Quintet for ondes Martenot and strings

John Owen wrote his Quintet for Cynthia Millar and the Brindisi String Quartet and the work was premiered during the 38th Aldeburgh Festival in June 1985. Lasting 10 minutes it plays without a break and explores the different techniques of the ondes and its wide range.

John Owen was born in 1955 and studied composition privately with Richard Rodney Bennett from the age of 14, and then at the University of York where he worked with David Blake, Bernard Rands and Elisabeth Lutyens. His output from this time also includes a string quartet, an extensive work for three violas and a wind quintet. Soon after leaving University he decided to concentrate on music administration. He was Director of the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies and then worked as Director of Artistic Planning for the Hallé Orchestra. He has been a Director of Owen White Management for over 30 years. While working in Aldeburgh he also wrote a song cycle for soprano and clarinet.