Gavin Higgins: Composer Bursary
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Born in Gloucestershire in 1983, Gavin grew up in the Forest of Dean beginning his musical life in the local brass band. Gavin has studied at Chethams School of Music, The Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal College of Music (supported by the AHRC and Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Awards), studying with Gary Carpenter and Ken Hesketh, graduating from a Masters Degree in 2009.
Gavin has written music for some of the UK’s finest orchestras and ensembles, such as; Rage Dances for members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Dancing At The Edge Of Hell for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and While Time Quietly Kills Them for the Manchester Camerata Orchestra. Other commissions include Urban Fairy Tales, performed as part of the Rising Star Series at the Cadogan Hall, Mechanical Cabaret as part of the Exhibition Road Music Day Festival and Fanfares and Love Songs written for the National Children’s Band of Great Britain.
Recently he has had music performed by Liverpool Philharmonic’s Ensemble 10:10, Rambert Orchestra, Maria Marchant, Mark Simpson, Brett Baker, The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Manchester Camerata and the Black Dyke Mills Band.
Among other successes A Forest Symphony, commissioned by the Voices in the Forest Festival was selected for the wind and brass section of the British Composer Awards in 2008, his ballet, Jeremiah, choreographed by Dane Hurst, was performed by the Rambert Dance Company at the Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre and Three Broken Love Songs, commissioned by BBC Young Musician of the Year Mark Simpson has been recorded on the NMC record label.
Gavin is also the inaugural Music Fellow to the Rambert Dance Company and a Faber Music composer.