New House Composer – Frederick Viner
Born in Tunbridge Wells in 1994, Frederick Viner studied composition at the University of York (BA 2016) and at the University of Oxford (MST 2017). In 2017 he was appointed Composer in Residence at Eton College.
Viner’s music has received many accolades. In 2015, whilst an undergraduate at the University of York, his Bagatelle won the Ebor Organ Prize and was published by Banks in the Ebor Organ Album – Seven Pieces for Seven Decades. In 2016 Viner was awarded first prize in the Royal Northern Sinfonia’s Mozart’s of Tomorrow competition for Sleeping Gomatz, which the judging panel described as ‘ravishing’ and ‘constantly engaging’. After graduating from York with distinction, he was appointed Artist in Residence with Sage Gateshead’s Young Sinfonia and was also commissioned to write the closing piece for the Brundibár Arts Festival. In 2017, during his time in Oxford, Viner won first prize in William Howard’s Love Song Composing Competition with Herz an Herz, chosen from 152 compositions submitted anonymously from 61 countries. In 2017 he was also awarded The Henfrey Composition Prize for Bells Wrung, as well as the prestigious NCEM Young Composers Award for Prayer from Afar, which was performed at Bridgewater Hall by the Tallis Scholars and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Viner has a special affinity for Mahler and enjoys transcribing movements from his symphonies, taking pleasure in replicating music usually so inseparable from the orchestral context with his own two hands.
We wish Frederick the very best of luck for all of his future endeavours alongside UYMP.
(30 Nov 2017)
