Stephen Goss
Stephen Goss is a Welsh composer, guitarist and academic. His compositional output includes orchestral and choral works, chamber music, and solo pieces. His music draws freely on a number of styles and genres. He is particularly known for his guitar music, which is widely performed and recorded.
As of 2020, he is Professor of Composition in the Department of Music and Media at the University of Surrey. He is also a professor of guitar at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the director of the International Guitar Research Centre, which he founded with John Williams and Milton Mermikides in 2014. Before moving to the University of Surrey in 1999, he taught at the Yehudi Menuhin School.
Goss studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Universities of Bristol and London. His composition teachers were Edward Gregson, Robert Saxton, Peter Dickinson and Anthony Payne, and he studied guitar with Michael Lewin.
Compositions
Goss's work has included several projects with the guitarist John Williams, who recorded and toured his Guitar Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014. Goss has collaborated with artists as diverse as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alt-J, and Avi Avital. In his role as composer-in-residence for the Orpheus Sinfonia, he wrote the Concerto for Five for the combination of violin, saxophone, cello, bass, piano and orchestra, and the Piano Concerto - the first classical concert piece to feature an interactive tablet app.Orchestras which have performed his music include The Russian National Orchestra, The China National Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Symphony Orchestra 'New Russia', The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC NOW, The National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, The Oregon Symphony Orchestra. His Albéniz Concerto for guitar and orchestra was released on EMI Classics in November 2010. Goss wrote the first ever Theorbo Concerto, which was released on the Deux-Elles label in 2019.
Other commissions have come from: guitarists, David Russell, Xuefei Yang, Zoran Dukić and Miloš Karadaglić, the percussionist Evelyn Glennie, cellist Natalie Clein, violinist Nicola Benedetti, flautist William Bennett, pianist Emmanuel Despax, and the tenor Ian Bostridge. Most of his music is published by Doberman Editions, Quebec, Canada.
Musical language
A central theme running through Goss's work is the evocation of time and place. His uses of quotations and stylistic references help to shape his pluralist musical language, which is characterised by abrupt stylistic gear changes. As Kimberly Patterson has observed, ‘Goss’s compositional interests are in the continuum that lies between transcription and composition and in the ways in which pre-existing material can be used to create unusual and interesting music’. Goss doesn't see ‘interpretation, transcription, arrangement, improvisation, and composition as different things with distinct boundaries between them.’ He suggests that ‘the distinctions can be useful, but they are artificial… rather like the colours of the rainbow’. Jonathan Leathwood has proposed that Goss ‘denies traditional expectations of originality’ and that ‘the listener is drawn into a maze of referents’.An interest in music and landscape dates back to two collaborations with Charles Jencks, The Garden of Cosmic Speculation and Frozen Music . Through these and later projects, Goss has developed ways of balancing literal and metaphorical representations of landscape, architecture, and sculpture in music.
While Goss's influences can be traced in the work of many musicians, his compositional approach owes as much to literature and the visual arts – James Joyce, Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, Gerhard Richter, Grayson Perry, Terry Gilliam, and Thomas Heatherwick. The strong literary connection in the music has been pointed out by Leathwood, who states that ‘there can be little doubt that Stephen Goss intends to provoke, among other things, thought in the form of words - verbal association and a kind of wordplay encoded in the music; not symbolism, but semiosis in the literary sense that modern thought has tended to give it, an interest in music as text’.
Performance
As a guitarist, Stephen Goss has worked with many leading composers and has toured and recorded extensively with the and other ensembles. He has recorded more than 20 CDs as a soloist and chamber musician and has given recitals in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. He has performed alongside Paco Peña and John Williams and has played concertos with orchestras such as the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and the English Sinfonia.Selected list of compositions
Orchestral, choral and large ensemble
- Landscape and Memory 2022
- Koblenz Concerto 2019
- The Vine-fruit Carol 2018 Doberman 1277
- Theorbo Concerto 2018 Doberman 1311
- A Concerto of Colours 2017 Doberman 1156
- Invisible Cities 2017
- Carnival of Venice 2017
- The Paganini Concerto 2014Concerto for Five 2013Piano Concerto 2013Guitar Concerto 2012 Doberman 910Songs of the Solar System 2012The Shard 2011 Doberman 895The Albéniz Concerto 2009 Doberman 887Cottleston Pie 2001Arcadia 1996Dreamchild 1995Saviour of the World 1992Hymnen an die Nacht 1985
Chamber music
Crunch Time 2019- The Garden of Cosmic Speculation 2004/2016 Doberman 1055The Flower of Cities 2012 Doberman 852Northern Lights 2010 Doberman 969Reflections on the Garden of Cosmic Speculation 2010Variations on a Burns Air: Scherzo 2009Prelude and Gnossienne 2008Uneasy Dreams 2006 Doberman 1054Frozen Music 2006 Doberman 872Drums and Trumpets 2005The Garden of Cosmic Speculation 2004 Doberman 1048Tango: The White Queen 2003Spin 2003Trumpets and Clocks 2002One-Nil 1994
Duos and solos
- Exhalation 2021
- The Lake of Time 2020
- Motherlands 2019
- Still Life 2018
- Songs of Ophelia 2016 Doberman 1116
- The Miller's Tale 2015 Doberman 1079The Book of Songs 2014 Doberman 986River Winds 2011 Doberman 983Caught Between 2011 Doberman 968The Sea of the Edge 2010 Doberman 890American Pastoral 2010 Doberman 952The Autumn Song II 2010 Doberman 891The Autumn Song 2009 Doberman 873Welsh Folksongs 2008 Doberman 989Welsh Folksongs 2008 Doberman 981From Honey to Ashes 2007 Doberman 1000Dark Knights and Holy Fools 2006 Doberman 953Park of Idols 2005 Doberman 871Gymnopédies after Erik Satie 2003First Milonga, Last Tango 2002 Doberman 875Under Milk Wood Songs 1990 Doberman 894Six Inventions 1986
Multiple guitars
- River Fragments 2020
- Tarot 2019
- Venezuela 2019
- Minimal Effort 2018
- Cantigas de Santiago 2017 Doberman 1217
- Talking Drums 2016 Doberman 1155Mahler Lieder 2011 Doberman 845Still the Sea 2009 Les Productions d’Oz 2260Welsh Folksongs 2008 Doberman 981The Raw and the Cooked 2004 Doberman 874Gnossiennes after Erik Satie 2002 Doberman 947Lachrymae 2001 Doberman 892Carmen Fantasy 1998 Doberman Tempo of Three Quartered 1993 Under Milk Wood Variations 1989 Editions Orphée 494-02831
Solo guitar
- Hiraeth 2020 Doberman 1374
- Perpetual Motion Machine 2020 Doberman 1395
- Happy Sad 2020
- Verismo 2020
- Bagatelles with Fantasies 2020 Doberman 1362
- Threnody 2019
- Time 2018 Doberman 1238
- Cinema Paradiso 2017 Doberman 1154
- Labyrinth 2016 Doberman 1036Sound of Iona 2016 Doberman 1030Watts Chapel 2015 Doberman 1013Sonata Capriccioso 2015 Doberman 1003Cantigas de Santiago 2014 Doberman 926Illustrations to The Book of Songs 2014 Doberman 951Sonatina 2013 Doberman 992Marylebone Elegy 2012 Doberman 866El Llanto de los Sueños 2007 Doberman The Chinese Garden 2007 Doberman Sonata 2006 Doberman 868Raise the Red Lantern 2004 Doberman 867Oxen of the Sun 2003 Doberman 870Looking Glass Ties 2001 Doberman 1011E 1996Three Miniatures 1986
Solo piano
Piano Cycle 2012 Doberman 1012Portraits and Landscapes 2010 Doberman 893Rough Music 2009 Doberman 1046Interludes 2008 Doberman 889invisible starfall 2003 an ideal insomnia 2002 Doberman 996Educational music
Learn and Conquer Guitar Repertoire with Xuefei Yang 2015 Doberman 961-964Japanese Water Garden 2007 ABRSM 9781860967412Guildford Life 2007London Masala 2005Music Medals Pieces 2003 ABRSMMilonga 1999 GSMDEGTA Series 'Solo Now' Pieces 1994 ChanterelleGamelan 1994 ChanterelleSelected list of recordings
Compositions
- Theorbo Concerto on 'Stephen Goss, Theorbo Concerto', Matthew Wadsworth, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Deux-Elles
- Watts Chapel on 'Watts Chapel', Adam Khan
- The Flower of Cities on 'The Flower of Cities', John Williams and Friends, JCW
- Songs of Ophelia on 'Puertas', Adelia Issa and Edelton Gloeden, Selo Sesc
- The Miller's Tale on 'Late Night Lute', Matthew Wadsworth, Deux-Elles
- Looking Glass Ties on 'Stephen Goss Guitar Works Vol.1', Rui Mourinho, Edições Musica XXI
- Sound of Iona on 'Stephen Goss Guitar Works Vol.1', Rui Mourinho, Edições Musica XXI and 'Sound of Iona', Adam Khan The Book of Songs on 'Songs from our Ancestors', Ian Bostridge and Xuefei Yang, Globe Music Under Milk Wood Songs on 'Jarring Sounds', Danielle Reutter-Harrah and Adam Cockerham, Jarring Sounds, 'Frozen Music', Jenevora Williams and Stephen Goss, Cadenza Guitar Concerto on 'Concerto', John Williams, Paul Daniel and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, JCW Marylebone Elegy on 'Stepping Stones', John Williams, JCW Mahler Lieder on 'About Time', Tetra Guitar Quartet, BGS and 'Hometown Composers' Jugend gitarren orchester, Hamburg Piano Concerto on 'Emmanuel Despax, piano', Thomas Carroll, Orpheus Sinfonia, Signum Classics Park of Idols on 'Cold Dark Matter: Music for Cello and Guitar, Kimberly Patterson and Patrick Sutton, MSR, 'The Garden of Cosmic Speculation', Leonid Ghorokov and Richard Hand, Cadenza Circle Line on 'Kontinenti Live', Carlo Marchione, Guitar Art Festival Still the Sea on 'Hidden Waters', ChromaDuo, Naxos The Raw and the Cooked on 'Hidden Waters', ChromaDuo, Naxos, 'The Raw and the Cooked', Albach Duo, Crystal Palace Records, 'Songs Without Words', Hand-Dupre Duo, Cadenza The Albéniz Concerto on 'Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Stephen Goss: Albéniz Concerto', Xuefei Yang, Eiji Oue, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, EMI Classics, 'Classical 2012' Virgin Classics Gnossiennes after Erik Satie on 'El Calor del Dia', Barrios Guitar Quartet, 'Carmen', Tetra Guitar Quartet, Cadenza Northern Lights on 'Northern Lights', Susie Hodder-Williams, Chris Caldwell, Graham Roberts, FMR Records Reflections on the Garden of Cosmic Speculation on 'Northern Lights', Susie Hodder-Williams, Chris Caldwell, Graham Roberts, FMR Records The Sea of the Edge on 'Northern Lights', Susie Hodder-Williams, Chris Caldwell, Graham Roberts, FMR Records The Autumn Song on 'Northern Lights', Susie Hodder-Williams, Chris Caldwell, Graham Roberts, FMR Records, 'The Autumn Song', Adam Khan Welsh Folksongs on 'Northern Lights', Susie Hodder-Williams, Chris Caldwell, Graham Roberts, FMR Records, 'Adam Khan and Michael Bochmann', The Barn Records, 'Voyage to Patagonia', Welsh Argentine Guitar Duo, WAG Records, 'we only came to dream', Molly Kittle and Colin Thurmond, Eisteddfod, 'Songs from Britain and America', Jenevora Williams and Stephen Goss, Tantallon Records Portraits and Landscapes on 'Portraits and Landscapes', Emmanuel Despax, SMCSG1 Uneasy Dreams on 'Uneasy Dreams', Delta Saxophone Quartet, FMR Records, 'Frozen Music', Delta Saxophone Quartet, Cadenza Variations on a Burns Air: Scherzo on 'Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Dimitri Smirnov, Variations on a Burns Air', Primrose Piano Quartet, Meridian Sonata for Guitar on 'Resonance', Michael Partington, Rosewood, 'Frozen Music', Michael Partington, Cadenza, 'Stephen Goss Guitar Works Vol.1', Rui Mourinho, Edições Musica XXI El Llanto de los Suenos on 'For David', David Russell, Telarc, 'Stephen Goss Guitar Works Vol.1', Rui Mourinho, Edições Musica XXI Interludes on 'Préluds and Interludes', Graham Caskie, Cadenza Japanese Water Garden on 'Guitar Exam Pieces Grade 4', Stephen Goss, ABRSM Aeolian Harp on 'Guitar Exam Pieces Grade 3', Stephen Goss, ABRSM Gymnopédies after Erik Satie on 'Ariel', Catherine Handley and Andrew Wilson-Dixon, HAL Records The Chinese Garden on '40 Degrees North', Xuefei Yang, EMI Classics, 'Stephen Goss Guitar Works Vol.1', Rui Mourinho, Edições Musica XXI Frozen Music on 'Frozen Music', Students from the Yehudi Menuhin School, Cadenza Dark Knights and Holy Fools on 'Frozen Music', Craig Ogden and Paul Tanner, Cadenza From Honey to Ashes on 'Hidden Tango', Jennifer Stinton and Richard Hand, Cadenza The Garden of Cosmic Speculation on 'The Garden of Cosmic Speculation', Gemini, Cadenza Oxen of the Sun on 'The Garden of Cosmic Speculation', Jonathan Leathwood, Cadenza an ideal insomnia on 'The Garden of Cosmic Speculation', Graham Caskie, Cadenza First Milonga, Last Tango on 'First Milonga, Last Tango', Anna Noakes and Richard Hand, quartz music, 'First Milonga, Last Tango', Virginia Taylor and Timothy Kain, ABC Raise the Red Lantern on 'Si Ji', Xuefei Yang, GSP Carmen Fantasy on 'Carmen', Tetra Guitar Quartet, Cadenza, 'Carmen Fantasy', Tetra Guitar Quartet, Hallmark, and 'Pluck, Strum, Hammer', Mela Quartet Lachrymae on 'Carmen', Tetra Guitar Quartet, Cadenza, and 'Tempi Moderni', Barrios Guitar Quartet Under Milk Wood Variations on 'TETRA', Tetra Guitar Quartet, Tantallon Records, and 'Obras para cuarteto de Guitarras', Cuarteto Eunoia, Universidad Nacional de Musica, Peru