Brian Ferneyhough

Short bio Brian Ferneyhough

Birthday: 1943 in Coventry, West Midlands, England

Active: 1960s - 2010s

Genre: Classical,Avant-Garde

Period: 20th Century, Contemporary

Full biography Brian Ferneyhough

Brian Ferneyhough is an English composer known for his complex and intellectually demanding compositions. He was born on January 16, 1943, in Coventry, England, and began his musical studies as a chorister at Coventry Cathedral.

Ferneyhough's compositions have been praised for their use of complex rhythms and intricate notational systems, which challenge both performers and listeners. His work has been praised for its innovation and experimentation, drawing from a wide range of sources including mathematics, philosophy, and literature.

Ferneyhough's most significant achievements include his orchestral writing, his chamber works, and his solo instrumental music. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2007.

Despite the complexity of Ferneyhough's work, he has remained committed to the performer, often working closely with them to ensure that the music is performed precisely as he intended. He has also been an advocate for the use of technology in music, including the use of computer programs for the generation of musical materials.

Overall, Brian Ferneyhough is a critically acclaimed composer whose work pushes the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Though his music may not be for everyone, those who appreciate intellectual and challenging compositions will find much to admire in his work.

Compositions featuring Brian Ferneyhough

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	El Rey de Calabria, for piano	2:38 min	Keyboard	2018
2	Silentium, for string quartet	7:08 min	Chamber Music	2014
3	Inconjunctions, for chamber orchestra	19:15 min	Orchestral	2014
4	Finis Terrae, for 6 voices & chamber orchestra	14:10 min	Vocal Music	2012
5	Liber Scintillarum, for chamber ensemble	19:10 min	Chamber Music	2011
6	Quirl, for piano	13:46 min	Keyboard	2011
7	String Quartet No. 6	23:58 min	Chamber Music	2010
8	Renvoi-Shards, for quarter-tone electric guitar & quarter-tone vibraphone	11:26 min	Chamber Music	2010
9	Sisyphus Redux, for alto flute	8:07 min	Chamber Music	2010
10	Chronos-Aion, concerto for ensemble	27:39 min	Concerto	2008
11	Exordium, for string quartet	8:14 min	Chamber Music	2008
12	Plötzlichkeit, for 2 sopranos, alto & orchestra	22:30 min	Vocal Music	2006
13	String Quartet No. 5	15:11 min	Chamber Music	2006
14	Dum transisset, for string quartet	12:38 min	Chamber Music	2006
15	Shadowtime No. 6, tableaux (7) for speaker & ensemble	13:41 min	Chamber Music	2003
16	Stelae for Failed Time, for choir & prerecorded sound	14:09 min	Choral	2002
17	In nomine a 3, for piccolo, oboe & clarinet	2:08 min	Chamber Music	2001
18	Opus Contra Naturam, a Shadow Play for speaking pianist	19:06 min	Keyboard	2000
19	The Doctrine of Similarity, for choir & ensemble	28:00 min	Choral	1999
20	Unsichtbare Farben, for violin	15:25 min	Chamber Music	1999
21	Incipits, for ensemble	12:30 min	Chamber Music	1997
22	Flurries, for piccolo, clarinet, horn, violin, cello & piano	9:27 min	Chamber Music	1997
23	String Trio	23:20 min	Chamber Music	1995
24	Streichtrio, for string trio (composed with Patchwork)	1:20 min	Chamber Music	1994
25	On Stellar Magnitudes for voice & ensemble	11:18 min	Vocal Music	1994
26	Bone Alphabet, for percussion	11:26 min	Chamber Music	1992
27	Terrain, for violin and wind octet	14:01 min	Chamber Music	1991
28	String Quartet No. 4 for string quartet & soprano	20:47 min	Vocal Music	1990
29	Trittico per G. S. for double bass	11:56 min	Chamber Music	1989
30	String Quartet No. 3	18:27 min	Chamber Music	1987
31	Mnemosyne for bass flute & 8-track tape	11:06 min	Chamber Music	1986
32	Carceri d'Invenzione III, for winds & percussion	11:22 min	Chamber Music	1986
33	Carceri d'Invenzione IIb for flute solo	10:58 min	Chamber Music	1984
34	Adagissimo, for string quartet	1:46 min	Chamber Music	1983
35	Kurze Schaten II, for solo guitar	16:15 min	Chamber Music	1983
36	Études Transcendentales, for soprano, flute, oboe, cello & harpsichord	27:52 min	Vocal Music	1982
37	Superscriptio for piccolo solo	5:38 min	Chamber Music	1981
38	String Quartet No. 2	10:24 min	Chamber Music	1980
39	Time and Motion Study II for cello & electronics	22:08 min	Electronic/Computer Music	1976
40	Unity Capsule, for flute solo	14:12 min	Chamber Music	1976
41	Casandra's Dream Song for flute	9:28 min	Chamber Music	1971
42	Prometheus for wind sextet	17:21 min	Chamber Music	1967
43	Sonatas for string quartet	41:28 min	Chamber Music	1967
44	Sonata for 2 pianos	15:51 min	Keyboard	1966
45	Epigrams, for piano	8:50 min	Keyboard	1966
46	Pieces (3) for piano	19:07 min	Keyboard	1966
47	Invention for piano	2:08 min	Keyboard	1965
48	Miniatures (4) for flute & piano	7:34 min	Chamber Music	1965
49	Time and Motion Study I	9:19 min	Electronic/Computer Music	-
50	Time and Motion Study III	22:40 min	Choral	-
51	Two Marian Motets, for choir	10:21 min	Choral	-
52	Funérailles (Version 1) for string sextet, double bass, and harp	11:11 min	Chamber Music	-
53	Carceri d'Invenzione IIc for flute & tape	9:31 min	Chamber Music	-
54	Funérailles (Version 2) for 7 strings & harp	12:58 min	Chamber Music	-
55	Intermedio Alla Ciaccona for violin solo	9:05 min	Chamber Music	-
56	Sieben Sterne	16:23 min	Keyboard	-
57	Shadowtime, opera	126:24 min	Opera	-
58	La Chúte D'Icare for clarinet & small ensemble	9:57 min	Chamber Music	-
59	La Terre est un Homme, for orchestra	13:04 min	Orchestral	-
60	Lemma-Icon-Epigram, for piano	13:21 min	Keyboard	-
61	Les Froissements d'Ailes De Gabriel, for guitar & ensemble	17:47 min	Chamber Music	-
62	No time (at all), for 2 guitars	7:25 min	Chamber Music	-
63	Missa Brevis, for 12 voices	14:03 min	Choral	-

Albums featuring Brian Ferneyhough

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Brian Ferneyhough - Ian Pace (2) & Ben Smith (52) – Complete Piano Music 1965-2018(2×CD, Album)	2021	Metier
2	MusikFabrik, Brian Ferneyhough, Stephan Winkler, Oscar Bettison – Fall(CD, Album)	2019	WERGO
3	James Wood, John Cage, Brian Ferneyhough, Ensemble Vertigo, Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain – Wood - Cage - Ferneyhough(CD, Album)	2018	Neos
4	Brian Ferneyhough - BBC Symphony Orchestra \| Martyn Brabbins \| Exaudi \| James Weeks (2) \| ensemble recherche – La Terre Est Un Homme(CD, )	2018	NMC (3)
5	Rotaru, Sarto, Hosokawa, Ferneyhough, Aralla - Keiko Murakami – Atem Lied (Works For Bass Flute)(CD, Album)	2017	Stradivarius
6	Miranda Cuckson, Wolpe, Carter, Ferneyhough – Invisible Colors(CD, Album)	2017	Urlicht Audio Visual
7	MusikFabrik, Brian Ferneyhough, Klaus Lang, Carola Bauckholt, Jorge E. López – Schlamm(CD, Album)	2016	WERGO
8	Ablinger - Adámek - Cerha - Ferneyhough - Kyburz - Mařatka - Rihm - Sarhan - Sciarrino - Steen-Andersen - Szlavnics - Walshe – Donaueschinger Musiktage 2014(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Stereo, DVD, DVD-Video, PAL, Box Set, )	2015	Neos
9	Halffter - Ferneyhough - Richard - Heusinger, Hélène Fauchère , Soprano · Martin Fahlenbock , Bass Flute · Collegium Novum Zürich · Ensemble Experimental · Detlef Heusinger , Conductor · EXPERIMENTALSTUDIO des SWR – Experimentalstudio 40 Years Anthology	2015	Neos
10	Brian Ferneyhough - Nicolas Hodges, Rolf Hind – Complete Piano Works(2×CD, Album)	2015	Neos
11	Brian Ferneyhough, Arditti Quartet, Claron McFadden – Complete Works For String Quartet & Trio(3×CD, )	2014	æon
12	MusikFabrik - Michael Jarrell \| Stefano Gervasoni \| Joël-François Durand \| Brian Ferneyhough – Schattenspiele \| Shadow Games(CD, )	2010	WERGO
13	Brian Ferneyhough - Graeme Jennings, Geoffrey Morris (2), Carl Rosman, Erkki Veltheim, ELISION Ensemble, Franck Ollu, Jean Deroyer – Terrain(CD, Album)	2010	Kairos
14	Brian Ferneyhough, Ensemble Exposé, Roger Redgate – Chamber Music(CD, Album)	2009	Metier
15	Ξenakis, Ferneyhough, Morton Feldman, Giacinto Scelsi, Bernhard Haas – Die Orgelwerke(CD, )	2008	edition zeitklang Musikproduktion
16	Shadowtime(2×CD, Album)	2006	NMC (3)
17	Jentzsch \| Pagh-Paan \| Voigtländer \| Mainka / Lorenz \| N. A. Huber \| Ferneyhough \| Oehring \| Stache \| Gerhardt – Musik Für Soloinstrumente 1990-2000(CD, Compilation)	2006	RCA Red Seal
18	Brian Ferneyhough, ensemble recherche, Arditti Quartet – Funérailles(CD, Album)	2005	Stradivarius
19	Brian Ferneyhough, ensemble recherche – Flurries, String Trio, In Nomine A 3, Streichtrio, Incipits(CD, Album)	2005	Stradivarius
20	Brian Ferneyhough / BBC Singers / Lontano (2) – Choral Works(CD, Album)	2005	Metier
21	Brian Ferneyhough(CD, Album)	2004	Composers' Art Label
22	Winston Choi - Ferneyhough, Finnissy, Bernstein, Wolff, Xenakis, Sciarrino – Yearbooks Of The 20th Century Piano - 1980(CD, Album)	2004	Frame (3)
23	Shannon Wettstein - Chopin, Berg, Ferneyhough, Debussy – Chopin: Mazurkas, Op. 50 And Op. 59 / Berg: Sonata In B Minor, Op. 1 / Ferneyhough: Lemma-Icon-Epigram / Debussy: Images, Book II(CD, Album)	2002	Centaur Records
24	Brian Ferneyhough - Kolbeinn Bjarnason – Music For Flute(CD, Album)	2002	Bridge Records (4)
25	Dessau \| Schnebel \| Schubert \| Schenker \| von Bose \| Kalitzke \| Ferneyhough – Vokale Virtuosität(CD, Compilation)	2001	RCA Red Seal
26	Mario Caroli - Debussy, Sciarrino, Kurtág, Ferneyhough, Gervasoni, Yun, Dillon, Rueda – ĀS(CD, Album)	2000	SVaNa
27	Roberto Fabbriciani, Massimiliano Damerini, Orchestra Da Camera "I Solisti di Fiesole" - Janácek, Castiglioni, Donatoni, Ferneyhough, Castérède, Loeb, Yun, Togni, Stockhausen, Bucchi – Piccolo XX - Ottavino XX° Secolo(CD, Album, Stereo)	1999	Arts (3)
28	Carin Levine - Ferneyhough, Hosokawa, Huber, Kawashima, Kurtag, Maderna, Pagh-Paan, Reich – Flutes Without Borders(CD, Album)	1998	Musicaphon
29	Brian Ferneyhough - Elision – Solo Works(CD, Album)	1998	Etcetera (3)
30	Mark André, Brian Ferneyhough, Cristóbal Halffter, Diego Minciacchi, Isabel Mundry, Luigi Nono, Emmanuel Nunes, André Richard, Dieter Schnebel – 25 Years Experimentalstudio Freiburg(3×CD, Compilation, Remastered, Box Set, )	1998	Col Legno
31	Brian Ferneyhough - Luisa Castellani, Félix Renggli, Ernesto Molinari, Ensemble Contrechamps / Giorgio Bernasconi, Zsolt Nagy, Emilio Pomárico – Prometheus / La Chute D'Icare / On Stellar Magnitudes / Superscriptio / Carceri D'Invenzione III(CD, Album)	1996	Accord
32	Brian Ferneyhough - Arditti Quartet – Brian Ferneyhough 2	1996	Montaigne
33	Brian Ferneyhough, Arditti Quartet – Deuxième Quatuor à Cordes / Adagissimo / Troisième Quatuor à Cordes / Sonates	1990	Disques Montaigne
34	Ferneyhough, Xenakis, Truax, Schottstaedt – Perspectives Of New Music(CD, )	1990	Perspectives Of New Music
35	Brian Ferneyhough, Brenda Mitchell (3), Harrie Starreveld, Armand Angster, Irvine Arditti, Nieuw Ensemble, Ed Spanjaard – La Chûte D'Icare / Superscriptio / Intermedio Alla Ciaccona / Etudes Trascendentales / Mnemosyne(CD, Album)	1989	Etcetera (3)
36	Dufourt / Ferneyhough / Harvey / Höller - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez & Peter Eötvös – Antiphysis / Funérailles - Versions I & Il / Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco / Arcus	1987	Erato
37	Berg , Ferneyhough , LIgeti , Mahler , Messiaen , Ravel , Reimann, Schola Cantorum Stuttgart , Clytus Gottwald – Neue Chormusik III(LP, Album)	1985	Wergo
38	York Höller / Brian Ferneyhough - Peter Eötvös / Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterContemporain – Arcus / Funérailles, Versions I & II(LP, Album)	1985	Erato
39	Brian Ferneyhough - Pierre-Yves Artaud – Brian Ferneyhough Rencontre Pierre-Yves Artaud (Flute)(LP, Album)	1984	Stil Discothèque
40	Ferneyhough / Harvey / Carter / Arditti String Quartet – String Quartet No. 2 / String Quartet No. 2 / String Quartet No. 3	1982	RCA Red Seal
41	Brian Ferneyhough - Elgar Howarth / London Sinfonietta – Transit(LP, Stereo)	1978	Decca
42	Brian Ferneyhough - Berne String Quartet – Sonatas For String Quartet	1978	RCA Red Seal
43	Thomas Kessler / Brian Ferneyhough – Basler Komponisten New Music From Basle(LP)	-	Musicaphon

Videos featuring Brian Ferneyhough

Ferneyhough La Chute d'Icare 1988 w score

Brian Ferneyhough - String Quartet No. 2 (w/ score) (1979/80)

Arditti

Just for promotion.

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Ferneyhough - String Quartet No. 4 (1989-90) (with score)

As in Brian Ferneyhough's Sonatas for String Quartet, which alludes (albeit obliquely) to Henry Purcell, and his Lemma-Icon-Epigram, which references Schoenberg's Opus 23 piano pieces, Ferneyhough's Fourth String Quartet (1989-90) contains within it a rea