Biography
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Born
16 May 1946 (age 78)
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Born In
Nelson City, South Island, New Zealand
Denis Arthur Smalley (born 1946 in Nelson, New Zealand) is a composer of sophisticated electronic music. He initially composed onto tape, but as early as the 1980s realised his works using computer software. Source sounds for his works may come from the environment – and are often the starting point for his pieces – but he may also develop highly sophisticated timbres from scratch using computer software. He describes his approach as "spectro-morphological", featuring the development of sounds in time (Landy 1994, p.149). After graduating in New Zealand, further studies were in Paris with Olivier Messiaen and Musique concrète pioneer François Bayle.
Previously a lecturer at the University of East Anglia, England, he currently teaches electroacoustic composition (and is former Head of the Music Department) at City University, London.
His music has been performed around the world and most of his major works appear on commercially-released CDs.
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