Prize to composer

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 11

Prize to composer

' NZPA London Lyell Cresswell, a New Zealand-born composer, has . won the 1978 lan Whyte i award, an important Scottish . competition held every three years for young composers . in memory of Dr lan Whyte, ' former conductor of the . 8.8. C. Scottish National Or- , chestra. Mr Cresswell, who is 33, , 1 was awarded his prize of about $9OO and a piece of ' silver sculpture at a cere- i mony in Glasgow. The winning composition 1 is a two-movement work in- 1 spired by the singing of Gaelic psalms. Mr Cresswell was born in ■ Wellington and studied at : Victoria University. He lived i for a time in Dunedin before ;

studying at the University of Toronto on a Canadian Commonwealth scholarship. He arrived in Scotland in 1972 and worked for two years at the University of Aberdeen. From 1975 to 1976 he studied at the Institute of Sonology at the University of Utrecht on a Dutch Government bursary. On returning to Scotland, Mr Cresswell taught in the music department of Glasgow University before taking up his present post as music organiser at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. The Scottish National Orchestra will play Mr Cresswell’s winning work early next year at Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.