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Another Life
A piece that became a meditation on impending fatherhood.
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01 — Media
Recordings and video
Click a card to play in-page.
▶ YouTube Player
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Monster
A 35-minute work for Ensemble Klang, premiered at sound festival and subsequently performed in The Hague.
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Independence
A piece that reflects on cultural, national and familial identity on the eve of the 2014 Referendum.
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Geek
Ein Heldenleben from a sci-fi addict.
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Distance
A film work shaped by separation, mediated presence and fragile connection.
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Armando De Simone’s Violin Concerto
A meta-concerto, reflecting and refracting the concertos in my life, dedicated to my late father, Armando.
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02 — Works list
Catalogue
Catalogue by category. 60 works. Scores and programme notes are available on request.
Orchestral
Unprecedented Times
2022 · 12′ · symphony orchestra · Aberdeen City Orchestra · commissioned by Grampian Youth Orchestra
The Tour
2019 · 10′ · symphony orchestra · Aberdeenshire Youth Orchestra · commissioned by Sound Festival/AYO
Geek
2013 · 12′ · symphony orchestra · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Quiet Meadow
2013 · 7′ · chamber orchestra · Meadows Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh
Symphony
2009 · 50′ · symphony orchestra · RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow
Armando De Simone’s Violin Concerto
2007 · 25′ · violin and orchestra · RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow
Anniversary Overture
2000 · 12′ · orchestra · Aylesbury Orchestral Society · commissioned by Southern Arts Council
Large ensemble (10+ players)
The F Scale
2016 · 10′ · large ensemble · Red Note Ensemble/ Song Circus / I solisti del vento · commissioned by Sound Festival/ November Muziek
Poetics
2016 · 22′ · large ensemble · University of St Andrews New Music Ensemble cond. Bede Williams
The Great Piano in the Sky
2011 · 7′ · 15 pianos · Verona Risuona 2011; Gothenburg GAS Festival 2012; RCS PianoFest 2012 Piano Festival 2016 (Tallinn)
Numb
2010 · 30′ · 10 instruments · Ensemble Thing · Aiden McEoin
Lorem Ipsum
2010 · 8′ · mixed ensemble · Red Note Ensemble
InReach
2009 · 40′ · mixed ensemble · Common Wheel - Polyphony Project · commissioned by Polyphony (music & mental health charity), funded by the Magnus Magnusson Award
Anti-Hero Fantasy
2009 · 12′ · mixed ensemble · Icebreaker Ensemble
Martyrdom Redux
2007 · 14′ · mixed ensemble · Utrechts Blazer Ensemble & Python Sax Kwartet · commissioned by Utrechts Blazer Ensemble & Python Sax Kwartet, Utrecht
Inferno
2007 · 60′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Thing, Glasgow
A Tale, Told by an Idiot
2006 · 20′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Thing, Glasgow
Money Shot
2004 · 6′ · mixed ensemble · Paragon Ensemble, Glasgow · commissioned by Scottish Arts Council
Septet
2004 · 12′ · 14 instruments · Ensemble Soil, Amsterdam
Martyrdom Complex
2003 · 13′ · mixed ensemble · Aurelia Sax Kwartet & Slagwerkgroep Den Haag · commissioned by Fonds Scheppende Toonkunst, Amsterdam
Hero Fantasy
2003 · 11′ · mixed ensemble · Combustion Chamber · commissioned by Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst
Blood
2002 · 13′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Muse, The Hague
ReQ
2001 · 20′ · soprano and large ensemble · Ensemble Royaal, The Hague
Faces
2021 · mixed online ensemble · Ensemble Attica (Mexico City) Ensemble Thing · Face to Face online symposia June 2021 · Aaeja.com Ensamble Attica
Planecrash
2000 · 12′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Muse, The Hague
Playlist
2022 · 40′ · string dectet + piano · Outwith Ensemble · Universal Festival 2022 · commissioned by Uni-versal
Small ensemble
Piano Gains
2024 · 15′ · solo piano · Lliam Paterson · Composer's Day 2024
Metacrisis 1
2026 · 8′ · piano trio · Ensemble Haar · Composer's Day 2025
Denial
2011 · 15′ · piano trio · Said Ensemble · Glasgow City Halls Recital Room 2011
Ups and Downs
2021 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Up, Up!
2021 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Plunge
2022 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Lost
2023 · 6′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy
Depths
2022 · 6′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Gone
2023 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy
Found
2023 · 5′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy
DSCG
2025 · 6′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Well, Well, Malcolm
2018 · 4′ · solo trumpet · Bede Williams · Stuart Harris Logan
The Black Hole
2011 · 15′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang · Dag de Branding Festival 2011, The Hague, Netherlands · commissioned by Ensemble Klang, via Fonds Scheppende Toonkunsten
Intimacy
2009 · 20′ · String quartet · Edinburgh Quartet · commissioned by University of Glasgow (McEwen Bequest award)
Panic Diary
2008 · 60′ · mixed ensemble · Symposia Ensemble · commissioned by Scottish Arts Council
Being Here
2008 · 20′ · mixed ensemble · Sax-Ecosse, Glasgow
Suite for Soil
2007 · 15′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Soil, Amsterdam
The Hag
2005 · 45′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang (performed in Glasgow)
Deus Ex Machina
2004 · 18′ · string quartet · Mondriaan Quartet & instrument designer Robert Pravda · Robert Pravda (instrument designer); promoted by CMN Tours · commissioned by Fonds Scheppende Toonkunst
Succubus
2002 · 7′ · 6 trumpets · Kopperensemble R6, Amsterdam · commissioned by Rumori Festival
Shape of Things to Come
2017 · 7′ · Organ · Roger Williams · commissioned by Sound Festival
Misremembrance
2016 · 4′ · Solo cello · Robert Irvine, sound festival, Aberdeen, 22 Oct 2016
World Enough and Time
2017 · 20′ · mixed ensemble · Juliet Fraser et al · Musique demesurees Clemont- Ferrand · commissioned by Diaphonique
Monster
2018 · 35′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang · Ensemble Klang Lemon Tree October 2018
Independence
2014 · 55′ · violin, cello, bass clarinet, accordion and double bass · Glasgow — premiere on the eve of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum · commissioned by Made In Scotland, Creative Scotland, Get a life fund
Flow
2019 · 12′ · cello and fixed media · Emily De Simone
Battle Fantasy
2017 · 5′ · fanfare band · Neo Fanfare 9x13 · Numerous venues throughout the Netherlands
Big Things, not very near...
2002 · 20′ · Orkest de Ereprijs · 2002? · Jens van Dael (choreographer) · commissioned by Orkest de Ereprijs & Arnhem Dance School, Arnhem
Trillions
2009 · 45′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Forest Fringe 2009 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Dance
Two Trillions
2010 · 45′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Forest Fringe 2010 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Theatre
Alma Mater 2
2011 · 17′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Fringe Festival 2011 · Fish & Game (theatre group) · commissioned by Creative Scotland — Made in Scotland award
Alma Mater: Scotland Street
2010 · 24′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · IETM 2010 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Film
Rapsodia Satanica
2003 · 60′ · Royal Conservatoire Orchestra · Tushinsky Cinema, Amsterdam · commissioned by Amsterdam Film Museum
Migala
2002 · 7′ · Ensemble Muse · Antonia Fritche
Scores and materials
For scores, programme notes or commissioning enquiries, contact John directly.