About
Composer - Achievements, Education and Experience
Since winning BBC Young Composer (senior category) in 2013, Huddersfield born Thomas Brown's compositions have been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Nieuw Ensemble, Aurora Orchestra, Red Note Ensemble, European Youth Brass Band, and Neon - Koor voor Niewste Muziek. Furthermore, they have been heard at the BBC Proms and Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (Amsterdam), as well as on national radio in the UK and Netherlands. In 2016, musicians joined together to perform in a concert containing a selection of his chamber music and in 2017, his "Fanfare and Theme" formed part of the medals ceremonies of the Total BWF Badminton World Championships and Scottish Open Badminton Grand Prix, the former tournament broadcast to over 600 million people worldwide. HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex was in attendance and requested to meet Thomas, as he’d also heard his music in 2012, when Thomas was asked to write a fanfare for the opening ceremony of Chetham's School of Music's new building.
Generously supported by Moose International, in 2019 Thomas obtained a Master of Music (Composition) degree from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he studied with Richard Ayres and Willem Jeths, following completion of undergraduate studies in composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2017. Prior to this, he was a student at Chetham’s School of Music (2011 - 2013), at which time he won the Douglas Steele Award and Holme Valley Parish Council Exceptional Achievers Award, in addition to the BBC competition.
What Does My Music Sound Like?
Most of Thomas' work is contemporary classical acoustic concert music, his current compositional interests including new ways of using tonality, harmony – including jazz-inspired harmony and bright colours – and widening ideas of accessibility for audiences and performers. Feedback from music professionals is that it is 'energised', 'explosive', 'wild', 'volatile', 'virtuosic', and 'gripping' yet also 'heart-breaking and gentle', 'a combination of the classical tradition and contemporary techniques' that 'isn’t too academic and modernistic', but is 'accessible' and 'able to hold the attention of the non-specialist'. One of his idols is the Austrian composer HK Gruber, whose music was the subject of his master's research. He also enjoys writing music for events, ceremonies and big band, and has an interest in music for screen and collaborative projects. Thomas has written for all standard Western instruments, voices and the Turkish bağlama, and has composed electroacoustic music.
Arranger, Orchestrator and Editor
Thomas has arranged and orchestrated music from the baroque era right up to the present day, including jazz and popular works, for brass band, big band, orchestra, and other ensembles. His arrangements have been performed at and commissioned for both concerts and weddings. At the age of 16, he arranged music for Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts when he performed with the championship section Skelmanthorpe Brass Band at Huddersfield Town Hall. Thomas is also available for music preparation, transposition, and text editing tasks, and has edited librettos for performances at Dutch National Opera (Amsterdam) and Casa da Música (Porto).
Conductor
Conducting is another passion of Thomas’s; for 14 years, he's enjoyed directing his own works as well as others with professional, student, amateur, and youth orchestras, brass bands (up to championship section) and various other ensembles. He's currently the musical director of the City of Wolverhampton Brass Band and directed the University of Glasgow Brass Band between 2013 and 2014. Other brass bands he's conducted rehearsals and performances with are Amsterdam, Kirkintilloch, Sovereign, Oddfellows, City of Birmingham, Hade Edge, Langley, Johnstone, Dunaskin Doon, Backum, Amington, Newmains and District, Tewkesbury Town, Shipston Town, Royal Spa, West Midlands Police, Black Country, Chetham's, Kirkintilloch Youth, and Kilmarnock Concert. He's also conducted the Amsterdams Studenten Orkest, Almeers Orkest, People's Orchestra, Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra, Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra, Holmfirth High School Lower School Orchestra, the Royal Orchestra Association Thomas a Kempis Harmony Orchestra in Zwolle, and Chetham's Big Band, in addition to numerous scratch student and professional ensembles and choirs. Thomas' baton technique has developed both through experience and tuition; he attended conducting classes with Lucas Vis and Karel Deseure at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, as well as with Jeremy Pike at Chetham’s. Furthermore, in 2016 he attended the MusicFest Aberystwyth Advanced Orchestral Conducting Course, where he was tutored by Toby Purser and given the opportunity to conduct the Orion Orchestra.
Teacher, Instrumentalist and Event Organiser
He grew up playing cornet, trumpet and flugelhorn in brass bands, big bands, orchestras, and other ensembles. He also plays piano and has appeared as a percussionist at events such as the British and Scottish Open Brass Band Championships. He currently teaches piano and music theory part time for Services for Education in Birmingham and has also given guidance in composition, arranging, and trumpet. Furthermore, mentoring was part of his previous role as a BBC Proms Inspire Ambassador. He's also enjoyed recruiting musicians for and organising performances and other events; in 2017, he ran a composers’ orchestral workshop at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
To find out more about Thomas' interests and the services he provides, please click here.