Dr Roche returns to record CD
Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:47:00 BST
Canadian clarinettist has fond memories of Huddersfield
“But what struck once more than even these fine works was the remarkable stamina and concentration of Heather Roche’s playing; in her hands, each and every piece became thoroughly absorbing,” read a review of Heather Roche’s performance at the 2012 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Heather (pictured) has become one of the leading performers of contemporary music. The Canadian-born clarinettist and bass-clarinettist has worked hard to establish herself and she admits that the completion of a doctorate at the University of Huddersfield helped guide her career.
Her interest in new music started towards the end of her Masters degree in London, but it was when she was advised to “check out Huddersfield” that interest in new music, and her career, really blossomed.
“I came to the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and met Huddersfield tutors Philip Thomas and Monty Adkins. They were extremely positive about what I was interested in and literally, in the space of two weeks, I went from not being very sure of what I wanted to do to being a PhD student at the University.”
Dr Roche completed her PhD 18 months ago and her research focussed on the relationship between composer and performer.
“I was looking at how creativity comes out of dialogue when composers and performers are working together. This involved recording long conversations with the composers and then searching the transcript for the moment when I really felt that creativity was happening, when we were building something together and how that would eventually come into the piece.”
Heather worked with aspiring Huddersfield new music composer and graduate Ben Isaacs, who at the time was also studying at the University for his Masters. The University also funded Heather to go to the Darmstadt Summer Courses. “I met a number of people there. You end up with about 100 performers and about 300 composers and many projects came out of that. I was really fortunate to go.”
Photo courtesy of MBZ Festival)
As a freelance musician, Heather has worked with a number of famous names and conductors, but she is particularly keen to explore the work of younger composers, who, as she says, “are interested in asking questions and developing relationships”, which echoes her PhD.
Modest and unassuming, despite many plaudits and accolades, Heather feels that she has really only become comfortable with her performance and playing about a year ago.
“I guess that I never really felt confident of my approach to the work until recently. But now I really enjoy doing it, particularly as I now feel that I have discovered the kind of repertoire that I can truly work with.
“Contemporary music can ask for many usual sounds and interpretations and I started to realise that I had the gift to produce these sounds and my confidence grew from there.”
Heather was in Huddersfield recently to record a CD of music by staff and students at the University, which will come out on the University’s label and comprising pieces from her PhD and some brand new pieces. A lady in demand she also performs with ensembles in Milan, Berne and her adopted hometown Cologne, where she lives with her husband Carl Rosman, who she met whilst studying at Huddersfield.
Huddersfield holds fond memories for Heather and one of her personal triumphs was performing in the Phipps Recital Hall at the University in the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival to packed appreciative audience, “I just knew they were with me all the way”. And last year she worked with University composer Professor Monty Adkins again on his CD entitled Four Shibusa, an atmospheric electronic composition featuring two clarinets.
“Though I’m doing a lot of work with electronics and it’s an area that I really want to push, I also want to do more work with a lot of the composers who are based in Huddersfield.”
