precept.concept.percept XII.
MENTOR [COMPOSITION]:
Alastair White (1988) is a Scottish composer and writer. His work is characterised by a lyrical complexity which has been described as “a whole exciting new genre of art” (BBC Radio 3) and an attempt “to challenge long-held assumptions about the material world and to illuminate the performative nature of matter itself” (Opera Today). Notable projects include the fashion-opera cycle of WEAR, ROBE, WOAD and RUNE (“excellent" — BBC Music Magazine, “spellbinding” — Boulezian); a string quartet for the Altius Quartet’s album Quadrants Vol. 3; the documentary opera A Boat in an Endless Blue Sea; The Drowning Shore, a Scots-Yiddish cantata; and #CAPITAL, the first opera to be performed in the metaverse ("an impressive Gesamtkunstwerk [which] shows all that the future will make possible” — Schön Magazine). Recipient of the Tait Memorial Trust Award, and shortlisted twice for a Scottish Award for New Music (in 2019 and 2020) a Creative Edinburgh Award (2019), an Ivan Juritz Prize (2023), and The Stage Awards (2024), his music is available on several full-length releases from Métier and Navona, and his scores are published by UMP. He teaches music at the University of Surrey and holds a PhD in Music from Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Classical Music Magazine and publishes and speaks internationally on his research interests, which include the theory of contingency dialectics and its methodological implications in fashion-opera.
https://www.alastairwhite.org
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MENTOR [PERFORMANCE]:
Urban Megušar (Ljubljana, 1997) is a cellist and composer. With his curious nature, Urban strives to uncover the endless possibilities offered by his instrument. His compositional work is based on compositions for solo cello, exploring the instrument's capabilities and encouraging and developing the performer's virtuosity. As a cellist, Urban focuses on chamber music and performing new music. He has performed at venues and festivals such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wien Modern, Music Biennale Zagreb, Seirisches Kammermusik Festival, Ljubljana Festival, Ascoli Piceno Festival, Forum for New Music, and .abeceda Contermporary Music Festival. As a member of Trio Tempestoso, he received the Boris Pergamenschikow Award for Contemporary Music in 2019 and the Dwight & Ursula Mamlok Award in 2022. He is a founding member of Trio Lumi, with whom they released their debut album Tere Tere in 2021. Urban regularly collaborates with living composers and focuses on performing new solo cello works. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, he is undertaking his master's studies in music performance with an individual concentration at the Norwegian Academy of Music and a master's degree in chamber music at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. His mentors include Špela Kermelj, Karmen Pečar Koritnik, Julian Arp, Tanja Orning, Dré A. Hočevar, Martin Spangenberg, Klemens Bittmann, and Frances-Marie Uitti.
