Michael Stewart

Composer:

Here you can discover more about the different projects I am currently working on and also find out about future recordings and performances. You can listen to many of my compositions directly from here and follow links to purchase albums, individual music downloads and CDs if you wish.

Many years ago I discovered that a compositional voice or personal style does not necessarily have to be fixed to a predictable style from one to work another. I have a rather pluralistic attitude to my compositional style in the same way that I have a pluralistic taste in music. I like the minimalism of composers such as Arvo Part as much I as love the complexities of Pierre Boulez or Harrison Birtwistle, the indeterminacy of John Cage or the classical edifices of Beethoven.

My music is sometimes hyper-complex or written as graphical scores and at other times ultra tonal, minimal and simple in nature. Feel free to explore my music within this website - hopefully something may resonate

Pianist/Keyboard Player:

On occasions you might find me performing live as a pianist/keyboard player. I am a member and contributor of Chris Payne's band 'Electronic Circus', and I am working on some live projects of my own for 2018.

As a pianist I tend to explore the more neglected repertoire of classical composers, particularly Liszt Busoni and Alkan. Checkout my EP 'Nuages Gris: Late Liszt and other piano works:

Writer:

I have also written extensively on classical and contemporary music for a range of music publications and journals including Gramophone Magazine, The Good CD Guide (consultant editor 1988-1998), Music & Musicians, and others.

In 2000 I created a website devoted to the Greek composer Jani Christou (1940-70) in association with the Jani Christou Archive in Athens. In 2000 I wrote the booklet the notes and essays to accompany a 4 volume CD Archive Edition devoted Christou's music on ther Greek label Sirius, which won the Discography Award by the Greek Union of Drama and Music Critics in 2002.