Andrew Toovey

Andrew Toovey studied with Jonathan Harvey, Morton Feldman and Michael Finnissy * Confrontational idiom contrasting raw vigour, melancholic stasis and folklike melody * Inspiration often drawn from contemporary art, heard in the stark juxtaposition of blocks of instrumental colour * Technical demands of works welcomed by a generation of young virtuoso performers including pianist James Clapperton and members of composer's own ensemble IXION * Works performed at Huddersfield, Bergen and Banff Festivals and Darmstadt Summer School * Interpreters include Ensemble Modern, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Music Theatre Wales

Works by Andrew Toovey include:
Ate (1986) for chamber ensemble
Winter Solstice (1988) for high voice and seven instrumentalists
Black Light (1989) for chamber ensemble
Adam (1989) for mixed ensemble

"Toovey's music is unapologetically complex, though personal and powerful too." — The Times