Timothy Cape is a composer from Ireland who makes experimental music-theatre. He often performs his own pieces, or works closely with musicians to find a connection between their idiosyncrasies and his, prioritising a direct communication with the audience. Mostly exploring the psychological effects of post-fordist labour, his recent work uses performative processes to destroy ideological uses of language and rearrange them into new, mysterious languages which are then treated musically to summon ghosts of past events and invoke desired futures.
In 2022 he was commissioned to make Still Drowsy for the Venice Music Biennale. 2021 Commissions included hcmf// (UK), Kirkos Ensemble (IE) and percussionist Angela Hui Wai Nok (five performances internationally), Previous commissions include Spitalfields Festival and Britten Pears (UK). Three of his pieces have had live broadcasts on BBC radio 3 since 2016, and international performances include Spor festival DK, Aldeburgh festival UK, hcmf// UK, Perifirein NO, Music Current IE, Constellations US, Cattle Depot HK. He is a member of Bastard Assignments, a group of composer-performers called “one of the most exciting forces in contemporary music” (Financial Times 2020) and “at the forefront of London’s DIY new music scene” (Neue Zeitung fur Musik 2019).
He studied a Masters in Art in the Public Sphere at RCA, London and a BMus at Trinity Laban conservatoire. He also took lessons with Jennifer Walshe, funded by the Help Musicians Talent Development Bursary 2016.
He is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland.
Contact:
timocape [at] hotmail [dot] com
Press:
Frieze magazine feature on Bastard Assignments, (2019). View
Sounds Like Now article, feat. Bastard Assignments and No New Ideas (2017). View
Article with interview about my Spitalfields Music Open Call commission (2016). View
Interview in The Wire magazine featuring a description of My my my (2015) . View
Guardian article about Bastard Assignments. View
Spectator article mentioning Bastard Assignments. View
