Harvey has a truly global reputation, particularly for his work in the field of electro-acoustic music (he has been commissioned by IRCAM on eight separate occasions), and is considered as one of the most skilled and imaginative composers using the electronic medium today (receiving the Giga-Hertz Award for life's work from a jury including Boulez and Rihm). He has also composed for most other genres, including large orchestra, ensemble and solo instrumental. He is particularly renowned for his choral music, much of which is suited for church performance, most notably his church opera Passion and Resurrection. He is frequently featured at all the major European music festivals. Harvey was Composer-in-Association with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra from 2005-08, for which he produced an orchestral triptych: Body Mandala (2006), Speakings (2008) & …towards a pure land (2005), and he is currently celebrating his 70th year between May 2009 - May 2010, with many dedicated concerts, new recordings, festival focuses and composer portraits. Recent commissions include two works for chorus and orchestra: Messages (2008) (Rundfunkchor Berlin with Berliner Philharmoniker, and Fundación Patronata de la Semana de Musica Religiosa de Cuenca), and a full-evening commission from Hans Küng’s Global Ethic Foundation for narrator, chorus, childrens’ chorus and orchestra (also Berliner Philharmoniker).
December 2009
Forthcoming performances:
Speakings
12.6.10, Agora Festival, Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de la Radio France, Paris, France: Orchestra Philharmonique de la Radio France/Pascal Rophé
Come Holy Ghost
12.7.10, Lichfield Festival, Lichfield Cathedral, United Kingdom: Lichfield Cathedral Choir/Philip Scriven
String Trio
18.7.10, Aix en Provence, France: The Elixir Trio
Cello Octet
25.8.10, San Sebastian's International Festival, Spain: Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico
String Quartet No 4 (Japanese premiere)
26.8.10, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan: Quatro Piacerri
Hidden Voice 2 (Japanese premiere)/Scena (Japanese premiere)/Sringara Chaconne
26.8.10, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra/Numajiri Ryusuke
80 Breaths for Tokyo (Japanese premiere)
30.8.10, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Body Mandala
30.8.10, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra/Numajiri Ryusuke
Dum transisset sabbatum
4.9.10, BBC Proms, Cadogan Hall, London, United Kingdom: BBC Singers/David Hill
Bhakti
18.9.10, Flanders, Belgium: Ictus Ensemble
Messages (Netherlands premiere)
25.9.10, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Groot Omroepkoor/Radio Filharmonisch Orkest/James Gaffigan
Nataraja
3.10.10, Festival Musica, Salle de la Bourse, Austria: Mario Caroli/Erika Hashimoto
Come Holy Ghost
14.11.10, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA: Millennium Consort Singers/Martin Neary