English conductor and composer, based in Germany

Steckbrief /Werdegang
Graham Buckland, born in Weymouth in 1951, studied at Cambridge, London and Brno. He spent twenty years as an opera conductor in Prague, Nuremberg, Hanover and Oldenburg and was principal conductor in Hildesheim and Brno before joining the university of Regensburg in 1995. He has widened the scope and status of the university music programme quite considerably and was nominated Universitätsmusikdirektor in 2003, receiving the university’s Pro Arte prize in 2006. He is also a composer, arranger and editor, and has been working with the Bärenreiter publishers since 2000.


Bisherige Werke / Publikationen / Auftritte / Veranstaltungen

Composer

1. Main compositions (and first performances)

Sol, for percussion and orchestra (1991 Axel Fries and the Oldenburg State Orchestra)

Prometheus, Chamber opera (1995 in Český Krumlov and 1997 in Regensburg)

Don Gil, Chamber opera after Tirso de Molina (Excerpts 2012 in Hildesheim)

Rilke-Bilder, for clarinet solo (2001 in Festival Kallmünz and Niedermünsterkirche Regensburg)

Latin Mass for Children’s Choir and small orchestra (2002 in Festival Kallmünz)

8 original carols in Christmas a cappella, Baerenreiter (2001)

Twenty Tiny Fingers, für piano duet, 2nd version for orchestra (2002 in Regensburg)

55 original preludes for organ in Halleluja, Baerenreiter (2002)

Threnody, for string orchestra (2005 in Schierling)

Chanticleer, for 4 trumpets, timpani and strings (2006 in Regensburg, version for large orchestra 2007)

Mass in C, for soprano, men’s choir, percusssion and organ (2006 in Reinhausen)

The Bumps, Concerto for marimba and strings (2009 in Wörth)

Graham’s Anatomy, Chamber opera (2010 in Kallmünz)

Three Transitions, for clarinet and string quartet (2010 in Pilsen)

CAD, Concertino for harpsichord and string orchestra (2011 in Regensburg)

Guter Hoffnung (Grounds for Optimism) for string orchestra (2011 in Regensburg)

Der Kontrahent (Contrareity) Chamber opera for double bassoon, solo wind instruments and string orchestra (2013 in Regensburg)

Auftritt  for string orchestra (2014 in Regensburg)

Two Chapters (The Passion of St. Mark) for singer and 11 instruments (2014 in Regensburg, solo Peter Neff)

2. Arrangements

Bartok              Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythms (from Mikrokosmos) for strings, 2006

Brahms             Hungarian Dances Nos. 2 & 4 for orchestra, 2006

Byrd                 Browning, Fantasia à 6, Pavan & Galliard, The Bells for strings, 2005

Debussy                      1st Arabesque, Golliwog’s Cake-Walk, Clair de lune, Petit Nègre for orchestra, 2009

Gershwin          Three Preludes for clarinet and strings, 2012

Lullaby for strings, 2006

Janáček             On an Overgrown Path for clarinet and strings, Suite I 2011, Suite II 2005

Pavel Haas         Suite op. 17 for oboe and strings, 2011

Mendelssohn     Veni domine, O beata, Prelude and Fugue for orchestra 2009                      

Schubert            Die Schöne Müllerin for orchestra 2005

Trad.                carols, hymns and spirituals for choirs – see publications

3. Publications

Christmas a cappella (ed.) Baerenreiter, Kassel 2001, ISMN M-006-50534-0

Halleluja (ed.) Baerenreiter, Kassel 2002, ISBN 979-0-006-52068-8

20 Tiny Fingers Bosse, Kassel 2002, ISMN M-2011-0912-1

Spirituals a cappella (ed.) Baerenreiter, Kassel 2011, ISMN 979-0-006-54066-2

Christmas for female voices (ed.) Baerenreiter, Kassel 2011, ISMN 979-0-006-53871-3

Combocom (12 Spirituals) (ed.) Baerenreiter, Kassel, 2013, ISMN 979-0-006-53605-4

Conductor

Training

1970 – 73          Cambridge University (Corpus Christi College) (B.A. 1973, M.A. 1981)

1970 – 74          Piano with James Gibb (L.R.A.M. 1974)

1970 – 87          Conducting with George Hurst (Canford & privately)

1973 – 74          Training as opera coach (London Opera Centre)

1974 – 75          Study of the Janáček operas with Frantíšek Jílek in Brno (British Council Scholarship)

Specialised work on Czech music

1974 – 77             British Council Scholarship to work on the Janáček operas with Frantíšek Jílek in Brno

1975                     Assistent to Bohumil Gregor (Jenůfa) at the Czech National Theatre, Prague

1776-77               Conductor at the State Theatre of Ùstí-nad-Laben (Novák – Lucerna)

1983                    The Bartered Bride in the Stadttheater Hildesheim

1987 – 89            Jenůfa in Hannover, Cunning Little Vixen & Rusalka in Oldenburg

1989                    The Bartered Bride at the Czech National Theatre, Prague

1990                    Janáček’s Sinfonietta mit der Janáček-Philharmonia in Ostrava

1990                    Jenůfa in Brno (Trial on the recommendation of Prof. Jílek)

1990                    Má Vlast in Frankfurt/Oder

1990 – 93            Guest conductor at the State Opera Prague

1991 – 93            Principal conductor at the the National Theatre Brno (Janáček Theatre)

 Rusalka, Jenůfa, Cunning Little Vixen and Brouček at the Janáček Theatre

1992 – 95            Guest conductor with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Moravian Philharmonic

1995 – 2006       Má Vlast, Dvořák Symphonies and Cello Concerto in Regensburg

2003 – 2014       music for chamber orchestra by Suk, Janáček and Dvořák

1995 – 2007       cooperation with the Janáček Quartet

2006 – 2014       see CDs

2014                    Dvorak, all four Erben Symphonic Poems in one concert

Engagements

1975 – 76          Prague, Repetiteur

1976 – 77          Ústí-nad-Labem, Repetiteur and Kapellmeister

1977 – 80          Nuremberg, Solorepetitor mit Dirigierverpflichtung

1980 – 81          Hannover, Solorepetitor mit Dirigierverpflichtung

1982 – 84          Hildesheim, Music Director

1985 – 86          Hannover, Kapellmeister und Solorepetitor

1986 – 87          Oldenburg, Kapellmeister

1987 – 91          Oldenburg, Studienleiter und Kapellmeister

1991 – 93          Brünn, Opernchef

1993 –               freelance conductor and composer

1995 –               Regensburg, Conductor of the University Orchestra (2003 Universitätsmusikdirektor)

Work at Regensburg University

1995                 appointment to the post of conductor

1996-2012      enlargement of the orchestra and broadening of the repertoir

1996-2012      concerts in München, Brüssel, Amsterdam, Prag, Bratislava, Budapest, etc.

1996-2012      purchase of Steinway D, 2 Boston grands, Harpsichord by David Rubio

1996                 beginning of family concerts

1998                 founding of the chamber opera

2003                 named Universitätsmusikdirektor

2004                 founding of the chamber orchestra (with advanced students and professional musicians)

2005                 founding of the abonnement concerts (at the moment between twelve and twenty a year)

2005                 all the Mozart violin concertos with Geoffrey Trabichoff (USA)

2006                 CD-recording: String Serenades of Suk und Dvořák (Spektral-Classics)

2006                 all the Mozart horn concertos with Ondřej Vrabec (Czech Philharmonic)

2006                 Award of the Pro Arte prize of the University

2006                 founding of the Chamber Music Concert Series

2007                 all the Beethoven piano concertos with Ronan O’Hora (London)

2007                 founding of the ensembles Blech-DUR and Uni-Flute

2008                 debut of the Chamber Orchestra in the Konzerthaus Berlin (Gendarmenmarkt)

2008                 founding of other ensembles (chamber choir, two string quartets, wind quintet)

2009                 partnership with University of Bologna

2010                  partnership with Pilsen, Paris, Cremona, Pecs

2012                  festival überBrücken – in cooperation with the City of Regenburg,

2011                   all four Brahms Symphonies in one concert

2012                  founding of the ensemble for baroque performance, RUBIO

2012-13            commissioning of Fortepiano by Paul McNulty, Harpsichord by Jukka Ollika

Guest conducting

in Hanover (1986 – 88), Brüssel (1987), Glasgow (1987 – 94), Brno (1987 – 97), Marl (1988), Hilchenbach (1988 – 91), Prag (1988 – 95), Frankfurt/Oder (1990), Ostrava (1991), Essen (1991 – 93), Litomysl (1992- 93), Gelsenkirchen (1993), Bochum (1994), Darmstadt (1994), Karlsruhe (1994), Ulm (1995 – 97), Krummau (1995), Olmütz (1996 – 97), Halle (1996), Nürnberg (1997), Boise, (1997), Brussels (1999), Amsterdam (1999), Regensburg (1999), Bremen & Munich (2002), Bratislava & Budapest (2005), Hildesheim (2006), München, Nürnberg, Schwarzenfeld (2008).