Shochannel TV's video: Tazul Tajuddin Sebuah Pantun V Verse 1

Tazul Izan Tajuddin born in Banting Malaysia was a British resident composer. He grew up in Kuala Lumpur, later was in the USA from 1994-1996 and London, UK from 1997-2009. He was Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Harvard University in 2015-2016 invited by Chaya Czernowin. He studied music at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia and received music scholarship award initiated by Malaysian Prime Minister in 1992-93 to further study in composition. He studied Master's in Music Composition at Carnegie Mellon University, USA and Doctor of Philosophy from University of Sussex, UK. He attended composition courses at Manuel de Falla Festival, Granada, Spain in 1996 and Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique or Insitute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM) in Paris, France in 2001. His music such as the 'Arabesque', 'Tenunan', 'Mediasi Ukiran' ,'Gamelbati' 'Pantun' and 'Topography' cycles has been inspired by Asian cultures (especially Malaysian and Malay cultures), gamelan music, Islamic geometrical patterns and Western European art combined with multi-cultural contemporary ideals utilizing the concept of woven sound, resulting in texture-based compositions or 'sound fabric'. Prominent French composer Henri Dutilleux described him as 'a very finely gifted composer and an original temperament, which encompasses both rigour and new ways of thinking'. He considered himself self-taught though he has received guidance from teachers in USA and UK such as Leonardo Balada, Juan Pablo Izqueirdo, Reza Vali, Michael Finnissy, Martin Butler and Jonathan Harvey. He also has masterclasses with Franco Donatoni Franco Donatoni (Manuel de Falla Festival 1996, Spain), consultations with Brian Ferneyhough (IRCAM Academie d'ete 2001, France), meeting with Iannis Xenakis in Pittsburgh and New York i 1996 and Pierre Boulez at Fointainbleau, France in 2001. In 2003 he was invited by Toshio Hosokawa to the Takefu International Music Festival in Japan, invited to CANZ Nelson, New Zealand by Jack Body in 2011 and 2013-14 invited to Frontiers+ Festival at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire UK by Joe Cutler. He also has been invited to gave composition seminars at King's College London 2017 and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2018. Prof Tajuddin has received the highest National Academic Award in Malaysia in the field of Arts and Creativity (music composition) 2017 presented by the Ministry of Higher Education and also received UiTM Academic Award in the same field in 2017 as well. His choral arrangement of Malay folk song Jong-jong Inai written in 1993 was performed by National Choir of Malaysia and won first prize in mixed choir category at the 4th Bali International Choir Competition in 2015. In 2010, Sebuah Pantun III has received Reperoire Honorary Mentioned in the Carl von Ossiertzsky International Composition Competition in Germany. He was nominated for MERDEKA Award 2012, one of the prestigious award in Malaysia. Tajuddin has been the first Malaysian composer to win 1st prize in the prestigious Toru Takemitsu Composition Award 2002, 1st prize in the 8th Tokyo International Competition for Chamber Music Composition 2003 (Tenunan II, Joji Yuasa as jury), 1st prize in the 2nd Molinari Quartet Composition Competition 2004 (Mediasi Ukiran - Tenunan VIII, Canada), 1st prize in the 21st Japan Society of Contemporary Music Award for Composers 2004 (Sebuah Tenunan IV), 1st prize in the Lutoslawski Composition Award 2005 (Gamelbati III, Poland) and won the New Millennium Composition Commission Award (Gamelbati, UK) 2005. He has been the first Malaysian composer to be shortlisted composer with the Society for Promotion of New Music three times in 2001, 2004 and 2007. His work Tenunan was selected by the Asian Composer's League-Asian Music Festival, Tokyo in 2003. In 2006, International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) Britain selected his work Tenunan II for the ISCM World Music Days 2007 Hong Kong, representing both UK and Malaysia. His works have been selected as finalist in the 4th Seoul International Competition for Composers, South Korea (Gamelbati VI) (2007), EARPLAY Donald Aird International Composition Competition 2006, San Francisco, USA (Mediasi Ukiran - Tenunan VIII), Derek Shiel Composition Competition 2000, London, UK (Mantera…), Edvard Grieg International Composition Competition 1999, Oslo, Norway (Jeritan), Carnegie Mellon Student Composition Competition Award 1996, Pittsburgh, USA (Self-Portrait). Performances include Self-Portrait (1996, Carnegie Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh), Ritual (1997, National Choir of Malaysia (NCM), Experimental Theatre, Kuala Lumpur), Tenunan II (2002, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Opera City Centre, NHK Radio Japan, 2003, Carnegie Philhamonic Orchestra, Carnegie Music Hall, USA, 2007, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, HK City Hall) Pulsating Colours and many others. Copyright@TazulTajuddin/June2018