Mark Simpson

Mark Simpson enjoys a dual career as both composer and clarinettist working with the leading musicians and orchestras.

In 2024 world premieres included “Phôs” for Bachchor Salzburg at the Salzburg Easter Festival; “Darkness Moves II” for horn and electronics for Ben Goldscheider at Southbank Centre London; a viola concerto “Hold Your Heart In Your Teeth” for violist Timothy Ridout; and his orchestral work “Israfel” performed by Thomas Adés and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. In forthcoming seasons a new electric guitar concerto for Sean Shibe with BBC Philharmonic and a piano concerto for Vikingur Ólafsson will be premiered. His violin concerto written for Nicola Benedetti was premiered with the London Symphony Orchestra and since performed in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Simpson has also written a significant body of chamber music including “‘Hommage à Kurtág’” commissioned by Salzburg Festival and Edinburgh Festivals. Simpson has recently given the world premiere of Thomas Adès’s work for basset clarinet and string quartet “Alchymia” and has since performed the work across Europe and more recently given its USA premiere and recorded it for Orchid Classics.

He continues his partnerships with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Jean-Guihen Queyras in performances of music by Helmut Lachenmann, recently performing together in Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw. Simpson has been artist in residence at Lammermuir Festival, Aldeburgh Festival and King’s Place in London, and has been Composer in Association with BBC Philharmonic. As a concerto soloist Simpson has performed both Lindberg and Nielsen’s Clarinet Concertos at the BBC Proms.

Simpson was recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Award (2010). His oratorio “The Immortal” under the baton of Juanjo Mena received the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Classical Music (2016) and a recording of his wind ensemble composition “Geysir” and Mozart’s Gran Partita (Orchid Classics) won a Presto Recording of the Year award.