English version (Welsh version below)
John was born in Swansea, Wales in 1946. A joint UK/Canadian citizen, he is one of the foremost composers working in Wales today. His composing career has already embraced a large variety of work including seven operas, two to commission from Welsh National Opera. His fifth opera KAFKA’S CHIMP was premiered to great acclaim in 1996 in Canada, received its European premiere in Sweden in 1999 and US premiere in Pittsburgh in 2004. His sixth, A CHAIR IN LOVE had its world premiere at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea in 2005 and subsequent North American premiere at Espace Go, Montreal. His seventh opera based on Dylan Thomas’ UNDER MILK WOOD was premiered to great critical and audience acclaim in 2014
In the early 1990’s a definitive series of orchestral and chamber works helped to enhance his reputation nationally and internationally. These include PARADISE HAUNTS, REST IN REASON, MOVE IN PASSION and MAPPING WALES. In December 1999 a collaboration with artist Catrin Webster on TRANSPORTS was previewed at the Galeria Communale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome. This production, which subsequently included performances of TRANSPORTS/MOBILES and NOT THE STILLNESS, received five performances in New York in October 2001 as part of the UK with NY Festival. A commission from the English Symphony Orchestra led to the writing of CELLO SYMPHONY for Raphael Wallfisch – released by Nimbus records in May 2005. In January 2005 he was featured composer at the Waterford New Music Days in Ireland.
Performances in many countries around the world marked John’s 60th birthday year in 2006. These included a special concert in Sofia, the North American premiere of A CHAIR IN LOVE in Montreal, a performance of THREE MOBILES at the World Saxophone congress in Slovenia and a ‘composer portrait’ concert by Lontano in London. The BBC marked his anniversary year with the commissioning of IN TIME OF DAFFODILS given its world premiere in St. Davids Hall, Cardiff by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone) and Radio 3’s Hear and Now programme broadcast two major works as part of a John Metcalf at 60 celebration. His 2007 String Quartet LLWYBRAU CAN (Paths of Song) for the Sacconi Quartet led to a chamber music disc with the same title on Signum Classics. 2008 highlights included the remounting of A CHAIR IN LOVE for performances at the Buxton Festival and a special project for Artes Mundi in collaboration with the artists of Sans Facon to create a series of ‘sonic walks’ for the City of Cardiff.
John Metcalf was both an Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director at the Banff Centre, Canada for a period of nearly ten years and was Artistic Director of the Swansea Festival from 1996 – 2007. He is presently Artistic Director of the award-winning Vale of Glamorgan Festival. He has led creative music projects in more than one hundred schools throughout Wales, reflecting his belief in an active, participatory role for the composer in society.
He is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales, Lampeter, of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and of University College Cardiff. In September 1995 he received the John Edwards Memorial Award awarded by the Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music for his services to music in Wales. In 1999 his music was played during the signing, by Her Majesty the Queen, of the Act bringing into being Wales’ first elected Assembly for 500 years. In Her Majesty’s 2012 New Years Honours List he was awarded an MBE for services to music.
His music is widely recorded. A single composer disc on the Nimbus label includes his monumental Cello Symphony and on Signum Classics there is a disc of orchestral works performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and a follow-up disc of chamber music – Paths of Song. His opera UNDER MILK WOOD is on the Ty Cerdd label. Also on the same label is a chamber music disc by the Danish group Ensemble MidtVest entitled SIX PALINDROMES. This is a survey of his chamber music between 1995 and 2017. The popular piano work ENDLESS SONG can be found on the Chandos label.
Fersiwn Gymraeg
Bywgraffiad
Ganwyd John yn Abertawe, Cymru, ym 1946. A chanddo ddinasyddiaeth ddeuol, yn ddinesydd y DU a Chanada, mae’n un o’r cyfansoddwyr mwyaf blaenllaw sy’n gweithio yng Nghymru heddiw. Mae ei yrfa gyfansoddi eisoes wedi cwmpasu amrywiaeth eang o waith gan gynnwys saith opera, dwy o’r rheini wedi’u comisiynu gan Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru. Cafodd ei bumed opera KAFKA’S CHIMP glod mawr pan berfformiwyd hi am y tro cyntaf yng Nghanada ym 1996; fe’i perfformiwyd yn Ewrop am y tro cyntaf yn Sweden ym 1999, ac am y tro cyntaf yn yr UD yn Pittsburgh yn 2004. Cafodd ei chweched opera, A CHAIR IN LOVE, ei premièrebyd yng Nghanolfan Gelf Taliesin, Abertawe, yn 2005 ac wedi hynny ei pherfformio am y tro cyntaf yng Ngogledd America yn Espace Go, Montreal. Cafodd ei seithfed opera, sy’n seiliedig ar UNDER MILK WOOD gan Dylan Thomas, ei pherfformio am y tro cyntaf gerbron cynulleidfa fawr, ac i ganmoliaeth uchel y beirniaid, yn 2014.
Ar ddechrau’r 1990au, cynyddodd ei enw da yn genedlaethol ac yn rhyngwladol pan gyfansoddodd gyfres ddiffiniol o waith cerddorfaol a siambr. Mae’r gyfres yn cynnwys PARADISE HAUNTS, REST IN REASON, MOVE IN PASSION a MAPIO CYMRU. Ym mis Rhagfyr 1999 cynhaliwyd rhagarddangosfa o’i waith TRANSPORTS ar y cyd â’r artist Catrin Webster, yn y Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea yn Rhufain. Perfformiwyd y cynhyrchiad hwn, a ddaeth wedyn i gynnwys perfformiadau o TRANSPORTS / MOBILES a NOT THE STILLNESS, bum gwaith yn Efrog Newydd yn ystod mis Hydref 2001 fel rhan o’r UK in NY Festival. Arweiniodd comisiwn gan Gerddorfa Symffoni Lloegr at ysgrifennu CELLO SYMPHONY ar gyfer Raphael Wallfisch – fe’i rhyddhawyd gan Nimbus Records ym mis Mai 2005. Ym mis Ionawr 2005, John oedd y cyfansoddwr a dderbyniodd sylw arbennig yn y Waterford New Music Days yn Iwerddon.
Roedd perfformiadau mewn sawl gwlad ledled y byd yn nodi blwyddyn pen blwydd John yn 60 oed yn 2006. Roedd y rhain yn cynnwys cyngerdd arbennig yn Sofia, premièreGogledd America o A CHAIR IN LOVE ym Montreal, perfformiad o THREE MOBILES yng nghyngres Sacsoffon y Byd yn Slofenia, a chyngerdd ‘portread o gyfansoddwr’ gan Lontano yn Llundain. Nododd y BBC flwyddyn ei ben blwydd drwy gomisiynu IN TIME OF DAFFODILS a chynnal premièrebyd yn Neuadd Dewi Sant, Caerdydd, gan Gerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC gyda Jeremy Huw Williams (bariton); a darlledodd rhaglen Hear and Now ar Radio 3 ddau waith mawr fel rhan o ddathliad John Metcalf yn 60 oed. Arweiniodd ei Bedwarawd Llinynnol 2007 LLWYBRAU CAN (Llwybrau Cân) ar gyfer Pedwarawd Sacconi at gynhyrchu disg o gerddoriaeth siambr dan yr un teitl ar Signum Classics. Roedd uchafbwyntiau 2008 yn cynnwys ail-lunio A CHAIR IN LOVE ar gyfer perfformiadau yng Ngŵyl Buxton, a phrosiect arbennig i Artes Mundi mewn cydweithrediad ag artistiaid Sans Façon i greu cyfres o ‘deithiau cerdded sonig’ ar gyfer Dinas Caerdydd.
Roedd John Metcalf yn Gyfarwyddwr Artistig ac yn Gyfarwyddwr Artistig Cysylltiol yng Nghanolfan Banff, Canada, am gyfnod o bron i ddeng mlynedd ac yn Gyfarwyddwr Artistig Gŵyl Abertawe rhwng 1996 a 2007. Ar hyn o bryd mae’n Gyfarwyddwr Artistig Gŵyl Bro Morgannwg, gŵyl arobryn. Mae wedi arwain prosiectau cerddoriaeth greadigol mewn mwy na chant o ysgolion ledled Cymru, gan adlewyrchu ei gred mewn rhoi rôl weithgar a chyfranogol i’r cyfansoddwr o fewn cymdeithas.
Mae’n Gyfansoddwr Cysylltiol Canolfan Gerdd Canada; yn Gymrawd Anrhydeddus Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan; Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru; a Phrifysgol Caerdydd. Ym mis Medi 1995 derbyniodd Wobr Goffa John Edwards a ddyfarnwyd gan Gymdeithas Cerddoriaeth Cymru am ei wasanaeth i gerddoriaeth yng Nghymru. Yn 1999 chwaraewyd ei gerddoriaeth tra bu Ei Mawrhydi y Frenhines yn llofnodi’r ddeddf oedd yn dod â Chynulliad etholedig cyntaf Cymru ers 500 mlynedd i fodolaeth. Yn Rhestr Anrhydeddau’r Flwyddyn Newydd Ei Mawrhydi yn 2012 dyfarnwyd MBE iddo am ei wasanaeth i gerddoriaeth.
Mae ei gerddoriaeth yn cael ei recordio’n eang. Mae disg cyfansoddwr sengl ar label Nimbus yn cynnwys ei waith mawreddog Cello Symphony, ar Signum Classics mae disg o weithiau cerddorfaol a berfformir gan Gerddorfa Genedlaethol Cymru’r BBC, a disg ddilynol o gerddoriaeth siambr – LLWYBRAU CÂN. Mae ei opera UNDER MILK WOOD ar label Tŷ Cerdd. Hefyd ar yr un label mae disg o gerddoriaeth siambr gan y grŵp o Ddenmarc, Ensemble MidtVest, dan y teitl SIX PALINDROMES. Arolwg yw hwn o’r gerddoriaeth siambr a gyfansoddodd rhwng 1995 a 2017. Mae’r gwaith piano poblogaidd ENDLESS SONG ar gael ar label Chandos.
With thanks to Rhiannon Ifans for Welsh translation of biography.