Kodjabashia, Nikola

The Most Of Now

Label: Recommended Records Country: USA

"A lapidary and subtle new composition by award-winning Macedonian concert, film and theatre composer Nikola Kodjbashaia exquisitely realised by a broad and mixed ensemble of exemplary - and mostly Macedonian - instrumentalists. A suite of highly imaginative variations on a theme that meanders with purpose through a unique musical landscape, in which reflections of everything from lounge music, Macedonian folk instrumentals, Byzantine church liturgy, contemporary orchestra composition and exotica, rub shoulders without parody or embarrassment. Constantly mutating, constantly fascinating, this follows the path opened up in Kodjbashia's first CD into a completely personal but accessible musical language. Subtle, complex, profane music, but at the same time easy - even a joy - to listen to. This is his second CD for ReR: the first, Reveries of the Solitary Walker was described as 'probably the best record of the year' by JW in the BBB."-ReR Megacorp

BIO: NIKOLA KODJABASHIA composer, audioartist, conductor, pianist.

Born 06.06.1970 in Skopje, Macedonia, into a musical family.

Graduated from the Faculty of Musical Arts, Skopje in piano and composition: master classes with Marco Stroppa (IRCAM), György Kurtag and György Ligeti. MMus in composition with Sir Harrison Birtwistle at King's College London. Post-graduate Magisterial in composition from Academia de Musica, Bucharest, with Anatol Vieru (student of Khachaturian and Shostakovich).

Current and recent projects: Orchestra commissions for Music Biennale Venice and Moscow Autumn Festival; Music/sound design for HELTER SKELTER/LAND OF THE DEAD and MONSIEUR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE QU'RAN for the Bush Theatre, London; Music for BBC4 TV documentary series RACISM, A HISTORY and Paul Tickell's BBC/ARENA documentary SAINTS, and Sasha Crouch Damianovski's film GREEN PAGES for OREV (award at Chicago Film Festival) - a continuation of many years of composing for film, theatre and concert hall both in the UK and Macedonia;Lecturer in Music Composition for Media at Plymouth College of Art and Design, and Creative music technology at DeepBlueSound Studios and Campus for Plymouth City College.

Selected Works: 2008 "The most of Now" a CD cycle.2004 "Secular Gothic" for orchestra a due. 2003 "Reveries of the Solitary Walker" for mixed ensemble. (ReR NK1)2002 "Single Will" for chorus and orchestra. 2002 "The Birds" for percussion, ethnic instruments and electronics. 2001 "Neuromancer", piano concerto; "Gaudi's bed" for 7 strings and "Bildbeschreibung", poems for orchestra 'a due'.2000/01 "Ludus Gothicus" I to III for violin and piano.1999/2000 unfinished Musical Drama "Explosion of a Memory" for 4 singers, actor, dancer, orchestra and live electronics.1999 "Yellow Sostenuto" for ensemble & electronics. 1998/97 "Kraftwerk Scherzo & Blues"; "Hymn"; "Sinphonia" all for large orchestra.1997 "Die Hamletmaschine suite" from the play by Heiner Muller for electronics.

DVDs:2001 DUST by Milcho Manchevski (History Dream Works, British Film Consortium, Robert Redford, Virgin Italia / Medusa) conductor/score editor.2003 THE GREAT WATER by Ivo Trajkov (Artis3, World Circle Foundation).