Garry Wilkinson is an internationally acclaimed award-winning composer. He has more than 200 musical works published by Trinity/Faber, TCL Press, RIAM, Forton Music and UMP Ltd. He composes in many genres including solo instrumental, solo voice, choir, bands, educational, chamber ensemble, orchestra and music theatre.
Awards
Fellow of composition, Trinity College of Music, London. First prize winner in the Six Counties (UK) Composition Competition for Orchestral Music (1986). The 2013 Call-for-Scores winner of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Ensemble. First prize winner of the Busan Maru (South Korea) International Music Festival Competition for Orchestral Composition (2017). Recipient of the Honourable Mention Award in the Ravel International Orchestral Composition Competition (Milan 2018) and first-prize winner of the 2021 Inaugural West Wicklow Festival Composition Competition.
Education
Founding student member of Margo Fagan’s Young Music Makers, the Centre for Young Musicians, the London Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and Trinity College of Music, London. He studied composition at the University of London under Felicity Young and Madge Musgrave, and the Trombone with George Maxted, where he was awarded Licentiateship (LTCL) in performance and teaching, and Fellowship (FTCL) in music composition. He continued studies in music composition with John Hall at the Royal Academy of Music and Edwin Roxburgh at the Royal College of Music in London.
Notable Performances
Produced music for drama productions at London’s Cockpit Theatre and productions at Sherborne Castle and the Powell Theatre. Elizabeth Jacoby commissioned and premiered his Cor Anglais Sonata (1987). The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performed three of his works with Richard Hickox, Patrick Shelley and Maxime Tortelier conducting. Ian Davies conducted three of his orchestral works for youth. Karen Evans premiered his Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in 1997, a work commissioned by Owen Clarke and the Sherborne Community Orchestra. His second symphony premiered at St. John’s, Smith Square in London (1998). His two-act musical theatre work premiered in June 2000 and is available on Compact Disc. Vivienne Sands conducted his Fanfare for Band in New Zealand (2009). Phoebe White and Peter Regan premiered ‘Citadel of Light’ (2021) in Ireland, published by UMP Ltd. His popular piano music is performed at the 2023 Eisteddfod festival in Wales and broadcast by S4C Television.
The Grieg International Piano Competition for young performers selected four of his piano pieces for the 2017 competition, streamed live from Oslo, Norway. These pieces are found in his album of 24 Piano pieces in diverse styles, Piano Portraits and ‘A Recital Anthology’, (TCL Press) in which he is honoured to be the only living composer represented in a large anthology spanning piano music of three hundred years.
Educational Compositions
Wilkinson’s music for Solo Piano is listed in the Grade 1 (2022), Grade 4 (2009), Grade 6 (2015 & 2021), and Solo Piano Associate Recital Diploma (2021) and Licentiate Recital Diploma (2024). Other recital and examination diploma repertoire includes the complete Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Sonata for Cor Anglais and Piano, Legende de l’Oiseau Bleu for Violin and Piano. Other published examination repertoire includes ten pieces for Brass (2019) and eleven pieces for Strings (2020) and six pieces for Woodwind (2023). These pieces may be found in the syllabuses of Trinity College London music examinations published by TCL Press, Trinity/Faber and the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM).
Performer, Conductor, Teacher and Examiner
Trombonist with Glyndebourne Opera, Dorset Opera, the John Wilbraham Brass Ensemble, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, among many others. Conductor of the Sherborne Community Orchestra and Sherborne Schools Symphony Orchestra for several years. Conducted the world premiere of his second symphony at St. John’s, Smith Square in London. Teacher of music at several schools and colleges with many of his former students now professional musicians and composers. He is an international examiner and recipient of the UK’s Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) 2019 Award for services to examining.
Publications
Published by Trinity/Faber, TCL Press, RIAM, Forton Music and UMP Ltd., with many works easily available in both print and as eBooks on Amazon. His collaboration with the illustrator, Amori, produces many fun and enthralling works for younger musicians.
Garry is a Fellow in Composition of Trinity College of Music London. He lives with his artist wife on the Wild Atlantic Way coast of Ireland. He sits on the Arts Council of Ireland as a peer panellist.