Bachtrack is asking the same six questions to many composers this month as part of its focus on contemporary music. Here’s what Peter Reynolds had to say.
1. What influences are important to you and your music? Do you choose them, or do they choose you?
Influences come mainly from non-musicians: visual artists, poets and other artists. Musical influences usually come from friends or my students whose ideas are incredibly fresh.
2. What (if anything) do you want listeners to take away from your music?
Listeners take away what’s important for them, not necessarily what’s important for me. I’m very happy with that.
3. Is there a composition of yours which you are most satisfied with? What makes it successful?
Yes, the piece I’m planning now: everything is still possible.
4. How important is new technology to you as a composer?
It hasn’t been important up to now, but it’s going to be in the next year or two – which is great.
5. What music do you enjoy listening to?
I’m most excited by new or unfamiliar music.
6. How is composing changing, and where do you want new music to go in the future?
My own music’s changing a lot at present. I don’t think that I ought to tell other composers where their music should be going.
Peter Reynolds was born and studied in Cardiff. His music has been performed in Britain, Europe and the USA and broadcast on Radio 3, BBC Wales and BBC Television. He joined the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, in 1994 as a part-time member of the academic staff and has also been a tutor of composition there since 2002. He was Composer-in-residence with the Young Composer of Dyfed between 2010-13.