Natasha Barrett (March 1972, Norwich, England) is a British contemporary music composer specialising in electroacoustic art music. Her compositional aesthetics are derived from

acousmatic Acousmatic sound is sound that is heard without an originating cause being seen. The word ''acousmatic'', from the French ''acousmatique'', is derived from the Greek word ''akousmatikoi'' (ἀκουσματικοί), which referred to probationary p ...

issues. In addition to acousmatic concert music, she composes for instruments, live electronics, sound installations, multi-media works, real-time

computer music Computer music is the application of computing technology in music composition, to help human composers create new music or to have computers independently create music, such as with algorithmic composition programs. It includes the theory and ...

improvisation, has made

soundscape A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans, in context. The term was originally coined by Michael Southworth, and popularised by R. Murray Schafer. There is a varied history of the use of soundscape depending on discipline, r ...

s for exhibitions, and music for contemporary dance and theater. Since 2000 her work has been influenced by spatialisation as a musical parameter, and the projection of 3-D sound-fields. She currently lives in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. Natasha Barrett began working seriously with electroacoustic composition during a master's degree in analysis and electroacoustic composition, studying with

Jonty Harrison Jonty Harrison is an electroacoustic music composer born 27 April 1952 in Scunthorpe, and currently living in Birmingham, England. Career Jonty Harrison studied with Bernard Rands at the University of York, graduating with a DPhil in Composit ...

at the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

(UK). This study also gave her the opportunity to work with

BEAST Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...

(Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre) which influenced her later work, and lead on to a doctoral degree in composition supervised by

Denis Smalley Denis Arthur Smalley (born 1946 in Nelson, New Zealand) is a composer of electroacoustic music, with a special interest in acousmatic music. Biography Denis Smalley studied at the University of Canterbury and Victoria University in his native Ne ...

, awarded in 1998 at City University (London, UK). Both degrees were funded by the Humanities section of the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...

. In the same year, a grant from Norges forskningsråd (

The Research Council of Norway The Research Council (also the Research Council of Norway; no, Norges forskningsråd) is a Norwegian government agency that funds research and innovation projects. On behalf of the Government, the Research Council invests NOK 11,9 billion (2021) ...

) enabled her to work for one year as a resident composer at

NoTAM A Notice to Airmen/Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight. NOTAMs are unclassified notices or ...

(Norsk nettverk for Teknologi, Akustikk og Musikk / Norwegian network for Technology, Acoustics and Music) in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

(Norway). She is now a freelance composer, sound-artist and researcher, based in

. Her work has received many awards, including the

Nordic Council Music Prize The Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer. In the intervening years it is awarded to a performing musician or ensemble. The Nordic ...

for 2006, the Giga-Hertz Prize, Germany (2008), the first prize at ''Musica Nova'' (

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

, 2001), Noroit-Léonce Petitot (Arras, France, 1998), first prizes (1998 and 2001) and finalist (2008) in the ''Trivium'' section of the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France), Euphonie D'Or des Concours International de Musique Electroacoustique, Bourges :es:Festival Internacional de Bourges#Concurso de Bourges. Euphonies d.27Or 1992–2002, Jury and public first prizes in the 9th Prix international Noroit-Léonce Petitot, Arras, France (1998). , finalist in the same competition in 1995, Musica Nova Electroacoustic Music Competition, Czech Republic (2001). Concurso Internacional de Música Eletroacústica de São Paulo (IV CIMESP,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, 2001), Concours SCRIME (France, 2000), Festival Internacional de Nuevas Tecnologías, Arte y Comunicación ''Ciber@RT'' / ''Ciber@RT'' International Festival of New Technologies, Art and Communication (Spain, 2000), Concours Luigi Russolo (Italy, 1998, 1995), an honorary mention at

Prix Ars Electronica The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the best known and longest running yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria). ...

(

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, 1998), 9th International Rostrum for electoacoustic music (2002) and

Edvardprisen The Edvard Prize is a Norwegian music award in given by TONO, copyright organization for musicians and composers. The award, which was first awarded in 1998, is awarded annually and can only be awarded to members of the organization. The goal is t ...

(2004)

. She receives commissions from institutions and performers in Europe and America, and her work is available on numerous CD labels. In addition to composing, she is joint director and performer in the spatial music performance group EAU (Electric Audio Unit) has worked as a researcher in 3-D music and movement at the Department for Musicology, University of Oslo (2014–2016) has worked as a 20% researcher in sound design at the Oslo School of Architecture (2011–2014) as associate professor in electroacoustic music and music technology at the Music Conservatory (2000) and is currently employed in a 50% associate professorship in composition at the Norwegian State Academy for Music.

Partial discography

*''Reconfiguring the Landscape'' (CD, Persistence of Sound, 2023, UK) *''Heterotopia'' (LP, Persistence of Sound, 2022, UK) *''Leap Seconds'' (CD, Sargasso, 2021, UK) *''Puzzlewood'' (CD, Aurora, 2017, Norway) *''Peat + Polymer'' (double CD, +3DB, 3DB 021, 2014, Norway) *''Bouteilles de Klein'' (DVD-a empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 10104/105 2010, Canada) *''Black Bile Extempore'' (Barrett & Östersjö) (CD, Elektron, EM 2012, 2009, Sweden) *''DR.OX'' (CD, C74 Records, C74 013, 2008, USA) *''Trade Winds'' (SACD, Aurora, ACD 5056, 2007, Norway) *''Kraftfelt'' (DVD-Audio, Aurora, ACD 5037, 2005, Norway) *''Isostasie'' (CD, empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 0262, 2002, Canada) *''Chillies & Shells'' (CD, Nota Bene Records, NB 970101M, 1998, UK) *''Rocks & Wraiths'' (CD, Nota Bene Records, NB 970101M, 1997, UK) Her work also appears as tracks on twelve other CDs.

Partial list of works

References

External links

Official Natasha Barrett website
*http://www.electrocd.com/en/bio/barrett_na/ (with permission)
Natasha Barrett at exclaimNatasha Barrett is a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Natasha 1972 births 21st-century classical composers Alumni of the University of Birmingham British classical composers British women classical composers Electroacoustic music composers Norwegian women classical composers Living people Norwegian classical composers English women in electronic music 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century women composers