Clarence Barlow

Innovative British-Indian Composer and Electronic Music Pioneer

Composer, born 27th December 1945 in Calcutta, based in Cologne, Amsterdam, and Santa Barbara; he has composed orchestral, chamber, piano, and electroacoustic works that have received acclaimed performances all over the world; he is a pioneer in the field of electroacoustic music. Barlow composed his first works at the age of eleven, and in 1965 obtained a science degree, after which he had his first experiences with North Indian art music and European music of the Middle Ages; also at this time he composed his first twelve-tone compositions. Since 1968 he has lived in Cologne. In 1971 he first used computers to aid his composing and began a number-theory experiment with tonality and meter. He has worked at many electronic studios, including ones in Utrecht, Stockholm, Paris, Amsterdam, Chicago, and Den Haag. From 1982-94 he lectured extensively at the New Music Summer Courses Darmstadt, and since 1984 he has lectured on computer music at the Musikhochschule Köln. In 1986 he was initiator and co-founder of GIMIK: Initiative Musik und Informatik Köln, and in 1988 he was director of music at the 14th International Computer Music Conference, Cologne. From 1990-94 he was artistic director of the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatory, Den Haag. 1994-2006: Professor of Composition and Sonology at the same conservatory. 1994-2010: member of the Académie Internationale de Musique Electroacoustique in Bourges. 2005-2006: visiting professor of composition, School of Music and Performing Arts ESMAE in Porto. Since 2006: Corwin Professor and Head of Composition, Music Department, University of California Santa Barbara.