Welcome to the website of the guitarist and composer Alan Thomas. Here you'll find information about Alan's performances, compositions and recording projects, as well as details of upcoming concerts and cd releases.
Alan Thomas was born in Atlanta, and completed his guitar studies with Ernesto Bitetti and Scott Tennant. While still a student, he won top-prizes in the MTNA, American Artistic Ambassador and Guitar Foundation of America competitions. Moving to England in 1997, he quickly established himself as one of Europe's foremost new music soloists and ensemble players following his first-prize win at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in Holland (becoming the only guitarist ever to take the top prize). Since then he has pursued an active career as a recitalist and concerto soloist, performing throughout the U.K., Europe and the USA, both in concert series and international festivals.
His performances have been frequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Radio France, as well as on television and radio throughout Europe and the United States. He has recorded over twenty solo and ensemble CDs on the Accord, Metier, NMC, Matchless Records and Vivi Records labels, including a recent 2-CD set of his arrangements of Lennon/McCartney compositions, The Long and Winding Road. He has also formed notable collaborations with the soprano Juliet Fraser, violinist David Alberman, clarnettist Andrew Sparling and mezzo-soprano Juliette Pochin.
Particularly dedicated to contemporary music, Alan Thomas has given world premières of over forty works written especially for him by Ed Bennett, Laurence Crane, Gabriel Erkoreka, Michael Finnissy, Christopher Fox, Bryn Harrison, Evis Sammoutis and others. He has also performed and recorded on classical and electric guitars, mandolin and banjo with many of the world's leading contemporary music groups, including the Nieuw Ensemble, Apartment House, Ensemble Exposé, Endymion, Gemini, Topologies, Lontano, Ensemble Corrente and Ixion. In recognition of his achievements in the contemporary solo arena, he was recently invited by Rolf Hind to play a recital for the spnm's prestigious "Solo Spotlights" series.
In addition to teaching masterclasses at conservatoires and festivals throughout the world, he has taught at the University of California and Trinity College of Music, and is currently on the music faculties of the University of York, Trent College and the Loughborough Endowed Schools Music School. (He also does a limited amount of private teaching--click for more info!)
In recent years he has also become increasingly active as a composer, focussing on solo and ensemble works for guitar. For more details please visit the compositions page. Highlights of 2007-08 include the world premiere of Alan's concerto Rhapsody on a Spanish Theme, as well as new works commissioned by the Cavatina Duo and the Midlands Fretted Orchestra. Alan will also play the world premieres of new pieces written for him by Laurence Crane and Nigel Morgan.
Now Playing:
"Morning Dance"
from "Out of Africa"Suite
"Thomas conjured a wonderfully rich world from his instrument in this spell- binding concert. Anyone interested in the best of what's being written for the contemporary guitar should seek out Alan Thomas, who exudes confidence and pleasure in his inspired playing and repertoire." Classical Guitar magazine (England)
For bookings or further information please don't hesitate to contact Alan by email.
For CD orders please see the Recordings page.
Festival Appearances BBC Proms (UK) Aldeburgh (UK) Brighton (UK) Bath Guitar Festival (UK) Output Festival (NL) ISCM (UK) Spitalfields (UK) Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK) Rotterdam Biennial (NL) New Music Nights (Slovakia) American Music Week (Bulgaria) Electric Spring (UK) Gaudeamus Festival (NL) Ultima (Norway) GAS (Sweden) Witten New Music Days (Germany) Berlin Festival (Germany) Oxford Contemporary Music (UK) BMIC "Cutting Edge" series Voix Nouvelles (France) Hoxton (UK) Guitar Foundation of America (USA) Zwolle Guitar Festival (NL) Cheltenham Festival (UK) "Modern Britain" series (UK) SPNM "Solo Spotlights" series (UK) Performed/Recorded with: Endymion Apartment House Ensemble Expose Lontano Nieuw Ensemble Ixion London Steve Reich Ensemble Topologies Capella Amsterdam Almeida Opera Ensemble Exaudi Scottish Flute Trio Ensemble Corrente New London Chamber Choir Backbeat Percussion Quartet David Alberman (violin) Michael Finnissy (piano) Juliet Fraser (soprano) Juliette Pochin (mezzo-soprano) Andrew Sparling (clarinet)
Solo Appearances with orchestras The Nieuw Ensemble Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra Leicestershire Sinfonia Ensemble Exposé Kantak Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra University of Leicester Sinfonia
Selected World Premieres Ed Bennett: My Broken Guitar | spnm "solo spotlights" | 06 Derek Bermel: Elektrokosmos | Output Festival | 07 Willem Boogman: Genieting IV | Output Festival | 07 Donald Bousted: Solo for Elisabeth | spnm "Solo Spotlights" | 07 Laurence Crane: Bobby J. | Modern Britain Series | 99 Laurence Crane: Some Rock Music for Alan Thomas | Rational Rec | 08 Laurence Crane: John White in Berlin | Berlin Festival | 03 Paul Davies: Ciacconna 21 | Electric Spring Festival | Gabriel Erkoreka: Jukal (guitar concerto) | Nieuw Ensemble, Netherlands | Gabriel Erkoreka: Fantasia | Dartington College | 01 Michael Finnissy: Casual Nudity | BMIC Cutting Edge tour | 01 Michael Finnissy: Yob Kultcha | Rational Rec New Music | 08 Christopher Fox: The Grain of Abstraction | Electric Spring Festival | Christopher Fox: Zone | BBC Invitation Concert | Don Freund: Stirrings | Indiana University Bryn Harrison: Return | Kettle's Yard New Music Series | 05 Bryn Harrison: Four Parts to Centre | Nigel Morgan: Preludes | Electric Spring Festival | Nigel Morgan: Continuum | Manchester Met. Univ. | 07 Petros Ovsepyan: Now the Shadow of the pillar... | Univ. of California, SD | Petros Ovsepyan: The C of Love (flute and guitar version) | Sofia, Bulgaria Alwynne Pritchard: Nostos ou Topos | BMIC Cutting Edge Series | 00 Evis Sammoutis: Alter Ego I | Hellenic Centre, London | 07 James Weeks: Schilderkonst | London | 07