BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John McLachlan was born in Dublin and studied music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and Trinity College Dublin. He has studied composition with William York, Robert Hanson and Kevin Volans. He holds a PhD in musicology from Trinity College Dublin, where he specialised in researching the compositional techniques of Boulez, Xenakis, Lutoslawski and Carter. He lives in county Donegal
His works have been performed in the U.S.A., Canada, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, and around Ireland, with broadcasts in several of these countries. Performers who have played his music include the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, the National Chamber Choir, Concorde, Sequenza, Traject, Archaeus, Pro Arte, Antipodes, Ensemble Nordlys, The Fidelio Trio, The ConTempo Quartet and Trio Arbós as well as many prominent soloists including Ian Pace, John Feeley, Mary Dullea, Darragh Morgan, Satoko Inoue and David Adams. Commissioners include the RTE NSO, New Music Dublin, Music Network, Lyric fm, the Musica Viva Festival and the National Concert Hall
His music has been included on the following anthologies: AIC CD 1, CMC CD 4, Irish Contemporary Organ Music (David Adams), CMC CD 9, Islands (John Feeley, guitar), Gothic (Mary Dullea, Metier records), Contemporary Irish (Dublin Guitar Quartet) and RIAM piano syllabus CDs; many of his pedagogical piano works have been published by the Royal Irish Academy of Music in their piano syllabus anthologies. First, a CD release of six works, is available from Farpoint Recordings, and Drinking the Stars is a double CD of his solo piano music played by Mary Dullea, also out on Farpoint.
In 2022 He edited and published two books by his mother, Leland Bardwell: Collected Poems (Salmon Poetry) and The Heart and the Arrow (Doire Press). He also ran a literary festival A Single Rose in her honour in Sligo. more information about all that at www.lelandbardwell.ie
He is also known as a broadcaster and writer on contemporary music, with many published articles. In addition, in his roles as Executive Director of the Association of Irish Composers (1999-2012) and Administrator of the Irish Composition Summer School, he has promoted Irish composers in an international context, presented international composers in Ireland, and run concerts, workshops, mentoring programmes and other events
He is a member of Aosdána, Ireland academy for creative artists
His music is available from the Contemporary Music Centre
