In July 1990 I was staying at the conductor Norman Del Mar's house in Millook on the north coast of Cornwall, finishing my large orchestral piece The Music of Dawn. Each evening there were spectacular sunsets, and I used to go up on the cliff to paint them in watercolours.

The Music of Dawn is concerned with the sun in all its aspects, and I am sure that these paintings assisted the compositional process: the one above was painted on 15th July, and next morning I wrote the music you can see and hear, in its final orchestral form, on the website introduction page.

Recent and Forthcoming Performances

04/12/2009, 7.30pm  --  On an Overgrown Path, Janacek, orch. by David Matthews

Tickets: £11-£24 (concessions available).

Scottish Chamber Orchestra | Conducted by Andre de Ridder | Grand Hall, City Halls, Glasgow

Related works: On an Overgrown Path (Leos Janacek)

12/01/2010, 7.45pm  --  String Quartet No.10

Part of the Park Lane Group Young Artists New Year Series.

Wu String Quartet | Purcell Room

Related works: Op.84 - String Quartet No.10

27/01/2010  --  Concerto in Azzurro

Guy Johnson, cello | Conducted by Jac Van Steen | Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

Related works: Op.87 - Concerto in Azzurro

24/04/2010  --  World premiere of Symphony No.7

Full news item details

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra | Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda | Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Other news

24/09/2009  --  New review of Dutton recording of Symphonies Nos.1, 3 and 5

Review from the American Record Guide.

Full details of recording (including review excerpts) | Full review (pdf)

30/10/2009  --  Review: 'The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century'

Read David's review of Alex Ross' book

15/12/2009  --  Photos from The St Petersburg British Music Festival

Full news item details

David talking about his symphonies during a seminar, and introducing the world premiere of his Russian settings of Pushkin's Winter Passions text at the Sheremetev Palace.

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