Brian Irvine

Born in Belfast Brian's body of work reflects an obsessive love of music creation in all its forms and includes operas, orchestral works, large-scale participatory work, oratorios, installations, film, theatre, dance scores as well as ensemble, solo and chamber works. His music is a highly personal concoction of contemporary classical, improvisation, punk, film and people.

He has been commissioned by many international orchestras, opera companies, performers, theatres, festivals and has toured extensively with his own 12 piece ensemble. He was Associate Composer with the Ulster Orchestra 2008-2012, Professor of Creative Arts at University of Ulster (2010-present) and recently became the first Music Laureate for the City of Belfast. He is co-artistic director of Dumbworld - a multi disciplinary arts production company he formed in 2009 with writer/director/producer John McIllduff.

His awards include: British Academy of Composers and Songwriters Award for Best New Opera/Stage Work (Welsh National Opera commission - The Tailors Daughter), MCPS Joyce Dixey Composition Prize, BBC Radio 3 Jazz Award (for best new work - Interrupting Cutler) and the 2011 Allianz Arts Award (best use of music in the community for the participatory opera: Shelter Me From The Rain) His Junk opera Postcards from Dumbworld was shortlisted for the Irish Times Opera Award (2011) and his orchestral dance piece Secret Cinema was nominated for the BBC Radio 3 Listeners Award. The orchestral children's oratorio Rain Falling Up was shortlisted for a British Composers Award in 2012. In 2011 he was awarded an MBE for services to music.

.Exhilarating stuff….Brian Irvine’s body of work is an example of the musical treasures half hidden in the cracks between the categories….smart music in a culture that often over rewards the dumb and/or the well connected The Guardian

Together with his own ensemble (BBC Radio 3 Music Award winners) he has toured extensively throughout USA, Russia, France, Portugal, Germany, Scotland, Malta, Cyrus, Poland, Scotland, Ireland, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands and has appeared at some of the world’s leading international music festivals/venues including several appearances at the Bath International Music Festival (UK), Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank (London, UK), Gulbenkian Institute (Portugal), Washington National Library of Congress (USA), Ouest Nord Ouest Festival, (France), Glasgow International Festival (UK), Kościół Św. Jana, Gdańsk (Poland), Festival d'été de Valence (France), Festival Sous les Pommiers, (France) HomecomingFestival (Russia), Dublin Festival (Ireland), Moving on Music Festival (UK), Sonorities Festival of New Music (UK) and The International House of Music (Moscow, Russia).