Thomas Simaku


Thomas Simaku is an Albanian-born British composer.

Education

Simaku studied composition between the years 1978–1982 at the Academy of Music and Arts of Albania under Tonin Harapi. After graduation he was nominated as Director of Music at the Palace of Culture of Permet, in southern Albania.
In 1991 Simaku moved to England to study for a PhD in composition with David Blake at the University of York, which he was awarded in 1996.

Prizes and Awards

Notable prizes and awards that Simaku has won include:
Simaku's music has been performed throughout the UK and Europe, as well as in North America, Australia and the Far East. In 1995 his work Epitaph for String Orchestra was selected by the International Jury for the ISCM World Music Days in Germany - the first ever Albanian music to be included in this prestigious festival. Subsequently, Simaku's works have been selected by the International Jury at the World Music Days of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2019.
Other venues and international festivals where his music has been performed include Wigmore Hall; King’s College Cambridge; Den Sorte Diamant Hall, Copenhagen; Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival ; Forum für Neuer Musik, Deutschlandfunk, Cologne; New Music Miami; Encontre Internacional de Compositors 2011, Spain; Intrasonus festival, Venice; Moderne Muziek Nijmegen in Holland amongst others.
Simaku has given masterclasses and lectures on his music across several universities and music academies in the UK, Europe and USA.

Publication

Simaku’s works have been recorded by internationally renowned musicians and ensembles, including soloists of Ensemble Intercontemporain, , and Kreutzer Quartet.
Released by labels such as BIS, NMC, and Naxos, they have received critical acclaim internationally from, among others, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone Magazine, Music Opinion, Diapason, Crescendo, , , Rondo – Das Klassik & Jazz Magazine, and Fanfare Magazine.

Discography

  • SOLO – Soloists of Ensemble Intercontemporain
NMC Catalogue No:
Release Date: 09/2023
  • Con-ri-sonanza
BIS Catalogue No:
Release Date: 11/2020
Selected by Radio France in their best of year list.
  • Solos & Duos
Catalogue No:
Release Date: 08/2019
  • String Quartets Nos 2 and 3, Soliloquy I, II, III
Catalogue No:
Release Date: 05/2008.
It reached the best of year list in the Fanfare magazine in USA in 2008.
  • Soliloquy VI for Soprano Saxophone
Soprano Saxophone Music
BIS, Catalogue No:
Release Date: 11/2023

Selected works

Orchestra and Large Ensemble

  • Canticello for Cello & Orchestra – Selected for the 1999 ISCM festival, Bucharest
  • Plenilunio for 12 Solo Strings – Selected for the 2001 ISCM festival, Japan
  • The Eagle on the Cross for Orchestra – World Premiere by English Northern Philharmonia conducted by Elgar Howarth
  • Luxonorité for Ensemble – Selected for the Luxembourg Sinfonietta International Competition
  • Plenilunio II for String Orchestra – Winning work of the 2004 Serocki International Competition, Warsaw
  • Hyllus for Orchestra – Selected for the 2004 ISCM Festival, Croatia
  • Arc-en-ciel concerto for Cello & Orchestra, 2006
  • Insomnio for fifteen players – commissioned by Deutschlandfunk festival "Forum Neuer Musik", Cologne
  • The Shadow of a Brass Line for Orchestra
  • Concerto for Orchestra – Winning work of the International Competition for Lutoslawski’s 100th Birthday
  • The Scream – based on the iconic painting of Munch –World premiere broadcast on BBC radio 3
  • Morea for String Orchestra

    Chamber and Solo Works

Soliloquy Cycle
  • Soliloquy I for solo violin – Selected for the 2000 ISCM festival, Luxembourg
  • Soliloquy II for solo cello
  • Soliloquy III for solo viola – Selected for the 2003 ISCM festival, Slovenia
  • Soliloquy IV for bass clarinet
  • Soliloquy V - Flauto acerbo for Alto & Tenor Recorders –Selected for the 2012 ISCM festival, Belgium
  • Soliloquy VI for solo saxophone
  • Soliloquy VII for solo clarinet & resonant piano
  • Soliloquy VIII for marimba plus
  • Soliloquy IX for solo trumpet & resonant piano
    String Quartets
  • String Quartet No. 1
  • String Quartet No. 2 ‘Radius’
  • String Quartet No.3 ‘Voci Celesti’
  • String Quartet No. 4, 20
  • String Quartet No. 5, 20
    Catena Cycle for Solo Piano
  • Catena I
  • Catena II
  • Catena III – Corona
  • Catena IV
    Vocal Works
  • Need for Speech for Soprano & Piano
  • Three Albanian Folk Songs for female choir
  • Locked Door for Soprano & Piano
  • Akhmatova Song for soprano & cello
  • The Rose of the World for soprano, mixed chorus and large ensemble, a setting of the poem with the same name by the Nobel prize-winning poet W. B. Yeats.
  • La Leggiadra Luna for mixed choir - Selected for the 2019 ISCM festival, Estonia
    Mixed Ensemble
  • A2 for Violin & Cello
  • Réflexions de la Croix I for six players
  • Solar for trumpet, violin, piano
  • Deux Esquisses for piano
  • EngREnage for Violin & Cello
  • Con-ri-sonanza for piano & string quartet
  • Klang Inventions for Six Players
  • Moj e Bukura Moré for Violin & Piano

    Personal

In 2000, Simaku was granted British citizenship. He lives in York with his wife and two daughters. Simaku is a Professor of Composition at the University of York.