Academic Staff
Michael Edwards
Reader
Email: michael.edwards@ed.ac.uk
Website: A complete list of works online
Tel: +44 (0)131 650 2431
Location:
Rm 102, Alison HouseOutline Biography
Michael Edwards studied composition at Bristol University with Adrian Beaumont (BA, MMus) and privately with Gwyn Pritchard. In 1991 he moved to the US for further studies in computer music with John Chowning at CCRMA, Stanford University (MA, Doctor of Musical Arts). During his studies there he also worked at IRCAM, Paris, with a residence grant at Cité des Arts. During 1996-7 he was a consultant software engineer in Silicon Valley and developed a Document Recognition System used in several US hospitals. In 1997 Michael was appointed Lecturer in Music Theory at Stanford but later that year moved to Salzburg, Austria. He was Guest Professor at the Universität Mozarteum until 2002, when he came to the University of Edinburgh.
Michael's compositions have been performed worldwide at many international festivals, including the Darmstadt Ferienkurse (with the Experimentalstudio Freiburg and Barbara Maurer), the International Computer Music Conference (Banff, Havana), the Zagreb Biennale, the Seoul International Computer Music Festival etc. and by leading ensembles/performers such as Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Aventure, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Marcus Weiss, Sarah Nicolls, and Garth Knox.
Michael's compositional interests lie mainly in the development of algorithmic composition structures for instrumental and computer music and the integration of these within similarly generated computer-processed sound structures. He is also active as an improvisor on laptop, saxophones, and MIDI wind controller, performing for instance at the 2008 Montreaux Jazz Festival.
For further information, including a complete work list, links to MP3s, CDs, score PDFs etc. see http://www.sumtone.com/michael.php. Alternatively visit http://www.michael-edwards.org/improv or myspace.
Recent Commissions
- new work for Ensemble Aventure, 2011
- new work for guitar, Yvonne Zehner, 2010/11
- altogether disproportionate - piano solo, Per Rundberg, 2010
- who says that, saying it's me? - tenor saxophone and computer, Marcus Weiss, 2009
- for Magda Cordell, if she'll have it - piano and computer; Sarah Nicolls / Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 2007
- cheat sheet - solo electric guitar, ensemble, and computer; Austrian Ensemble for New Music / Bregenz Festival, 2007
- I Kill by Proxy - piano, percussion, and computer; ZKM Karlsruhe, 2007
Recent Recordings
- zuppa inglese, lapslap, 2009
- I Kill by Proxy, 2009
- scratch, lapslap, 2009
- shark piano, Electric Cowboy Cacophony, 2008
- itch, lapslap, 2008
- 24/7: freedom fried, 2007
Research interests
- Instrumental Composition
- Algorithmic Composition
- Computer Music
- Recording/Mixing/Mastering/Digital Signal Processing
- Improvisation
Publications
Publications list for Michael Edwards
Supervision
Projects supervised by Michael Edwards
Teaching
- Real-Time Performance Strategies and Design
- Non-Real Time Systems
- Computer Programming for Music Technology
- Music 2D: Theory and Practice of Music Technology
- Composition 3 and 4
- Digital Composition and Performance Final Project
- Music 1B: Music and Technologies
- Programme Director: MSc in Digital Compostion and Performance
- Lecture notes available on teaching web page
This article was published on Aug 19, 2010