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Always keen to widen the guitarist's repertoire opportunities Stephen has produced three concertos, numerous chamber compositions, music for the stage, and has a large body of guitar solos to his name. Solos for piano and flute have also been performed. With influences ranging from modernistic to Celtic music through oriental and Medieval musical styles, these works are clearly original and yet very accessible.
Biographical Notes and some Selected Works

Guitar Concerto

 



 

Biographical Notes

Stephen Kenyon was born in Dorset, UK in 1962, where he was educated to degree level, graduating with a BA degree in 1984. Although a life-long guitarist, and a prolific composer for that instrument from an early age, Stephen initially preferred to study literature and drama.

Serious full-time study of music started after a 6 month sojourn in various parts of India 1985-6, with work as a Post-Graduate at Trinity College of Music where he specialised in composition and guitar performance under Gilbert Biberian and Dr Glen Morgan.

While at TCM he performed a concerto with the String Ensemble and was the first guitarist invited to play solo in the Principal's Concerts. In his second year as a PG the septet The Birds of Rhiannon was "Highly Commended" in the final of the Halford composition prize and the work was also included in the Principal's Concerts. Subsequent prizes included firsts in the St Cecilia Festival Composition Competition and the Middlesex University Guitar Trio Prize.
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Since 1993 Stephen has developed a wide ranging performance career, including original and traditional guitar repertoire and performances throughout Britain, France (where he played his own music on Radio France), Germany and the US.

His works are rapidly becoming more familiar to audiences through performances by the composer and others. In particular, the second concerto has been performed several times by its amateur dedicatees, the third concerto (with string orchestra) has been played several times in Germany, and the first concerto (full orchestra) is due to be scheduled by a British orchestra.

In addition to a busy recital schedule Stephen has maintained a variety of other musical involvements, including working with the legendary sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar on a transcription of the latter's sitar concerto, and workshops and lecture recitals on a variety of subjects. He also loves chamber music and has played works by Gerhard, Paganini, Boccherini, Mozart and many others, and frequently contributes articles and music reviews to periodicals in the UK and USA.
Selected Works

 

Selected Works

Concerti
Concerto no 1 for Guitar solo and orchestra (printed) 1992
Concerto for Guitar soloist and Guitar orchestra (printed) 1994
Concerto no 3 for Guitar solo and String Orchestra (printed) 1997
Chamber music
Temenos for Guitar and Violin (printed) 1994
Hunting the Wren for Guitar and Flute (ms 1991)
I'll come and go by Carterhaugh for Guitar and Bassoon 1993 (printed)
The Birds of Rhiannon Guitar, vln, vla, clo, fl, ob, bsn 1992 (printed)
Guitar Ensembles
Suite for Guitar Trio (in preparation)
Figures of Dawn for three Guitars (ms) 1991
Four Dances from Hardy's Notebook for four Guitars ms 1990
Siciliana for eight Guitars 1991
Worlde's Woodsere for eleven Guitars (printed) 1992
Highgate Wood for solo flute and guitar, and guitar ensemble (printed) 1992
Solo Guitar
Sonatina (ms) 1987
Elegie (ms) 1989
Arebea - Fantasy on a theme of Bernard Stevens (ms) 1991
Versa (printed) 1993
Aquarelle I (printed) 1992
Aquarelle II (printed) 1993
Morning Dance (printed) 1993
Una Pieza Breve (printed) 1993
Simple Suite (printed) 1993
Pieces of Eight (printed)
Digit (in preparation)
Codex (in preparation)
Two Guitars
Sonatina (in preparation)
Simple Duets (printed) 1993
Solo Instrument
The Music on the Hill for flute (printed)
Jailli de la terre for piano (printed)
Archeo for bouzouki (ms) 1996

For further information see Stephen Kenyons home page

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