Composer and performer roles in contemporary music: an autoethnographic study

In 20th and 21st century contemporary classical music the instrumentalist has played a vital role in developing the art form. However, the input of the performer into the preparation of new works is not one which has been clearly documented. This project is a practice-led approach that articulates the contribution of the contemporary music performer in more detail. As an entry point into an autoethnographic project, I will discuss two case-studies (émoi by Evan Johnson and luminous by Kristian Ireland) as examples of my practice with contemporary music scores, and in response to these, compose my own compositions. The written thesis is contextualised by a CD of contemporary repertoire for solo flute (VALE) and recordings of two of my own compositions, as well as supporting recordings and score examples.
From a methodological perspective, this project seeks to articulate the concepts and practices that lie behind my work with a contemporary score, leading to a reassessment of the performer, composer and score paradigm.