Param Vir

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Param Vir is a British composer originally from India.

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Born in Delhi into a family life permeated with Indian classical music, Param Vir's strong interest in music developed as a teenager when attending a Roman Catholic secondary school and had informal lessons from composer Hans-Joachim Koellreutter, then resident in India. [1] [2] With no prospects as a composer in India, he read history and philosophy at Delhi University, but returned to music on graduation in 1974 as a teacher. [2] From 1983 Vir studied composition at Dartington with Peter Maxwell Davies and at Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Oliver Knussen. [1] [2] In 1986 Vir was a composition fellow at Tanglewood. The following year he was a featured composer in the Festival of India in Geneva. [3]

Career highlights

Selected works

Stage works

PremiereTitleDescriptionLibretto and source
Snatched by the GodsOpera in one act, 55' William Radice, after the poem Debatar Gras by Rabindranath Tagore
Broken StringsOpera in one act, 60'. (revised 1995) David Rudkin, after an ancient Buddhist tale Guttil Jatak
IONOpera in 4 scenes with Prologue, 120' David Lan, after Euripides
Black Feather RisingMusic Theatre for 2 Singers and 6 Instrumentalists, 90' David Rudkin, after folklore collection Healers on the Mountain by Teresa Pijoan

Other

Selected recordings

References

  1. 1 2 "Param Vir". Novello & Co, London. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "RASALÎLA – Spiel der Gefühle" (in German). Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin. 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  3. "Vir, Param". Malcolm Miller. "Vir, Param." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 11 Jan. 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.