Nic Pendlebury
Biography Nic Pendlebury
Nic Pendlebury
has been at the forefront of the contemporary music scene for over thirty years and is the founder and violist of the Internationally acclaimed Smith Quartet. The group has pioneered the development of the string quartet genre commissioning over 300 new works collaborating with such composers as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Michael Nyman and Django Bates. They have performed in many of the world’s most prestigious festivals and recorded albums for BMG, Sony, Decca and Signum and as well as featuring in various TV and Radio broadcasts. They were also featured in two BBC documentaries, Classic Quartets at the BBC and Holocaust; A Music Memorial Film from Auschwitz which won a Grammy and a BAFTA.
In more recent years Nic’s pioneering and creative spirit has seen him create a new repertoire for the electric viola an instrument he believes has an exciting future in the ever developing world of classical music. His stunning transcriptions of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint and Terry Riley’s Dorian Reeds have not only received critical acclaim from audiences around the world but from the composers themselves “the idea that Electric Counterpoint would be bowed had never occurred to me. I want to thank Nic for a beautiful surprise. I was moved to tears.” Steve Reich, I listened to your recording and it sounds so beautiful! It is a really satisfying version of the piece. Congratulations! Terry Riley.
Other transcriptions include Thomas Tallis’ 40-part motet Spem in Alium presented for performance as an interactive Installation of forty loud speakers within which the audience travels. The installation was developed and realised in collaboration with sound designer John-Marc Gowans, and was premiered at the 2018 Sounds Festival in Aberdeen receiving much critical acclaim. There are new commissions too with Colin Riley’s Fallen Angel a dramatic work for e viola and electronics, Dominic Murcott’s haunting Black Earth and Hollie Harding’s interactive, immersive work Melting Shifting Liquid World which explores the theme of climate change and ocean pollution. Written for e viola, (audience worn) bone conduction headphones, electronics and string orchestra the work was premiered in 2019 at the National Maritime Museum.
Nic is also Head of Strings at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance where he leads one of the most dynamic faculties in Europe. In recognition of his creative work in performance and education Nic was awarded title of Professor in 2018.
