About David Paul Graham

David Paul Graham was born in 1951 in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, studied at Reading University and in Hans Werner Henze's Master-class in Cologne.

He lived for three years in Montepulciano, teaching at the music school and organising the local music-theatre contribution to the annual festival. Here he initiated a childrens’ composition-course which produced Tre Opere per Burattini (Three Puppet-Operas) written, built and performed by young people. This project has become a model.

His works have been performed and broadcast in Europe and Latin-America. He composed several song-cycles (texts by Hans-Ulrich Treichel, Richard Nöbel, Rose Ausländer, Bert Brecht, Ian Stephen), larger works which have been premiered at the Almeida Festival; Münchener Biennale; Columbus Festival, Udine; Steirische Herbst, Austria and in many German cities. He has written music for radio-plays, film music for Volker Schloendorff and Bill Douglas, Music/Video with Harald Klemm (Dolly, a 20-minute artistic commentary on genetic engineering), and his latest operas for young performers were The Girls from Theresienstadt and Five and It. He also writes copiously for the Accordeon.

Graham's didactic work with young people is widely known. In 1996 Lighting the Candle brought together the Tate Gallery, the Orchestra of St. John’s Smith Square and the National Youth Music Theatre in the performance of a stage piece with libretto and music by pupils from a London school. For 30 years Graham taught a highly successful children’s composition-class in Düsseldorf, has often been composer in residence at university courses (Spain, Berlin) and seven times member of the organising committee of a Cuban festival for new music.

For further informations: www.david-p-graham.com