Oliver Kentish

Oliver John Kentish (born 1954 in London, England) is a British-born cellist, tutor, and composer, living in Reykjavík, Iceland, moving there in 1977 and being granted Icelandic nationality in 1989.[1] Kentish composes orchestral, choral, vocal, and chamber music.[2]

In addition to composition, Kentish has been the Artistic Director of the Iceland Amateur Symphony Orchestra (Sinfóníuhljómsveit áhugamanna) since 2005.[3]

Kentish was commissioned by the British Government in 1993 to write the work Mitt Folk which was performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.[1] The work commemorates the 50th anniversary of Iceland as a republic and was a gift from Britain to Iceland.

Much of Kentish's current work (2008) is for the countertenor Sverrir Guðjónsson.[1]

His work Prelude and Fugue for 10 violas was premiered in the United Kingdom at the Purcell Room in London on 30 November 2008.[4]

Selected works

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Cadenza Musicians Directory". Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  2. White, John David; Christensen, Jean (2002). New Music of the Nordic Countries. Pendragon Press. p. 361. ISBN 978-1-57647-019-0. Oliver Kentish is at his best composing to texts, primarily for solo voices
  3. "About the Iceland Amateur Symphony Orchestra". Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  4. Miller, Malcolm (30 November 2008). "Israeli Music". Jewish Music Institute. Retrieved 24 January 2010. Other premieres included Prelude and Fugue for Ten Violas, by Oliver Kentish, a British cellist based in Iceland, with solos for each viola is based on the B-A-C-H motif, performed vividly by the Viola Ensemble of Trinity College of Music.

External links