2013 BBC Young Composer winner Thomas Brown's compositions have been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Nieuw Ensemble, Aurora Orchestra, Red Note Ensemble, European Youth Brass Band, and Neon - Choir for Newest Music. Furthermore, they have been heard at the BBC Proms and on national radio in the UK and Netherlands, as well as used at the 2017 Badminton World Championships, broadcast to over 600 million people worldwide. He is also a conductor, arranger, orchestrator, teacher, and editor of music and text, and has enjoyed putting together ensembles for and organising events.
Photo by Celia Swart, February 2019, Amsterdam
Composition Recordings
"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (2019) is scored for solo violin and large ensemble. As well as using part of the famous melody, it also takes inspiration from the music of Austrian composer HK Gruber – particularly "Aerial" for trumpet and orchestra – which was the focus of my research during my master's studies.
This recording by Natalie Kulina and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam's Score Collective is from the premiere, which was held during the conservatorium's 2019 Composers' Festival.
"Fanfare and Theme" (2017) was written for the five medals ceremonies of the 2017 Total BWF Badminton World Championships, hosted by Badminton Scotland at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow and broadcast to 0.6 billion people worldwide. Subsequently, it was used at the 2017 Scottish Open Badminton Grand Prix.
Recorded by a chamber orchestra made up of students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland conducted by John Logan, the basis of the music was recycled from a 2011 piece for brass band, although through major reworkings (omission and addition of sections, re-examination of the harmony, and re-orchestration) I created a majestic and joyous new work, which evokes an emotional response, especially for Badminton Scotland and the World Championships.
"Another Configuration" (2019) was written for the Nieuw Ensemble’s annual Evening of Today concerts, which were conducted by Ed Spanjaard and took place at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam (broadcast live on NPO Radio 4) and Korzo, The Hague.
Music is often a configuration of pitches, rhythms, harmonies, dynamics, articulations, ideas, and other elements. "Another Configuration", inspired by Martijn Padding's "Kier", is also a configuration of musical fragments/ motifs/ ideas which are varied and juxtaposed against one another, forming the piece. Whilst I almost always write from beginning to end when composing, with this piece, most of the musical fragments were composed at the start of the composition process.
Music is often a configuration of pitches, rhythms, harmonies, dynamics, articulations, ideas, and other elements. I began “Configuration” shortly before graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, although it wasn’t until I became a student at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam that the bulk of the work was written.
“Configuration” (2018) was premiered by pianist Dominic Degavino at Borough New Music’s concert series in London in October 2018. This performance took place in Amsterdam in May 2019.