Relating to music as a pseudo-language, composer Angus Barnacle is influenced by most things that make a sound, including musical instruments, all types of noise, harmonics, forces of nature, synthesisers, early music practices, etc, and especially how those things are employed to listen and play together. His compositions include pieces for soloists, ensembles, orchestras and electronic mediums, drawing inspiration from ongoing research into just intonation, early music, noise, synthesis and linguistic theories. He has a masters (microtonality in contemporary music practice) from the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, and a PhD (Harnessing The Musicality of Noise: Formal Grammar in Music Composition) from Sydney Conservatory. Among other prizes, his 2023 microtonal & orchestral soundtrack to the Orchid of Redemption game “Joon Shining” won the Dreamhack composition of the year prize. He writes for festivals, audio books, video games, wakes, ceremonies, motivational platforms, fun, and pretty much anything that bears relevance to creative expression as a foundational pillar of what it means to be human.
His music has been performed in venues including the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, St John’s London, Myymälä2 gallery Helsinki, November Muziek Festival in Den Bosch, Korzo Theatre in the Hague and the Barossa Music Festival South Australia. Ensembles he has worked with include Bang on a Can, Nieuwe Ensemble, New European Ensemble, the Gelders Orchestra, Zephyr Quartet, Asko-Schönberg Ensemble and Southbank Sinfonia.
Study
2024-2025 microtonality research at Microtonal Studios in Helsinki
2014-2020 music composition PhD, Sydney Conservatorium. Research topic: Harnessing The Musicality of Noise: Formal Grammar in Music Composition.
2009-2010 Master of composition with distinction. Royal Conservatory in the Hague. Research topic: Practical and Conceptual Implementation of the Harmonic Series in Contemporary Music Practice.
2001-2004 Bachelor of Music Composition & Violin. Flinders Street School of Music.
2000-2001 Bachelor of Arts in English literature, drama, history and politics. Flinders University, South Australia.
Matriculation in English, physics, biology, maths and advanced maths.
