click photo to enlarge Colin Currie percussionist

biography
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Born in Edinburgh in 1976, Colin Currie came to national attention in 1992 at the age of fifteen, when he won the Gold Medal of the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra Music Scholarship. In 1994 he became the first percussion finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, giving the world premiere of Errollyn Wallen’s Concerto for Percussion in the final at London’s Barbican Centre, televised live to an estimated eleven million viewers.

Since then, Currie has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras around the world, working with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Paul Daniel, James MacMillan and Martyn Brabbins. He continually commissions and performs new works and in 2001 gave the world premiere of Michael Torke’s percussion concerto Rapture, written especially for him. Future commissions include major concerti by David Sawer and Joe Duddell. Currie has a particularly strong relationship with James MacMillan’s concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, with more than 50 performances of the work to date and a recording with the Ulster Orchestra for Naxos. In 2001 Colin Currie was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award for his outstanding contribution to innovative music-making in the year 2000.

RELATED LINKS
In-depth interview with Verity Sharp for BBC Radio 3's Late Junction,
including audio clips


Newsletter/Spring 2001:
Currie premieres new Torke concerto

Newsletter/Spring 2000:
Colin Currie's star continues to rise

Newsletter/Autumn 1998
Introducing Colin Currie

Newsletter/Autumn 1998
Record Shelf

This season Currie performs with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Orchestre de Bretagne, City of London Sinfonia and Eugene Symphony. He will give the US premiere of the Torke concerto as well as the world premiere of a new concerto by David Sawer at the Cheltenham Festival. Further ahead he has major plans with the Netherlands Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Toulouse and BBC Philharmonic.

Other orchestras Currie has worked with include the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, National Symphony of Ireland, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Komische Oper Berlin, MDR Symphony Leipzig, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Orquestra Nacional de Porto, Ulster Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Cabrillo (California) Chamber Orchestra, Utah Symphony, and in April 2002 Currie premiered Snowblind, a concerto by British composer Joe Duddell with the BT Scottish Ensemble.

CONTACT MANAGER
Catherine Petherbridge Artist Manager/
Promotions Manager


Stephen Chamberlain
Assistant to Artist Manager/
Promotions Assistant

As a recitalist, Currie is involved in the continuing development of new and diverse repertoire for solo percussion. Recent highlights include a recital at the Lucerne Festival in summer 2002 and recital debuts in the U.S. and Japan. He has performed extensively in the UK (including Wigmore Hall), as well as in the Middle East, Belgium, France, Holland, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

An active chamber musician, Currie has collaborated with artists such as the Peterson String Quartet, Clio Gould, Peter Donohoe and Martin Roscoe, performed Berio Folk Songs with Dawn Upshaw, and toured internationally with Viktoria Mullova’s Through the Looking Glass ensemble. This season he embarks on a major project with the Labèque sisters performing solo and chamber works and a new commission by Dave Maric, which will tour in Europe and the US. Other future collaborations include a US tour with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in February 2004, and developing new repertoire for a percussion and organ recital project at Westminster Abbey.

Colin Currie’s first solo album, Striking a Balance from EMI’s Debut series for young artists, was released in February ‘98. A recording of the Torke concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Marin Alsop is soon to be released by Naxos. Colin Currie plays Zildjian cymbals.

Mr. Currie is represented by Intermusica Artists’ Management Ltd, London

July 2002



For further publicity information on this artist, please click here

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concerto repertoire
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MICHAEL DAUGHERTY U.F.O.
JOE DUDDELL Snowblind (Concerto for Percussion and string ensemble)
(World premiere Colin Currie, April 2002)
HK GRUBER Rough Music
ANDRE JOLIVET Concerto for Percussion
JOHN McLEOD Concerto for Percussion
JAMES MacMILLAN Veni, Veni Emmanuel
NEY ROSAURO Marimba Concerto
(strings only)
CHRISTOPHER ROUSE Der gerettete Alberich
DAVID SAWER Concerto for Percussion (chamber orchestra)
To be premiered in July 2003, Cheltenham Festival
JOSEPH SCHWANTNER Concerto for Percussion
ROBERTO SIERRA Concerto for Percussion
MICHAEL TORKE Rapture (World premiere Colin Currie, February 2001)
JOAN TOWER Concerto for Percussion
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sample recital programmes
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Solo Percussion:
SCHMIDT
ROSAURO
NORGARD
MARIC

REICH
SCHMIDT
MARIC

programme notes by C. Currie

Ghanaia
Cenas Amerisdias
"Fire over Water" (from "I Ching")
Sense & Innocence
-interval-
Nagoya Marimbas
6 Miniatures for Marimba
Trilogy

With Sam Walton, percussion:
Ravel
Bach

Koppell
Jacob Ter Veldhuis
Steve Reich

Wayne Siegel
Dave Maric
Minoru Miki
Alborada del Gracioso
Prelude in A minor from 2nd
English Suite
Toccatta
Goldrush
Nagoya Marimbas

42nd Street Rondo -
Shapeshifter
Marimba Spiritual II
With Robin Michael, piano:
TOSHI ICHIYANAGI
CHICK COREA
JOHN McLEOD
STEVE REICH

NEY ROSAURO
JOE DUDDELL
JOHN TAYLOR
LEIGH HOWARD STEVENS
RICHARD MICHAEL
Paganini Personal
Children’s Songs
The Song of Dionysius
Nagoya Marimbas
-interval-
Cenas Amerisdias
Parallel Lines
Adios Tony
Rhythmic Caprice
Jazz Suite

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discography
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Striking a Balance: Contemporary Percussion Music Works by Chick Corea, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Maurice Ravel, Ney Rosauro, Alan Emslie, Markus Halt, J.S. Bach, Steve Reich, Richard Michael
Colin Currie, percussion
Sam Walton, marimba
Robin Michael, piano
EMI Debut
CDZ 5 72267 2
James MacMillan Veni, Veni Emmanuel
Ulster Orchestra
Colin Currie, percussion
Takuo Yuasa, conductor
Naxos 8.554167
Viktoria Mullova: Through the Looking Glass
Including works by Weather Report, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Youssou N’Dour
arranged by Matthew Barley
Viktoria Mullova, violin
Matthew Barley, cello
Julian Joseph, piano
Steve Smith, guitar
Colin Currie, percussion
Paul Clarvis, percussion
Sam Walton, percussion
Philips Classics
464 184-2
Michael Torke Rapture
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Colin Currie, percussion
Marin Alsop, conductor
Naxos 8.559167


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reviews
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"Michael Torke's percussion concerto [was] given a stunning world premiere performance by soloist Colin Currie"
Glasgow Herald, 2001

"the total effect of [Dave Maric's Trilogy] was overwhelming, genuine orchestral textures built out of a battery of live and sampled sounds, with Currie playing the lot - as with everything in his breathtaking recital - from memory, and every movement of the piece delivered with awesome technical expertise and musicality. It's important not to understate Colin Currie's standing. We know he's good - one of the best. He's already a figure of international standing. But this incredible young Scottish musician - just in his mid-twenties - will be a world star."
Glasgow Herald, 2000

"Solo percussion recitals are still a rarity. But Edinburgh’s Colin Currie is among those who can be expected to make them far more common. Quite apart from his musical qualities, he has the gift of introducing pieces and pointing the ear to the real virtues of the music….he played with stunning precision and energy.…the entire programme was flawlessly assembled."
The Scotsman, 2000

"much of its success was due to the solo playing of Colin Currie, whose athletic percussionism blended his almost compulsive showmanship with an increasingly deep musicality."
The Guardian, 2000

"On top of that, percussion wizard Colin Currie - now one of the complete masters of this piece - produced utter musical magic. Less flamboyant and theatrical than Glennie, Currie instead brings brainpower to the piece, revealing (behind the most extraordinarily tight rhythmic sense) a remarkable musical sensitivity in the solo part. A breathtaking and thought-provoking performance."
Glasgow Herald, 2000

"For sheer energy it would be difficult to beat Veni, Veni, Emmanuel. In the role of solo percussionist, the hugely talented Colin Currie provided a visual as well as aural feast, now racing across the stage to grab another pair of sticks with split-second timing, now on his knees in front of two gongs."
The Times, 1999

"Colin Currie, the soloist, was brilliant."
Financial Times, 1999

"The percussionist – balletic, beautiful, thrilling – was Colin Currie."
The Guardian, 1999

"Currie was brilliant….seeming to sprout another pair of arms as he dashed about in front of the stage, even delivering a rock-drum segment midway through."
Denver Rocky Mountain News, 1999

"A welcome reminder, if needed, that Scotland does not boast just one world-class percussionist."
BBC Music Magazine, 1998

"a 22-year-old soloist of manifest skill, notably dexterous in the opening fast sections that provide the best opportunity for virtuoso display."
Sunday Times, 1998

"As I watched the elegantly waist-coated Currie flinging himself between stacks of percussion, I was reminded of a particularly energetic conjuror."
The Scotsman, 1996

"Colin Currie, 20 this year and a consummate performer....He lifted a veil on the light, dancing qualities of the music, playing with dazzling clarity."
Glasgow Herald, 1996

"...he produced a beautifully poised slow section and led the orchestra in the finale, a deeply theatrical, moving moment."
The Scotsman, 1996

"Colin Currie is an extraordinary and dynamic musician; a percussionist of sensitivity with a finely honed sense of balance."
The Scotsman, 1994

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