Alejandro Viñao

Alejandro Viñao (born September 4, 1951) is an Argentinian composer currently living in the United Kingdom.

Viñao studied musical composition in Buenos Aires with the composer Jacobo Fischer [2]. In 1976 he was awarded a British Council scholarship to study in London at the Royal College of Music and later on at the City University where he was awarded a Ph.D in composition. He has been a British citizen since 1994, holding double nationality. During the 1980's he worked at IRCAM in Paris where he developed a particular interest in sound interpolation (sound morphing) a technique that has featured in many of his compositions such as Chant D'Ailleurs which won the Prix Ars Electronica in 1992. Viñao has written orchestral and chamber music for the concert hall, opera and music-theatre, film scores, music for multimedia events and rock and popular music. He has also created and presented programmes for the BBC, radio 3. [3].

He has written a number of percussion works, such as Khan Variations, which have become very well known in the US, Europe and Japan.

Viñao lives in Crouch End, North London with his wife, actress Lachele Carl, and their son.

Prizes and awards

• 1976 to 1979 - British Council Scholarship.
• 1977 - Cobbette Prize in composition, Royal College of Music, London.
• 1979 - 2nd prize at International Competition for Electro-Acoustic Music Bourges, France. [4]
• 1981 - 1st prize at International Competition for Electro-Acoustic Music Bourges, France.
• 1984 - 1st Prize at The International Rostrum, of the Unesco, World Music Council.
• 1988 - Mention, Prix Ars Electronica, Austria.
• 1989 - Distinction, Prix Ars Electronica, Austria. [5]
• 1990 - 2nd prize Sony Radio Academy Awards, UK
• 1992 - 2nd prize Sony Radio Academy Awards, UK
• 1992 - Euphonie d'Or, Bourges, France.[6]
• 1992 - 1st Prize Golden Nica, Prix Ars Electronica, Austria. [7]
• 1994 - Honorary Mention, Prix Ars Electronica, Austria.
• 1994 - Guggenheim fellowship in composition, USA. [8]
• 1996 - Research & Development Grant, Arts Council of Great Britain.
• 1996 - Honorary Mention, Prix Ars Electronica, Austria. [9]
• 2004 - Arts and Science research Fellowship, Music Department, University of Cambridge, UK
• 2006 - Leverhulme Trust Artist in Residence at University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, UK
• 2007- Roger D. Moore Distinguished Visitor, University of Toronto, Canada.

Recordings

• Son Entero/Triple Concerto - WERGO (WER 2019-50) [10]
• Toccata del Mago - Computer Music Currents 11 - WERGO (WER 20312) [11]
• Hildegard’s Dream - Musidisc (MU 244942)
• Percussive Counterpoint , label: CAG records
• Voice Stories - ALBEDO (Catalog no.: ALBCD012)
• United Instruments of Lucilin , FUGA LIBERA, FUG 501
• Vinao, Parmerud etc "Sthlm Elektronmusikfestival 1981" - Fylkingen Records - FYLP 1026 -[12]
• Miniatures 1 - Cherry Red Records - [13]

References

• Montague, Stephen. 2001. "Viñao, Alejandro". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie and J. Tyrrell. London: Macmillan.
• Interview by Philip Tagney, "Alejandro Viñao", Ballade, Nº 3, 1992, Scandinavian University Press, (English).

External links

• Alejandro Viñao
• PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA [14]
• (French) A biography of Alejandro Viñao, from IRCAM's website.
• Discourses in Music: Volume 6 Number 2 - An interview with Alejandro Viñao
• TOKAFI: 15 questions to Alejandro Viñao
• Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music