Gavin Wayte

Gavin collaborates with flautist Dr Martyn Shaw (Leeds Conservatoire) to investigate how joint research into historically informed performance practice and historical cultural contexts and contemporary composition and contexts might lead to new insights and usable knowledge in musical performance, composition and creativity. This has led to a series of composition and improvisation performances, often involving electronics, for an original flute from 1839, the ‘Nicholson’s “Improved” Flute’. Recent trajectories of investigation include exploring how aspects of materiality may provide a lens to lead to new creative work and insights into contemporary and historical performance practices.

Since 2018 Gavin has focused on musical creativity connected to nature. This has produced a series of compositions ranging from piano and electronics to video pieces and has recently developed into creative collaborations with other artists including percussionist Delia Stevens and the Royal Academy of Music’s Professor of Low Flutes, Carla Rees. Allied with these musical creative outputs, Gavin has led research projects connected to contemporary issues concerning the natural world including ‘How May Music Projects Enable Positive Environmental Action’. Supported by an RNCM research grant, this project brought together RNCM student focus groups, RNCM postgraduate performers and students from Ashton Sixth Form College, Tameside in creative workshops and think tank scenarios.

Broader aspects of research which feed into the above primary routes of investigation include sonic spatialisation and the creation of sonic space in live instrumental and electronic performance, contemporary improvisation, and ensemble and performer interaction in the performance of notated scores.

• Music and Nature
• Creative collaboration
• Present day creative engagement with historical instruments and historical instrument performance
• Creative approaches to music career development in the contemporary world

Independent reviewer of output for The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg’s regarding funding status for South African Department of Higher Education and Training’s Creative Research Subsidy, 2022.

Journal article pre-publication reviewer, Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal, Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick, UK. 2021

I have received Arts Council England funding and RNCM research grants in connection to research projects such as ‘How May Music Projects Enable Positive Environmental Action?’ and ‘Crossing 2′.

• Artist Development
• Composition (Theory and Musicianship pathway)
• Professional Placement – Seminars and Tutorials
• Creative Project – Lectures, Seminars, Tutorials
• Performing Contemporary Music
• Performance Studies
• Research Elective – Cinematic Alchemy: Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann
• Research Elective – Improvisation: Past, Present and Future
• RNCM Junior Department – Contemporary Music Lead; Conductor of New Music Ensemble; Tutor in Composition

• Freelance Musician

External examiner for Ivan Karst’s PhD, A Study in Clarity: Josef Suk ‘Asrael’ re-envisioned via Schoenberg, University of Salford, July 2020.