Crab apple
1 sound
Current age: Mature
Size at maturity: 15m
Species native to: Europe (including the British Isles)
Tree identification number: 0HCX
Composer name
Arnau Brichs Ponce
About the composer:
Born in Barcelona (2000), studied jazz with Marina Albero and Chano Domínguez and classical piano with Mireia Datzira in the IEA Oriol Martorell whilst performing solo piano recitals in venues like Ateneu Barcelonès or Casa Orlandai and winning the 2nd Arjau Chamber Music Prize. He also performed at the 47th International Music Festival of Cadaqués. In 2016, he moved to the UK to attend the Purcell School for Young Musicians, studying composition with Joseph Phibbs, Deborah Pritchard and Brian Elias. His song for school patron Dame Kiri Te Kanawa later won a prize at the "WCSMS 2019 Promising Young Composers Competition" (USA). He was awarded a full ABRSM scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is currently working under Helen Grime and Rubens Askenar. He has received advice and lessons, among others, by composers like Kaija Saariaho, Georg Friedrich Haas, Hans Abrahamsen or Tansy Davies. He has worked with a wide range of artists such as the Uusinta Ensemble (Finland), Academy Manson Ensemble, Lucy Goddard or Rolf Hind, who premiered his piece "La Coïssor” at the Occupy the Pianos Festival (London) as part of a Call for Scores.
About the tree:
The crab apple is actually the wild apple, source of all domestic apples grown today.
About the composition:
This is dead tree, so in a way, we only witness its past when glancing at it. I wanted to reflect that in the music, so the sounds that I used, which I sampled from a recording of my own piece ‘Delirium’ for a large instrumental group, are sombre and nostalgic, as if speaking from afar.
