David Osbon is a composer, conductor and academic whose music is performed, broadcast and recorded around the world. Most of this international recognition comes from the years he spent as a musician, researcher and lecturer in cities as diverse as Philadelphia, The Hague and Istanbul. His composition, and his teaching, has received many awards.
He has conducted ensembles and orchestras ranging from the Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul MIAM chamber orchestra and the Jordanian Army Band through to the Bremmerton and Grand Valley Symphony Orchestras. He has toured across Europe the USA and the Middle East with a variety of ensembles.
Other professional activities have included many years as a copyist and editor on West End shows, film and TV scores plus a season as music director at the National Theatre of Great Britain.
In addition to his musical and academic work he has a background in public sector arts development. As Head of Arts and Culture at Greenwich Council he was instrumental in, amongst other things, devising the cultural chapter of the 2012 Olympic Bid.
David joined the University of West London in November 2012, before that he held positions at the University of Pennsylvania, West Chester University, Curtis Institute of Music, University of London and Kingston University.
Personal development
Winner of many prizes in composition
- Alexander Grosz Memorial Prize
- Arts Council of Great Britain DIO Prize
- RVW Trust Electro-Acoustic Music Award
- Park Lane Group Composition Award
- Hilda K. Nietsche Prize
- David A. Halstead Prize
- Clements Chamber Music Prize (runner-up)
For teaching
- University of Pennsylvania Teaching Award (1996 and 1997)
- National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Teacher Recognition Award
- Kingston University Outstanding Achievement Award
- UWL Star Award (2017 and 2019)
Specialist areas
- contemporary composition and performance practice
- transmedia platforms
- cultural and creative industries
Recent work experience
- composer in residence at festivals in Italy and USA
- performances in UK, Ireland, Italy, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands
- 3 transmedia performances in London 2012 Cultural Olympiad
- conducted choral tours of Holland and Italy
- Guest conductor in Seattle, Grand Rapids (USA)
- Radio broadcasts on WVIA and WHFC (USA) Radio Libera Tutti and Vatican Radio (Italy) RTL4 (Netherlands)
- TV broadcast Harford Cable Network (USA)
Recent achievements
- artistic director of 40 fingers festival (UK)
- only UK composer commissioned in the “Permanence in Motion” project.
- featured composer of the Anglo-American Duo tours of USA and Europe
- commission from the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra
- guest speaker at British Council ‘ Year of Music’ events in Russia
Core teaching areas
Supervision of research students in performance and composition plus specialist instruction in contemporary music performance and analysis. Public sector arts management and policy.
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Qualifications
PhD (Music) – University of Pennsylvania
PG(dip)KC (Sonology) – Royal Dutch Conservatoire
MA (Music Analysis) – University of Sussex
PG(dip)GSMD (Advanced Composition) – Guildhall School of Music and Drama
BA(hons) (Performing Arts) – Leicester Polytechnic -
Memberships
The Performing Right Society for Music (PRS)
Teaching
I am a Professor at the London College of Music, University of West London. I am a composer, conductor and an academic whose music has been performed, broadcast and recorded around the world. Most of the international recognition comes from the years I spent as a researcher and professor in cities as diverse as Philadelphia, The Hague and Istanbul. My compositions have received many awards including the Arts Council of Great Britain DIO Award, the RVW Trust electro-acoustic music award, Hilda K. Nietsche Prize and the David A. Halstead Prize.
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Research and publications
Articles, Papers, Reviews and Strategies
Osbon, David. (1992) ‘A Review of the Score Programme’ London: SPNM New Notes
Osbon, David. (1993) ‘A Review of the Ratio Symposium’ in Reader of the Ratio Symposium, The Hague: UUP
Osbon, David. (1994) ‘Form, Pulse and Rhythm as compositional parameters’ in Percussive Notes, Indiana: UIP
Osbon, David. (1994) ‘Ratio in Music’ – University of Durham Research Seminars, Durham
Osbon, David. (1996) ‘A New Look at the Role of Microtones in Composition’ in Contemporary Music Review, Volume 15
Osbon, David (1998) Music examples in ‘Tonal Structures in Early Music’ edited by Collins-Judd, Cristal, New York: Garland
Osbon, David. (2000) ‘The Avant-Garde in Music’ – Borusan Cultural Institute, Istanbul
Osbon, David. (2002) ‘The Way Ahead in Sports and Arts’ – Thames Gateway Kent Partnership
Osbon, David. (2002) ‘Culture and Town Centre Regeneration’ - Kent Thameside Town Centre Partnership
Osbon, David. (2003) ‘The Contribution of Arts and Sports to Social and Urban Renaissance’ - South East England Regional Assembly
Clarke, Odele and Osbon, David. (2003) ‘Kent Thameside Cultural Strategy’ – Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils
Osbon, David. (2003) ‘Not London - An Arts Strategy for Dartford’ – Dartford Borough Council
Carty, Hilary. Osbon, David. Stewart, Carole and Venn, Louise (2004-2005) ‘Transforming the Landscape’ – London 2012 Bid Document, London: LOCOG
Osbon, David (2010) ‘The Creatures of Frietman’for flute and piano, Emerson Edition, Ampleforth, Yorkshire
Osbon, David. (2012) ‘Rozmowa Dialogue’ by Adrianna Lis, New Zealand Music Reviews, Hamilton: Waikato University
Evans, Alex and Osbon, David. (2013) ‘From Vox Rosa to Follow the Sun’ 4th International Conference on Fine and Performing Arts, Athens: Institute for Education and Research
Osbon, David. (2013) ‘Smoke Machines and Lasers’ – Professorial Lecture – UWL Public Lecture Series
Osbon, David ‘The Nelson Overture’ for symphony orchestra. Edition Matching Arts, Hiversum, Netherlands
Osbon, David. (2014) ‘Transmedia Intertextuality in Contemporary Multi-Media Performance’ 12th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu
Osbon, David. (2014) ‘Romantic Fantasies’ liner notes for CD of music by Finnish and British composers by the Backman Trio, Helsinki: Fuga Records
Evans, Alex and Osbon, David. (2014) ‘Reception Theory and Analysis’ chapter in Performing Arts and Public Spaces, Ankara DAKAM publications
Osbon, David (2015) ‘Three Songs’ for soprano saxophone and piano. Forton Music, Preston, Lancashire
Osbon, David (2015) ‘Bone Ties’ for trombone and piano. Forton Music, Preston, Lancashire
Osbon, David (2015) ‘Half Man Half Goat’ for clarinet and piano. Forton Music, Preston, Lancashire
Evans, Alex and Osbon, David. (2016) ‘Developing Multi-Media Performance’ chapter in Creative Arts and Creative Industries: Collaboration in Practice, edited by Minors, Helen Julia – Palgrave Press, Cheshire
Osbon, David (2016) ‘Transmedia Intertextuality – does it work in performance: Follow the Sun as a proof of concept project’ International Journal of Music and the Performing Arts, Amercian Research Institute for Policy Development, Washington DC
Osbon, David (2017) ‘The Spirits of Sabate’ for wind quintet. Forton Music, Preston, Lancashire
Osbon, David (2018) ‘5 Hommages’ for violin and piano. Edition Matching Arts, Hilversum Netherlands.
Osbon, David (2018) ‘Into the Sun…’ Sonata for solo violin. Edition Matching Arts, Hilversum Netherlands.
Osbon, David (2019) ‘Still Waiting for the Revolution’ for piano trio. Edition Matching Arts, Hilversum Netherlands.
Recordings
Taking on America – chamber music by David Osbon, AMP Records 1997
The Prophets of Pella – music by Z.Chesky Neceski, conducted by David Osbon, Macedon Records 1997
Live at Mauch Chunk – various composers, conducted by David Osbon, AMP Records 1997
Holidays from the Heart – various composers, conducted by David Osbon, Albany Records 1997
Paul Freeman Introduces, Volume 2 – Liberty by David Osbon, Albany Records 1998
The Bon Voyage Concert – various composers, conducted by David Osbon, AMP Records 1998
A Season for Rejoicing – various composers, conducted by David Osbon, Albany Records 1998
The 1999 Season – various composers, conducted by David Osbon, AMP Records 1999
Zil – music by Pieter Snapper, conducted by David Osbon, iTÜ Records 2000
Three Sonatas – piano sonatas by David Osbon, Music Chamber Records 2010
Hemishpaeria – for soprano saxophone and piano music featuring ‘3 Songs’ by David Osbon– Color Duo, Matera Records 2016
Anthems After Prometheus – music by David Osbon, the Anglo-American Duo, Albany Records 2018
Other Scholarly Activities
Member of the editorial panel:
- US Journal of Literature and the Arts
- The Body, Space and Technology Journal
- NZ Review
Compositions
60 acknowledged and performed compositions for solo, chamber ensemble, orchestra and film. Published by Emerson Edition, Forton Music and Edition Matching Arts
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Research degree supervision
Principal Supervisor
Real-time Interactive Technology within Distributed Creativity in String Quartet Performance. (Jennifer Ansari)
How do Contemporary Composers incorporate Turkish Art Music’s Tetrachords and Micro-Tonal Elements in Post-Tonal Compositions?. (Umit Armagan)
Welcome to the Future: Rewriting the paradigm of and creating new multimedia music for a post Internet world. (Jonathan Broder)
The symptoms of hydrocephalus and their impact on a sufferer’s ability to convey emotion during musical, vocal performance. (Frank St John)
Music of the Middle Passage and Beyond. (Dwight Pile-Grey)
How do the promoters of independent UK music festivals organise and implement events? (Danny Hagan) - awarded August 2019
Under what circumstances does performing new music encourage creativity in string players? (Agata Kubiak) - awarded October 2019
Identification and application in original composition of the devices required to construct and maintain a coherent musical form with a very slow distribution of structural sound events. (Bartosz Szafranski) - awarded June 2020
Secondary Supervisor
A way with words. The art of negotiation and collaboration in the age of the ‘New Woman’ on Broadway as seen through the careers of Anne Caldwell, Dorothy Donnelly and Rida Johnson Young, 1906-1928. (Lesley Anne Knight)
What is the optimal music talent contest model that genuinely supports the artists’ development, while remaining a viable investment for music entrepreneurs? (Stefan Lalchev)
Is there a feminist or gender narrative within Debussy’s flute music? How do we as performers share these themes with audiences today? (Ashley Westmacott)
