sound Circus SC007.
  • Neural Circuits, features works by Olivier Messiaen, Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt and Nitin Sawhney alongside music based on traditional Ghanaian melodies. Sound Circus SC008.
  • Deep River. (2006) Sound Circus SC009.
  • Sidewalk Dances. (2006) Sound Circus SC010.
  • Bach's 6 French Suites, Sound Circus SC901.
  • Satie: Piano Music. Reissue on Sound Circus SC902.
  • Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas. Sound Circus SC903.
  • Quiet Music. Sound Circus SC904.
  • Counterpoint: Bach / Nancarrow. Sound Circus BN2CD.

[edit] Repertoire

Piano and Orchestra

  • JOHN ADAMS Century Rolls
  • BACH Concerto in D minor BWV 1052, Concerto in F minor BWV 1056
  • BARTOK Concerto No.3
  • DJANGO BATES What it's Like to be Alive (Piano Concerto for Joanna MacGregor)
  • BEETHOVEN Concerto No.4 in G Op.58, Concerto No.5 in E flat Op.73
  • BERG Chamber Concerto
  • BIRTWISTLE Antiphonies, Slow Frieze
  • BRITTEN Concerto, Young Apollo
  • GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F major
  • LOU HARRISON Concerto for Piano and Selected Orchestra
  • HARVEY Bird Concerto with Pianosong
  • JAMES MACMILLAN Concerto no 2
  • MESSIAEN Turangalîla-Symphonie, Oiseaux Exotiques
  • MOZART Concerto in E flat K 271, Concerto in D minor K 466, Concerto in C K 467, Concerto in A K 488, Concerto in C minor K 491
  • PROKOFIEV Concerto No.2 in G minor Op.16, Concerto No.3 in C Op.26
  • RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op.34
  • RAVEL Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Piano Concerto in G
  • SCHNITTKE Concerto for piano and strings
  • SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings in C minor Op.35 , Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 in F, Op.102
  • STRAVINSKY Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments
  • HUGH WOOD Piano Concerto

[edit] External links

[edit] Reviews

Reviews of recorded work

  • Review of Bach's French Suites. The Observer, 29th June 2003.
  • Review of Neural Circuits. The Observer, 25th August 2002
  • The tried and the testing. Review of Neural Circuits. The Times, 16th July 2002.
  • Play. Gramophone 79:949 January 2002 p. 83
  • Play, The Guardian, 14 December 2001.
  • Review of Lou Harrison Piano Concerto. The Observer, 03/12/2000.
  • Review of Harrison's Clocks. The Sunday Times, 28th November 1999.
  • Review of Perilous Nights. The Observer, 28th February 1999.
  • Different pitch, same goal. Feature about recording session for Piano Language. The Independent, 3rd May 1998.
  • The ultimate collection MESSIAEN: VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT JESUS The Sunday Times, 2nd February 1997.
  • Review of Counterpoint Expression. The New York Times, 26th December 1996.
  • Review of Hugh Wood Piano Concerto. Financial Times, 10th May 1993.


Reviews of live work

[edit] Articles

  • Bach meets Moondog: Deceased American composer's quirky fugues resurrected in London. nwitimes.com, 17th November 2006.
  • Joanna MacGregor explains why she is a musician first and a pianist second, and why she’s always ready to try something new. Pianist Magazine, Issue No 29, 2006.
  • Why this Bath will be bubbly; Interview; Joanna MacGregor. The Times, 21st April 2006.
  • An Entirely Different Idea of Summer School. New York Times, 28th August 2005.
  • Joanna MacGregor: A pianist in concert with the present. The Independent, 23 June 2003.
  • Switched On Bach. The Telegraph, 18th November 2003.
  • A pianist in concert with the present. The Independent, 23rd June 2003.
  • A thousand reasons to listen to Joanna. The Sydney Morning Herald, 1st July 2003.
  • MacGregor wins classical award., BBC News Online, 7th May 2003.
  • Bach and all that jazz, The Guardian, 8th September 2002.
  • Stretch your ears: Joanna MacGregor, The Independent, 5th July 2002.
  • Joanna plays it her own way, The Evening Standard, 4th July 2002.
  • First we lost the stars, then the intellectuals. Why are today's concert pianists so very boring?. The Guardian, 05/09/2002.
  • Playing the new Joanna. The Express on Sunday, 6th January 2002.
  • Music That Changed Me: Joanna MacGregor. Music that profoundly influenced her. When she was little, it was Bach, Bach, Bach! Says that she liked the mathematics, the patterns and the rhythm. Indicates that when she became interested in John Cage, she had been traveling in Africa, China and Indonesia. States that she loves the music of these countries because it is so subtle and rhythmically complex, but she could not find any way as a pianist to explore that until she heard Cage. BBC Music Magazine volume 10 issue, 5 January 2002 p. 130.
  • Opinion: From Where I Sit - Joanna MacGregor Gramophone Vol. 80 Issue 959 2002 p.19
  • Open a different part of your brain. Independent On Sunday, 14th October 2001.
  • Mad, bad and dangerous to play - Keep your distance when I perform Lou Harrison's piano concerto... By Joanna MacGregor. The Guardian 11th, October 2001.
  • Home Entertainment, The Guardian, 5th Oct 2001.
  • Cool Dudes. Classical Music issue 660, 17 June 2000 p. 51 Profiles pianist Joanna MacGregor and her series of piano instruction books for young children. Reports that the series called "Piano World," blazing with color, sets out to encourage children brought up on computers and cartoons to enjoy the early stages of learning to play the instrument.
  • Joanna Lessons, The Guardian, 26th May 2000.
  • Calling the tune; She's been branded a loudmouthed punk, but Joanna MacGregor doesn't care. All the acclaimed pianist wants is to save classical music from Nigel Kennedy and Vanessa Mae. The Mail on Sunday, 6th Febuary 2000.
  • `We can't make it easy enough'. The Independent, 11th Novemer 1999.
  • An artist investing for the future. Financial Times, 11th Novemer 1999.
  • Joanna in Town Listen to Norway Vol. 7, issue 3 1999 p. 26-27 Profiles pianist Joanna MacGregor and her views regarding the current stifled state of classical music. Explains that it is necessary to embrace contemporary music in order to restore an interest and creativity in classical music. Argues that performing the works of dead musicians repeatedly from concert hall to concert hall is a passive practice which found popularity on the audiences of the past, but has failed to grip the youth of the future. Suggests classical music be mixed with jazz, modern, and electronic genres, and tells of the genre-bending show "Joanna in Town" where professional and amateur musicians perform various styles of music on the same bill.
  • If You Want It Done Properly... Gramophone 76:912 March 1999 p.18-19. Spotlights pianist Joanna McGregor, who explains why she decided to set up her own record label, SoundCircus after becoming dissatisfied with the marketing strategies and constrictions of major-label contracts. Observes that she is anxious to explore a much wider repertoire and to preserve many of the works which she has commissioned which would otherwise go unheard. Notes that the new label will be sold on the Internet as well as through direct sales at concerts rather than through conventional retail outlets. Previews two SoundCircus releases which are reviewed elsewhere in the issue.
  • The piano's grand ... but there's more The Times, 15/12/1998.
  • Classical - An industry in crisis? Not quite. The Independent, 21/08/1998.
  • Sound of the circus. The Guardian, 26/06/1998.
  • Different pitch, same goal. The Independent, 03/04/1998.
  • Women of the Year Lunch. The Times, 07/10/1997.
  • Joanna MacGregor Musical Opinion issue 115 April 1992 p. 148-149
  • Joanna MacGregor: People's Pianist, cover feature. Classical Music Magazine, 10th August 1991.
  • Ivory queen. Evening Standard, 14/06/1991.
  • Arts (TV Preview): Bitter-sweet music. The Times, 15/11/1986.

[edit] Radio Performances

Performances on BBC Radio 3:

  • Lunchtime Concert. Second of four concerts by members of Britten Sinfonia. Pieces by Dowland, Gismonti, Yarde, Piazzolla. With Joanna MacGregor (piano), Jason Yarde (saxophone) 5/4/06
  • Big Band Special: Chelsea Festival, featuring the BBC Big Band with pianist Joanna MacGregor. Radio Two 24/10/2005
  • Hear and Now. A recital from this year's City of London Festival by pianist Joanna MacGregor, celebrating American music ranging from John Cage to Nina Simone and Thelonious Monk. 13.8.05
  • Lunchtime Concert. Recital by pianist Joanna MacGregor, Bach: Goldberg Variations 24.5.04
  • Performance on 3. Pianist Joanna MacGregor directs the Britten Sinfonia, Andy Sheppard (saxophones) and Shri Sriran (tablas). The programme includes works by Louis Hardin and Bach's The Art of Fugue 24.11.03
  • Lunchtime Concert. Direct from the Wigmore Hall. Joanna MacGregor (piano), Andy Sheppard (saxophone) and Aref Durvesh (tabla) play music by Dowland, Ligeti, Messiaen and Chick Corea (Live) 16.9.02
  • Hear and Now. Cheltenham Festival of Music by soprano Valdine Anderson, pianist Joanna MacGregor and Sinfonia 21 under Martyn Brabbins. Music includes the world premiere of Julian Anderson's `Shir hashrim' and Jonathan Harvey's Bird Concerto with Pianosong. 14.7.01
  • Lunchtime Concert. Live from London's Wigmore Hall. Joanna MacGregor (piano). Barber: Excursions, Op 20. Crumb: A Little Suite for Christmas, AD1979. Traditional arr MacGregor: Russian Folk Songs. Stravinsky: Three movements from `Petrushka'.2.4.01
  • BBC Proms 2000. Live from the Royal Albert Hall, London. Joanna MacGregor (piano), Ensemble Bash, Aref Durvesh (tabla) 18.7.00
  • Lunchtime Concert. A recital given at St George's, Brandon Hill, Bristol by pianist Joanna MacGregor. Byrd: Hugh Aston's Ground. Ades: Traced Overhead. Dowland: Forlorn Hope Fancye. Birtwistle: Harrison's Clocks. Bach: Contrapunctus II (The Art of Fugue). Nancarrow: Three Studies for player piano. Matthew Fairclough: Altered Ends, Revealed Beginnings. Somel Satoh: Incantation II. Cage: Water Music. Joanna MacGregor: Dance It. Jonathan Harvey: Tombeau de Messiaen. Bach: Allemande (Partita in D, BWV828). Alistair Nicholson: 42nd Street. 30.1.00
  • Lunchtime Concert. from St George's, Brandon Hill, Bristol. Joanna MacGregor (piano). Ives: Bad Resolutions and Good; Three Page Sonata. Cage: Sonatas for prepared piano Nos 14 and 15. Cowell: Aeolian Harp; The Snows of Fujiyama. Cage: Sonatas for prepared piano Nos 2 and 5. Gershwin, arr Finnissy: Nashville Nightingale. Cage: Sonatas for prepared piano Nos 7 and 12. Copland: Variations. (Inventing America) 12.6.98
  • The Gershwin Songbook. Pianist Joanna MacGregor plays the composer's arrangements of his own songs, including `'S Wonderful', `Oh, Lady Be Good' and `I Got Rhythm'. 2.5.98
  • BBC Proms 97. Joanna MacGregor (piano), Ensemble Bash. Trad, arr Ensemble Bash: Yaa yaa kole. Steve Reich: Music for Pieces of Wood. Cage: Sonatas 2 and 5 for prepared piano. Orphy Robinson: Suite d'Lorenzo. Cage: Sonatas 14 and 15 for prepared piano. Frederic Rzewski: Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. Django Bates: The Catering Trade (first London performance). 23.7.97
  • Joanna MacGregor. Piano recital. Berg: Sonata, Op 1. Schoenberg: Six Little Pieces, Op 19. Four Broadway Arrangements - Harold Arlen, arr Django Bates: It's only a paper moon. Cole Porter, arr Gary Carpenter: Love for sale. Jerome Kern, arr Michael Finnissy: Can't help lovin' dat man. Al Dubin, arr Alasdair Nicholson: 42nd Street. 6.1.95
  • 1994 Bath International Festival. Joanna MacGregor (piano) performs Bach: Pieces from the Anna Magdalena Notebook. John Woolrich: Piano Books 3 and 4 (world premiere). Satie: Gnossiennes Nos 1 and 5; Gymnopedies Nos 1 and 3. Gorecki: Piano Sonata No 1, Op 6. Thelonius Monk: Round Midnight; Monk's Point. Nina Simons: Good Bait. 22 9.6.94
  • BBC Lunchtime Concert. Live from St John's, Smith Square, London Joanna MacGregor (piano). Bach French Suite No 5 in G (BWV 816). Nancarrow Prelude and Blues. Satie Sports et divertissements. Debussy Six Etudes. 28.2.94
  • BBC Proms. BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Mark Wigglesworth, with Gwyneth Jones (soprano), Joanna MacGregor, (piano), Cynthia Millar (ondes martenot), live from the Royal Albert Hall, London. Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod (Tristan and Isolde) 30.7.93
  • Jazz at the Bath Festival. Recorded in the Guildhall, it features Human Chain (Django Bates, keyboards and tenor horn; Iain Ballamy, saxophones; Stuart Hall, bass; Martin France, drums) with pianist Joanna MacGregor in specially commissioned music by Django Bates and, in between, MacGregor playing solo in pieces by Nancarrow, Cowell, Ligeti and Rzewski. During the interval, Joanna MacGegor talks about her venture into jazz and improvised music. 10.7.93
  • Joanna MacGregor. (piano). Bach: French Suite No 5. Hugh Wood: Three Pieces, Op 5. Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales. Chopin: Ballade No 4 in F minor, Op 52. 5.12.92

[edit] Radio Interviews

Interviews on BBC Radio 3

  • Morning Performance. Tommy Pearson talks to pianist Joanna MacGregor and introduces her recordings. Music by Bach, trad African, Fairclough, Satoh, Satie, Monk, Gillespie/Dameron, Andrew Toovey, Cage 11.12.02
  • The Music Machine. Tommy Pearson talks to pianist Joanna MacGregor about her life and career. 6.5.94
  • The pianist Joanna MacGregor and composer Hugh Wood talk about Wood's piano concerto whose premiere MacGregor is about to perform at the proms. MacGregor: Piano part of the concerto is absolutely enormous, structually vast. On hearing rehearsal husband said it was as if Messiaen walked into a jazz bar. Wood: Hadn't collaborated very much with MacGregor. Writing went very smoothly for a slow worker. MacGregor: Made decision early on to play with the music - takes pressure off players and conductors. Have always wanted to work together - go back a long way to when Wood was her tutor at Cambridge and he was berating her over Palestrina and Beethoven. Wood: Dreams often come true, and come true in a very nice way. 10/09/1991
  • The Works: Joanna MacGregor 19/05/1989


Interviews on BBC Radio 4

  • Front Row: Bath International Music Festival 2006
  • Desert Island Discs: Joanna MacGregor 01/06/1997

[edit] Television

  • The South Bank Show: Joanna MacGregor (2001) Documentary about concert pianist Joanna MacGregor, following her during her latest recording sessions and interviews in which she talks about the influences of particular composers on her career.
  • Forty Eight Preludes and Fugues BBC TWO. No. 14 10/10/2000, No. 15 30/8/2000, No. 16 21/8/2000, No. 17 16/8/2000, No. 18 31/8/2000, No. 19 3/10/2000, No. 20 17/8/2000, No. 22 17/8/2000, No. 23 5/8/2000, No. 24 15/8/2000.
  • Strings, Bows, and Bellows BBC TWO. "Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues" by Frederick Rzewski (16/10/1994), "Autumn in Warsaw" by György Ligeti (30/10/1994), "Third Construction" by John Cage (23/10/1994), "Sin Medida" by Julio D'Escrivan (06/11/1994), "Sonata for Piano and Cello" by Alfred Schnitke (20/11/1994), "Falling" (04/12/1994), "De Profundis" with James Crabb (29/04/1995), "Uninterrupted Rests" by Toru Takemitsu (22/04/1995), "Piano Sonata" with James MacMillan (06/05/1995), and "Tentle Moments" with Django Bates (13/05/1995).
  • Soundbites BBC TWO 14/11/1992 Joanna MacGregor playing Erroll's Blues and Erroll's Bounce by Erroll Garner.
  • Omnibus at the Proms: Pictures at an Exhibition BBC TV 30/08/1991
  • Making It. Documentary following three talented young instrumentalists, fresh out of London music colleges, as they take first steps towards establishing solo career. Includes Joanna MacGregor touring North Devon village halls. Granada, 16th November 1986 10.30pm.

[edit] Other links

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