... in the air suspended I - movement I

Neil Kaczor (born 1967) is a composer, sound artist and performer based in London. He studied composition with Timothy Salter at the Royal College of Music and electroacoustic music with Dr. Simon Emmerson at the City University in London. His works have received a number of awards and prizes - including the Cobbett and Hurlstone Prize, United Music Publishers Award and an honorary mention at the 22nd Luigi Russolo International Composer Competition - and have been played in the UK, Europe, South America and Japan. His music has also featured at a number of festivals including the Bath International Festival, the Spitalfields and Ether Festivals in London and at the 2007 Digital Arts Week in Zurich. He has received commissions from various performing artists, ensembles, choreographers and institutions. In addition to orchestral, instrumental and electroacoustic compositions he has been involved in the creation of multimedia works, sound installations and has composed music for theatre, film and animation. During the nineties he co-founded The Offset, a multimedia performance art group whose members included Nina Silvert, Sexton Ming, Aiden Shaw and Donald Urquhart. He also played keyboards in the band Minty. In 2001 he was commissioned to write two works for the inaugural celebrations for the opening of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow - Extract III for strings and a setting of All I Was Doing Was Breathing by the Indian poet Mirabai for soprano and strings were performed by the singer Bishi with the BT Scottish Ensemble conducted by the composer. Other recent commissions and performances include ... in the air suspended - a sound installation at the Museum of Childhood in London, the music for Urge - a dance piece for the choreographer Jean Abreu and the soundtrack to With Gilbert & George - a feature length portrait of the artists by film maker Julian Cole. In June 2008 Clouds and All I Was Doing Was Breathing from the song-cycle Mirabai Settings were performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, again with the singer Bishi at the Jerwood Hall, St. Luke's Church, London. Since then he has been working closely with Bishi, playing keyboards in her band and collaborating on a new soundtrack to the 1923 silent film Salome which premiered at the National Film Theatre, London in March 2009. They are currently working on an album Albion Voice (which features arrangements for the John Williams String Orchestra, written by the composer) and is due for release in Spring 2010.