
Kenneth Hesketh
Country of origin:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Birthday:
July 20, 1968
About Kenneth Hesketh
"...further evidence of the composer's continued refining of his intricate but never diffuse approach to sonority – and with a gestural lightness of touch all too easy to overlook but which should never to be taken for granted." (The Classical Source)Described by Tempo Magazine as "...a composer who both has something to say and the means to say it”, Kenneth Hesketh began composing whilst a chorister at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. He completed his first orchestral work at the age of 13 and received his first formal commission at 19 for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves. After studying at Tanglewood in 1995 with Henri Dutilleux, Hesketh completed a Masters degree in Composition at the University of Michigan. A series of awards followed, including a scholarship from the Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg at the behest of Sir Simon Rattle and the Constant and Kit Lambert Fellowship at the Royal College of Music. Hesketh was New Music Fellow at Kettle's Yard and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 2003 – 2005 where he curated a series of new music chamber concerts. He was awarded the Foundation André Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud prize at the 2004 Concours International de Piano d'Orléans after a performance of Three Japanese Miniatures by pianist Daniel Becker. A professor of composition at the Royal College of Music, Hesketh has given lectures and masterclasses at numerous institutions in Britain and abroad, including the Birmingham Conservatoire, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Institute of Musical Research, Cardiff University, St. Thomas University (U.S.A.) the ICon Arts Festival (Romania), Semyung University (Seoul, South Korea) and the Bowdoin International Festival (USA). This year he will be a teacher at the Summer Academy of the Ionian University where he will also lecture on his works for film and dance. Hesketh has received numerous national and international commissions from, amongst others, the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University, a Faber Millennium Commission for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group premiered under Sir Simon Rattle, the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Vasilly Sinaisky, Hans Werner Henze and the Endymion Ensemble in honour of Henze's 75th birthday, the Munich Biennale, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Michael Vyner Trust for the London Sinfonietta, The Opera Group, ensemble Psappha and Kissinger Sommer Internationales Musikfestival. In September 2007, Hesketh took up the two-year position of Composer in the House with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, culminating in the premiere of Graven Image, a co-commission with the BBC Proms which the RLPO subsequently took on tour to Prague with their chief conductor Vasily Petrenko. He will be a featured composer at the 2014 Beijing Modern Music Festival, China. Oliver Knussen was an early champion of Hesketh’s music, conducting works with both Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the London Sinfonietta. Netsuke was performed by Susanna Malkki in her opening concert as Music Director of Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris in 2006. More recently, Clark Rundell conducted world premieres of Ein Lichtspiel in 2007 and Wunderkammer(konzert) in 2008, both with Ensemble 10/10. Conductor Christoph-Mathias Mueller has also championed Hesketh’s orchestral music giving the Swiss premiere of Detail from the Record with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Chur and the world premiere of Two Lapels and a Pocket with the Gottinger Symphonie Orchester. Other highlights include performances by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Sudwest Rundfunk (Baden-Baden), Psappha, the ASKO ensemble and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Hesketh was a part of the hugely successful collaboration between the London Sinfonietta and WARP records; his transcription of Aphex Twin’s Polygon Window has been performed across Europe and was released on CD in 2003. In addition to recordings of this and Detail from the Record (2006) by London Sinfonietta, Psaphha recorded "Theatre of Attractions", a disc of Hesketh's chamber music released for download in 2012; and NMC released a new portrait disc of orchestral and large ensemble works, "Wunderkammer(konzert)", in February 2013. Hesketh’s new work for dance, Forms entangled, shapes collided, commissioned by Psappha and Phoenix Dance Theatre, Leeds, through the support of The Royal Philharmonic Society Drummond Fund, toured throughout the UK in 2013. His third solo disc will be released in 2014 by Prima Facie, featuring works for two pianos and piano four-hands.
Worklist
Gallery

Kenneth Hesketh (c) Mark McNulty

(c) Mark McNulty

Kenneth Hesketh (c) Mark McNulty

(c) Mark McNulty

For high resolution photos, please contact: infoservice@schott-music.com
Chronology
1968
Born in Liverpool
1977
Chorister at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
1985
Symphony
1987
First official commission from Sir Charles Groves for the Royal Liverpool Philhamonic Orchestra
1992
Now Springs the Spray! for soprano and orchestra
1994
Recit and Aria for soprano and chamber orchestra
1995
Leonard Bernstein Fellow at Tanglewood
1996
Fromm Foundation commission (Harvard University, USA)
1996
Theatrum for chamber ensemble
Shakespeare Prize scholarship from the Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg
Shakespeare Prize scholarship from the Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg
1997
Masters degree in Composition, University of Michigan, USA
Torturous Instruments for chamber ensemble
Torturous Instruments for chamber ensemble
1999
The Circling Canopy of Night for chamber ensemble (Faber Music Millennium commission)
Award from the Liverpool Foundation of Sport and Arts
Awarded Constant and Kit Lambert Fellow at the Royal College of Music, London
Award from the Liverpool Foundation of Sport and Arts
Awarded Constant and Kit Lambert Fellow at the Royal College of Music, London
2000
At God Speeded Summer's End for orchestra
2000-01
Netsuke for chamber ensemble
2001
After Verdi for chamber orchestra
Deux Arabesques for chamber ensemble
Detail from the Record for chamber orchestra
Deux Arabesques for chamber ensemble
Detail from the Record for chamber orchestra
2002
Notte Oscura for orchestra
Cautionary Tales for clarinet, violin and piano
Dei Destini Incrociati for six players
Fra Duri Scogli for six players
Three Japanese Miniatures for piano
Cautionary Tales for clarinet, violin and piano
Dei Destini Incrociati for six players
Fra Duri Scogli for six players
Three Japanese Miniatures for piano
2002-03
The Overcoat Opera in 2 Acts
2003
A Land So Luminous for violin and chamber ensemble
Appointed Professor of Composition and Orchestra, Royal College of Music, London
Appointed Professor of Composition and Orchestra, Royal College of Music, London
2003-05
New Music Fellow, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge
2004
Polygon Window for violin, 2 pianos and 11 percussion
Two Lapels and a Pocket (Suite No. 1 from The Overcoat) for chamber ensemble
Three Japanese Miniatures awarded Fondation Andre Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud Prize
Two Lapels and a Pocket (Suite No. 1 from The Overcoat) for chamber ensemble
Three Japanese Miniatures awarded Fondation Andre Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud Prize
2005
Threats and Declamations for chamber ensemble
Three Pieces in the Shape of A Shoe for oboe, bassoon and piano
Three Pieces in the Shape of A Shoe for oboe, bassoon and piano
2005-06
The Doctrine of Affections for chamber ensemble
2006
Music of a Distant Drum for baritone and chamber ensemble
Small Tales, tall tales for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, baritone and chamber ensemble
Poetic Conceits for piano
Ein Lichtspiel for chamber ensemble
Small Tales, tall tales for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, baritone and chamber ensemble
Poetic Conceits for piano
Ein Lichtspiel for chamber ensemble
2007
Appointed Composer in the House with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Rhyme for the Season for orchestra
Products
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(after Kandinsky)Composer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: basset clarinet in A or clarinet in A and pianoProduct number: ED 13320Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
for violin and pianoComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Sheet musicInstrumentation: violin and pianoProduct number: ED 13337Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€19.99Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for solo violin and chamber ensembleComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: violin and chamber ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for SATB choir and orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: for SATB choir and orchestraLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: for orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for children's chorus and orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: children's chorus and orchestraLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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Divertimento in five sectionsComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for solo clarinetComposer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: ScoreSeries: Clarinet Library
Instrumentation: clarinet in BbProduct number: KLB 1001Product TypeIn stockAs low as €9.99Incl. Tax -
for orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for SATB choirComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Choral scoreInstrumentation: mixed choir (SATB)Product number: ED 13398Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€5.99Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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Composer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: clarinet, violin and pianoProduct number: ED 12874Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
(Lamentations from Macbeth)Composer: Kenneth HeskethSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: baritone and pianoProduct number: ED 13507Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
A collection of new pieces for pianoMedia Type: Sheet musicInstrumentation: pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 21470Print editionPrint editionIn stock€10.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for six playersComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for chamber orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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by Claude Debussy, for ensemble arranged by Kenneth HeskethComposer: Kenneth HeskethArranger: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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(Drei Perspektiven)Product TypeIn stockAs low as €10.99Incl. Tax
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(Drei Perspektiven)Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: piano quartetHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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(after Moholy-Nagy)Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: seventeen playersHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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Claude Debussy arranged by Kenneth HeskethComposer: Claude Debussy | Kenneth HeskethArranger: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for children's voices (SSA) and pianoComposer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Choral Music of Our Time
Instrumentation: children's voices (SSA) and pianoProduct number: ED 13314Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax -
for six playersComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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from Maurice Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin"Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for solo fluteProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €11.99Incl. Tax
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for orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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Eine kleine ausschweifende FeierComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: E-score PDFEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 13496 Q11148E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Choral Music of Our Time
Instrumentation: mixed choir (SATB)Product number: ED 12819Product TypeIn stockAs low as €4.99Incl. Tax -
List of Published WorksPromotional materialPromotional materialIn stock€0.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for solo violinProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €16.99Incl. Tax
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for solo tenor, children's chorus, SATB chorus and orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: tenor, SATB choir, children's choir and orchestra plus birdsongLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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songs from Medieval Arabic, Persian and Hebrew textsComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: baritone and ensembleLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for chamber ensembleComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 2 PianosHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for pianoProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €8.99Incl. Tax
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arranged for piano 4-handsComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Performing scoreInstrumentation: piano (4 hands)Product number: ED 13670Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€19.99Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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for chamber orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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three medieval lyrics for soprano and orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and orchestraLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for SATB chorus and orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: SATB chorus and orchestraLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for pianoProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €23.99Incl. Tax
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[Perpetuum immobile]Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano saxophone, 2 pianos, vibraphone, 4 marimbas and 4 percussionistsHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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[Perpetuum immobile]Composer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: solo violin (amplified), 2 pianos, vibraphone, 5 marimbas and 5 percussionistsHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for soprano and pianoComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and pianoHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for soprano and chamber orchestraComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and chamber orchestraLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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Claude Debussy arranged by Kenneth HeskethComposer: Claude Debussy | Kenneth HeskethArranger: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensembleHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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(Selected Poems of the Tang Dynasty)Composer: Kenneth HeskethSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: soprano and pianoProduct number: ED 13106Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
A Grimm SequenceComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, baritone and chamber ensembleLanguage: EnglishHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for symphonic wind bandComposer: Kenneth HeskethMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: symphonic wind bandHire/performance materialHire/performance material
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for eight wind instrumentsComposer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: Set of partsInstrumentation: 8 wind instrumentsProduct number: ED 13482-10Product TypeIn stockAs low as €31.99Incl. Tax
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for eight wind instrumentsComposer: Kenneth HeskethEdition: ScoreInstrumentation: 8 wind instrumentsProduct number: ED 13482Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax