View source for David Bruce (composer)

{{short description|British composer and YouTube performer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name                 = David Bruce
| birth_date           = 1970
| birth_place          = Stamford, Connecticut
| nationality          = British
| education            = [[University of Nottingham]], [[Royal College of Music]], [[King's College London]]
| occupation           = Composer
| website              = http://www.davidbruce.com/
| channel_direct_url   = channel/UCh-PyMficPzVAihCJkFJVAA
| channel_display_name = David Bruce Composer
| years_active         = 2009-present
| subscribers          = 275.0 thousand
| views                = 17.6 million
| associated_acts      = {{flatlist|
* [[Nahre Sol]]
* [[Adam Neely]]
* [[Bent Knee|Ben Levin]]
}}
}}
'''David Bruce''' (born 1970) is a British composer and [[YouTuber]].
==Early life==
Bruce was born in [[Stamford, Connecticut]] in 1970, but grew up in England.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.davidbruce.net/biography.asp |website=davidbruce.net |accessdate=16 October 2019}}</ref> He began his undergraduate music studies in 1988 at the [[University of Nottingham]], where his composition tutors included [[James Fulkerson|Jim Fulkerson]] and [[Nick Sackman|Nicholas Sackman]]. He continued at the [[Royal College of Music]] from 1991 to 1993, where he obtained a master's degree in Composition, studying with [[Timothy Salter]] and [[George Benjamin (composer)|George Benjamin]]. He received a PhD in Composition at [[King's College London]] between 1995 and 1999, under the supervision of [[Harrison Birtwistle]].<ref>[http://www.compositiontoday.com/interviews/david_bruce.asp CompositionToday Interview with David Bruce], compositiontoday.com; accessed 9 November 2014.</ref>
== Career ==
{{BLP sources section|date=November 2021}}
Bruce developed an international reputation as a composer. His work is performed by musicians from around the world, including soprano [[Dawn Upshaw]], [[klezmer]] pioneer [[Giora Feidman]] and the [[St. Lawrence String Quartet]]. Upshaw in particular played an important role in bringing Bruce's music to wider attention. She instigated the commission for his opera ''A Bird in Your Ear'' and performed his ''Piosenki'' song-cycle at [[Carnegie Hall]] and elsewhere. Upshaw was the soloist in a new song-cycle with ensemble, ''The North Wind was a Woman'', commissioned for the Gala opening of the 2009 season by the Chamber Music Society of the [[Lincoln Center]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidbruce.net/works/the-north-wind-was-a-woman.asp|title=The North Wind was a woman by David Bruce|website=www.davidbruce.net|access-date=18 January 2020}}</ref>
His work ''Gumboots'' was commissioned by Carnegie Hall for clarinetist Todd Palmer and the St Lawrence String Quartet. His ''Groanbox'' was written for New York's Metropolis Ensemble featuring The Groanbox Boys. He wrote ''Caja de Musica'' for Concert Artists Guild Winner Bridget Kibbey's Carnegie Hall debut. <ref>{{Cite web |title=David Bruce - Composer |url=http://www.compositiontoday.com/davidbruce/default.asp?p=2 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.compositiontoday.com}}</ref>
Bruce's one-act opera ''A Bird in Your Ear'' (2008) was commissioned by [[Bard College]] and later had performances by [[New York City Opera]] as part of the 2009 [[New York City Opera#Vox.2CContemporary Opera Lab|Vox festival]]; as a finalist in the National Opera Association's Chamber Opera competition 2008 and with students at [[New York University]]. ''[[The New York Times]]'' described ''A Bird in Your Ear'' as "skillfully written and imaginative".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/arts/music/05vox.html|title=Sampling of New Dishes, Some Still Being Seasoned|last=Tommasini|first=Anthony|date=4 May 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=21 January 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Bruce's earlier chamber opera ''Push!'' was commissioned by the [[Genesis Foundation (arts charity)|Genesis Foundation]] and premiered by [[Tête à Tête (opera company)|Tête à Tête]] in London and went on tour in the UK in 2006. ''Push!'' was Critic's Choice for 2006 in both ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' and ''[[Classical Music Magazine]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roh.org.uk/people/david-bruce |title=David Bruce Composer |website=roh.org.uk |publisher=Royal Opera House |access-date=2021-01-20 |quote=''His operas include Push! for Tête à Tête Opera (Critic's Choice for The Telegraph and Classical Music Magazine)...''}}</ref> Other commissions include a series of mini-operas – ''Out of the Ordinary'', for The Opera Group, ''Has it Happened Yet?'' (2002) for ENO Studios and Tête à Tête; ''Seven Tons of Dung'' for Tête à Tête (1999); incidental music to the [[Trestle Theatre Company]]'s show ''The Smallest Person'' (2004); and instrumental pieces for the [[London Sinfonietta]], [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]], the [[Presteigne Festival]] and the [[Lake District Summer Music]] Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Bruce - Carrow |url=http://www.davidbruce.net/works/carrow.asp |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=www.davidbruce.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-17 |title=Proms 2018: Ben Foster - Young Musician Theme & Variations; David Bruce - Sidechaining; Iain Farrington - Gershwinicity (World Premières) |url=https://5against4.com/2018/07/17/proms-2018-ben-foster-young-musician-theme-david-bruce-sidechaining-iain-farrington-gershwinicity-world-premieres/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=5:4 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=David Bruce - Blog |url=http://www.davidbruce.net/blog/archive.asp?m=6&y=2008 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=www.davidbruce.net}}</ref>
In 2011, another commission for Carnegie Hall, the [[octet (music)|octet]] ''Steampunk'', was premiered by [[Ensemble ACJW]] at [[Skidmore College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cms.skidmore.edu/news/news.cfm?passID=2587|title=Carnegie Hall Premieres to present new work by David Bruce|date=28 January 2011|publisher=[[Skidmore College]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218221601/http://cms.skidmore.edu/news/news.cfm?passID=2587|archive-date=18 February 2011|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/01/31/entertainment/doc4d4457249e74e411573287.txt|title=Ensemble ACJW premieres 'Steampunk'at Skidmore|date=31 January 2011|newspaper=[[The Saratogian]]|access-date=10 February 2011|archive-date=8 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308174332/http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/01/31/entertainment/doc4d4457249e74e411573287.txt|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.skidmorenews.com/ensemble-acjw-returns-to-campus-1.1963485|title=Ensemble ACJW returns to campus|first=Gia|last=Vaccarezza|date=4 February 2011|access-date=10 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214024419/http://www.skidmorenews.com/ensemble-acjw-returns-to-campus-1.1963485|archive-date=14 February 2011|publisher=[[Skidmore News]]}}</ref><ref name="Bruce, Steampunk">{{cite web|url=http://www.davidbruce.net/works/steampunk.asp|title=David Bruce's Carnegie Hall commission, ''Steampunk''|first=David|last=Bruce|date=November 2010|publisher=David Bruce|format=Full 22-minute piece in five movements, streamable|accessdate=4 February 2011}}</ref>
In the 2013/14 season Bruce was Associate Composer of the San Diego Symphony, for whom he wrote three pieces, including ''Night Parade'' for the orchestra's highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in October 2013; and the violin concerto ''Fragile Light'' for Gil Shaham for 2014.  In 2018, Bruce was commissioned by the BBC Proms to write ''Sidechaining'' a concerto for four soloists and orchestra.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2018 |title=David Bruce: Sidechaining (Prom 3) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06crs8z}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2018 |title=Proms 2018: Ben Foster – Young Musician Theme & Variations; David Bruce – Sidechaining; Iain Farrington – Gershwinicity (World Premières) |url=https://5against4.com/2018/07/17/proms-2018-ben-foster-young-musician-theme-david-bruce-sidechaining-iain-farrington-gershwinicity-world-premieres/}}</ref>
In 2012-13 Bruce was Composer-in-Residence with the Royal Opera House, who co-commissioned with Glyndebourne the opera ''Nothing'' (after the book by Janne Teller), which premiered in Glyndebourne in February 2016. Nothing received repeat performances in Aarhus, Denmark, and in 2020 a new production of the opera came to Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen. Bruce's chamber opera The Firework Maker's Daughter (after the Philip Pullman story) toured the UK and New York in 2013 and was shortlisted for both the British Composer Awards, and the 2014 Olivier Awards for Best New Opera Production. It was revived for a 27-performance run at ROH Lindbury Studios in December 2015.
Other chamber works include two pieces written for mandolinist Avi Avital, ''Cymbeline'' and ''Death is a Friend of Ours;'' as well as ''The Consolation of Rain'' written for Camerata Pacifica and ''The Lick Quartet'' for the Dover Quartet, which was co-commissioned by Dallas Chamber Music Society and The Concertgebouw in Amersterdam.
In 2020 The London Philharmonic Orchestra commissioned a new piece for guitarist Milos and orchestra, which was due to premiere in 2021, but was delayed due to injury.
in 2021 Bruce's first piece for choir and organ was commissioned by Well Cathedral for premiere in October 2021.
=== YouTube channel ===
David Bruce started a [[YouTube]] channel in November 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/davidbrucedotnet/about|title=David Bruce Composer - YouTube|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Starting in November 2017, he began to upload educational videos about different aspects of music, usually focusing on traditional western [[Classical music]], but also exploring other genres and traditions, and initiated collaborative composition projects with fellow YouTubers such as [[Adam Neely]], [[Bent Knee|Ben Levin]], Martin Keary and [[Nahre Sol]]. The channel has over 300,000 subscribers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Bruce Composer |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh-PyMficPzVAihCJkFJVAA |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref>
== Recognition ==
* [[Lili Boulanger]] Memorial Award in 2008,<ref name="boulanger">{{Cite web|url=https://www.umb.edu/lili_boulanger/past_winners|title=Past Winners – University of Massachusetts Boston|website=www.umb.edu|access-date=21 January 2020}}</ref> after a nomination by [[Osvaldo Golijov]] (a previous nomination in 1998 came from Sir [[Harrison Birtwistle]]);
* [[Royal Philharmonic Society]] Composition Competition in 1994<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidbruce.net/biography.asp|title=David Bruce – Composer Biography|website=www.davidbruce.net|access-date=18 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Past Recipients |url=https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/composers/rps-composers-programme/past-recipients-2000-to-date/past-comp-prize-48-99 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210831215859/https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/composers/rps-composers-programme/past-recipients-2000-to-date/past-comp-prize-48-99 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |access-date=2021-01-20 |website=royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk |publisher=Royal Philharmonic Society}}</ref>
* Selected as one of twenty composers to participate in the New Music 20x12 project as part of the [[London 2012]] [[2012 Cultural Olympiad|Cultural Olympiad]].<ref name="Gramophone">{{cite news|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/20-cultural-olympiad-composers-named|title=2012 Cultural Olympiad composers named|work=Gramophone|date=10 December 2010|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The resulting work, ''Fire'', premiered at [[Salisbury International Arts Festival]] on 26 May 2012.<ref name="fire">{{cite web |url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/events/music/2012/fire |title=The Opera Group presents 'Fire' |date=14 July 2012 |website=kcl.ac.uk |publisher=King's College London |access-date=2021-01-20 |quote=''The Opera Group presents David Bruce's Fire...&nbsp;...performances will take place at Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival...''}}</ref>
==Selected works==
=== Operas ===
*''Push!'' (chamber opera) (2006)
*''A Bird in Your Ear'' (one-act opera) (2008)
*''[[The Firework-Maker's Daughter (opera)|The Firework-Maker's Daughter]]'' (chamber opera) (2013) libretto by [[Glyn Maxwell]], Premièred at Hull Truck in March 2013 and toured the UK and New York in April and May 2013. It was revived at Royal Opera House, December 2015.
*''[[Nothing (opera)|Nothing]]'' (opera) (2015) libretto by [[Glyn Maxwell]], based on the novel by [[Janne Teller]]. Co-commissioned by [[Glyndebourne]] and [[Royal Opera House]].Premiered at Glydebourne on 25 February 2016
=== Chamber works ===
*''2 Baka Studies'' (mixed ensemble) (1992)
*''Contradance'' (string ensemble) (1993)
*''Crosswinds'' (chamber ensemble) (1995)
*''Flowers in Stone'' (chamber ensemble) (1997)
*''Carrow'' (violin, cello, clarinet, piano) (1998)
*''Piosenki'' (soprano, baritone and ensemble) (2007)
*''Gumboots'' (clarinet quintet) (2008)
*''Gigue'' (flute and harp) (2008)
*''Dances for Oskar'' (string quartet) (2008)
*''The North Wind was a Woman'' (soprano and ensemble) (2009)
*''Groanbox'' (mixed chamber orchestra w/ banjo and accordion) (2009)
*''Saudades'' (clarinet, accordion, and string quartet) (2010)
*''Tears, Puffes, Jumps and Galliards'' (sopranino, soprano and tenor recorder; string quartet) (2010)
*''The Eye of Night'' (flute, harp, viola) (2011)
*''Steampunk'' (mixed octet) (2011)
*''The Given Note'' (clarinet, violin, guitar, bass, cello) (2011)
*''Forgotten Boots'' (clarinet and piano) (2012)
*''Cymbeline'' (mandolin and string quartet) (2013)
*''The Consolation of Rain'' (oboe, cello, harp, percussion) (2016)
*''Kundalee'' (clarinet, cello, viol) (2018)
*''The Lick Quartet'' (string quartet) (2019)
*''Out of Hours'' (soprano voice, bass voice and string septet) (2019)
=== Orchestral works ===
*''Laughter Through Tears'' (klezmer ensemble of clarinet, violin and string orchestra) (2010)
*''Two Dowland Laments'' (mezzo-soprano and string orchestra) (2011)
*''Prince Zal and the Simorgh'' (symphony orchestra with narrator) (2012)
*''Night Parade'' (symphony orchestra) (2013) commissioned by [[San Diego Symphony]]. Premiered at Carnegie Hall on 29 October 2013.
*''Violin Concerto "Fragile Light"'' (violin and symphony orchestra) (2014)
*''Fanfarrón'' (symphony orchestra) (2017)
*''Sidechaining'' (symphony orchestra) (2018)
*''The Peacock Pavane'' (guitar and orchestra) (2020)
=== Other works ===
*''Caja de Musica'' (solo harp) (2009)
*''Sports et Divertissements'' (arrangement of [[Satie]], for chamber ensemble or chamber orchestra) (2010)
*''Fire'' (large choir, four horns) (2012) commissioned by The Opera Group. One of 20 pieces commissioned for the UK Cultural Olympiad '20x12' series. Premiered in May 2012 at Salisbury Festival
*''Cut the Rug'', commissioned by [[Silk Road Ensemble]] and recorded on the album 'A Playlist without Borders' (Sony). Première at Carnegie Hall on 16 October 2013.
*''That Time with You'', commissioned by [[Carnegie Hall]] and Kelley O'Connor. For mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor. Première at Carnegie Hall on 29 October 2013.
*''Undula'' (solo piano) (2017)
*''Reggae masta'' (2013)<ref>https://www.8notes.com/scores/389.asp {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.davidbruce.net David Bruce's website]
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/davidbrucedotnet/ Official Youtube Channel]
*[https://soundcloud.com/davidbruce David Bruce on Soundcloud]
*[http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6273 American Music Center interview with David Bruce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221012838/http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6273 |date=21 February 2010 }}
*[http://www.compositiontoday.com/interviews/david_bruce.asp CompositionToday interview with David Bruce]
*[http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/sound_insights/works/commissions/bruce_commissions.html Streamed recordings of David Bruce's Gumboots and Piosenki on the Carnegie Hall website]
*[http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=103_134 David Bruce at Bill Holab Music]
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2101-2236048,00.html Paul Driver of Sunday Times on ''Push!'']{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312051629/http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/article1096312.ece Anna Picard of Sunday Independent on ''Push!'']
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[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century British classical composers]]
[[Category:21st-century British classical composers]]
[[Category:British classical composers]]
[[Category:British opera composers]]
[[Category:British male opera composers]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College London]]
[[Category:2012 Cultural Olympiad]]
[[Category:20th-century British male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century British male musicians]]
[[Category:Music YouTubers]]