Music Chamber

The first recording of internationally renowned British composer David Osbon's piano sonatas. Intense contemporary music written in traditional classical sonata structure. David says of these works: ‘Although composed over several years these 3 sonatas were always designed to be a set of works that could be performed together or individually. There are some very obvious thematic and harmonic links between each of the sonatas that, I hope, create a unity across the three works. I have deliberately set each of these in a traditional 3 movement format and I have stayed very close to traditional formal structures such as Sonata Allegro form, Ritornello form etc. It worked for Mozart, it worked for Beethoven so why shouldn’t it work for me? If there is any inspiration behind this music it is Jane Beament’s playing.’

Most of David's international recognition comes from the years he spent as a researcher and professor in cities as diverse as Philadelphia, The Hague and Istanbul. His compositions have received many awards including the Arts Council of Great Britain DIO Award, the RVW Trust electro-acoustic music award, Hilda K. Nietsche Prize and the David A. Halstead Prize. ‘Still Waiting for the Revolution’ for piano trio was a prize winner in the Clements Memorial Prize for chamber music and was premiered in the Room Music series at St. John’s Smith Square. He has conducted ensembles and orchestras ranging from the Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to the Jordanian Army Band and he has toured across Europe the USA and the Middle East with a variety of ensembles. The majority of his work now is with student ensembles from Kingston University’s School of Performance and Screen Studies – some 60 concerts a year – as he is a Principal Lecturer and Head of Collegiate Music at Kingston University. Since returning to the UK in 2000 David has, in addition to his musical work, held lecturing roles at the University of London, South Bank University and Rose Bruford College, whilst holding down a full-time role as Head of Arts and Culture at Greenwich Council where he was instrumental in, amongst other things, devising the cultural chapter of the 2012 Olympic Bid. Commissions from the Bergamo Ensemble, Docklands Sinfonietta, Blackheath String Orchestra and the Dartford Symphony Orchestra have yielded major works, plus a number of chamber music commissions have been premiered, to critical acclaim in venues ranging from St. John’s Smith Square and the Wigmore Hall through to Kingston Parish Church. David is also the conductor of the Orchestra of the Thames Gateway.