Rohan Phillips :: Composer and Conductor

Projects

Bendigo Chorale :: 2008 Season

As part of the Bendigo Chorale's 2008 Season Rohan wrote three new compositions to be performed within the Chorale's concert schedule.

• A madrigal for choir and guitar: O sweet woods, to be performed as part of a concert of Tudor music. (May)
• A concerto for flute and chamber orchestra missa brevis, written for Jenny Gogolin, and performed in a programme featuring masses by Haydn (St. Joannis de Deo - Little Organ Mass) and Schubert (G major D 167). (October)
• A seasonal motet for choir, brass ensemble and organ: Stella fulgore - greeting of the Magi, to be part of Christmas with the Chorale ~ with Brass. (December)

Rohan kept a diary, recording progress on these works, and featuring some score samples, which can be found here.

"Seven Fragments after Paul Celan"

The Seven Fragments were written between 2000 and 2002 with the expectation that they would be performed by an ensemble made up, predominantly, by local musicians.
Individual Fragments may be performed separately or as a sequence.
The texts for fragments I-VI come from poems by Paul Celan (1920-1970) and for Fragment VII: Schweigen by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926).
Introduction to Celan and the 'Seven Fragments'
'Chamber Music Premiere' press release
Programme

Titles, duration, and instrumentation:

I Wachs,...das deinen Namen	dur: 5 mins f.hr, perc, org
II (untitled)	dur: 5 mins f.hr, 2 perc, pno, 6 vlns, 2 v.c.
III in den/verflüssigten Namen/schellen die Tummler	dur: 4 mins fl, cl, f.hr (playing claves), 2 perc, vln, 2 v.c. See Sound Sample (also arranged for flute and piano)
IV Dein von wachen stößiger Traum	dur: 6 mins cl, 2 perc, pno, voices, v.c.
V Dein von wachen stößiger Traum	dur: 5 mins fl, cl, f.hr, 2 perc, pno, org, voices, 6 vln, 2 v.c.
VI Stretto	dur: 4 mins fl, cl, 2 perc, org, voices (playing percussion) vln, v.c. Score Sample
VII Schweigen	dur: 9 mins fl, cl, f.hr, 2 perc, pno, org, voices, 6 vln, 2 v.c.

Arcko Symphonic Project, June 2008 /

The Arcko Symphonic Project featuring members of Speak Percussion, Silo String Quartet and Elizabeth Anne Nixon, conducted by Timothy Phillips.
Playing works by: R.Phillips: Seven Fragments after Paul Celan, Colbert and Chisholm.

Arcko Symphonic Project, December 2010 /

The Arcko Symphonic Project, conducted by Timothy Phillips.
Playing: R.Phillips: Seven Fragments after Paul Celan and David Chisholm: Luminal

Fragments Performance, April 2005

On 17th April 2005 there was a workshop performance of the Seven Fragments along with Victoria's motet: Versa est in luctum and M.Kagel's 5 duos for percussion "Rrrrr..."
Following sectional rehearsals (wind and piano, voices, violins) in the week leading up to the 17th the ensemble came together for the first time on Saturday 16th April to put it all together.
For a recording of this performance please contact Rohan - see contacts.

Performance Details

Date:	Sunday, 17th April, 2005, 3.00pm
Venue:	St Paul's Cathedral, Myers Street, Bendigo
Players:	flute, Jenny Gogolin; clarinet, Warwick Cohen; f.horn, Andrew Young; percussion I, Timothy Phillips; percussion II, Stephan Fitzgerald; piano, Peter Butler; organ, Matthew Breaden; violins: Thea Kotzé, Jessie Crozier, Eliza Devlin, Paul Leggett
Voices:	Sandy Birch, Carol Hurst, Jordana Lory, Bronwyn Phillips, Diana Smith
Programme:	R.Phillips: Seven Fragments after Paul Celan M.Kagel: 5 duos for percussion "Rrrrr..." Victoria: Versa est in luctum

Teaching

Private Composition Students

Rohan has taught school-age and adult students various aspects of composition, from exploration of initial ideas to the preparation of performance material.
Lessons can be arranged around a regular schedule (weekly or bi-weekly) or may be more ad-hoc, as suits students' expectations and needs.

Classroom Teaching

Rohan has regularly given classes at Bendigo Senior Secondary College to year 11 and 12 students.
These classes have covered Twentieth century music history, composition, and analysis of works.
Classes in composition have included brief assignments, with the focus on expanding students' musical vocabulary within the context of their historical studies.

BSSC, May 2006; Composition example: Piano Study: Contrasts