(b. 1969, Banting).
Malaysian composer, now resident in the UK, of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in Asia, Europe and North America.
Mr. Tajuddin taught himself guitar at age 15 and began composing at age 24. He studied both classical music and the traditional music of Malaysia at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam from 1988–91. He studied composition with Leonardo Balada and the music of Iannis Xenakis with Juan Pablo Izquierdo at Carnegie Mellon University from 1994–96, on a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of Malaysia, and there earned his MMus in composition. He then studied composition with Martin Butler, Michael Finnissy and Jonathan Harvey at the University of Sussex from 1997–2001, where he earned his PhD with the thesis A Study of Arabesque. He also received encouragement from Henri Dutilleux.
Among his honours are two selections to the short list of the Society for the Promotion of New Music in London (2001–04, for Jeritan [Scream]; 2004–07, for Arabesque IV – Tenunan VII [Weaves]), First Prize in the competition Tōru Takemitsu in Tōkyō (2002, for Tenunan II), First Prize in the competition for chamber music Tōkyō (2003, for Sebuah Tenunan IV), First Prize in the competition of the Quatuor Molinari in Montréal (2004, for Mediasi Ukiran – Tenunan VIII), the Japan Society of Music Award for Composers (2004, for Mediasi Ukiran V – Tenunan XII [The Mediation of Ornament]), and the New Millennium Composition Commission Award in Birmingham (2005). His music has been performed in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the USA, and the UK.
He is also active in other positions. He served as assistant conductor of the National Choir of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur from 1991–93. He has conducted the group on various occasions and has also conducted ensembles in the UK and the USA.
He has lived in the UK since 1997.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Etudes, small orchestra, 1995
Violin & Orchestra, 1995
Avtoportret – Self-Portrait, large orchestra, 1995–96
Corakan (Patterns), large orchestra, 2000
Tenunan II, flute, piano, celesta, 2 percussion, string orchestra, 2001
Sebuah Nadian Warna – Tenunan III (Pulsating Colours), large orchestra, 2002–03
Tenunan V, 2003
Kehalusan Ukiran I – Sebuah Tenunan VI (Arabesque Engraving), small orchestra (15 players), 2003
Kehalusan Ukiran II – Tenunan VI, small orchestra (16 players), 2003–04
Mediasi Ukiran II – Sebuah Tenunan IX, 2003–04
Mediasi Antara Nada Halus dan Kasar – Mediasi Ukiran III (Mediation between Two Tones), gamelan, small orchestra (24 players), 2004–05
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Sketch, string quartet, 1994
Lagu IV (Song), clarinet, piano, 1998
Karya (Piece), violin, piano, 1995
Alhambra-Arabesque, string quartet, 1999
Arabesque II, 2 piccolos, 2 violins, 1999
Jeritan, string quartet, 1999–2000
Corak – Arabesque V (Pattern), harp, cello, 2000
Tenunan I, flute, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 2000
Mantera... (Mantra), flute, 8 sound sculptures (2 players), 2000–01 (also shorter version, 2004)
Sebuah Tenunan IV, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2003
Arabesque IV – Tenunan VII, guitar, 2003
Mediasi Ukiran I – Tenunan VIII, string quartet, 2004
Mediasi Ukiran V – Tenunan XII, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, 2004
CHORAL:
Pemuda (Young Man) (text by Siti Chairani Proehoeman), soprano–speaker, baritone–speaker, mixed chorus, small orchestra, 1996
Ritual – Pemuda II (text by Siti Chairani Proehoeman), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, 3 mixed choruses, piano, 2 percussion, 1997
Meditasi Ritualistik Seorang Pemuda (Ritualistic Meditation of a Man) (text by Siti Chairani Proehoeman), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, 3 mixed choruses, large orchestra, 1997
Perjalanan (Journey) (text by Siti Chairani Proehoeman), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 1997–
VOCAL:
Lagu I & II (vocalise), soprano, piano, 1994
Lagu Tanpa Kata I (Song without Words), soprano, orchestra, 1994, revised 2003
Lagu III (vocalise), soprano, piano, 1998
PIANO:
Sebuah Pantun (A Malay Poem), 2002
Torrent of Images – A Memorial, 2002–05 (its three sections may be performed separately: Irrational, 2002–03; Mediasi Masa – Raja Satariah Memoriam [The Mediation of Time], 2004; Rational, 2005)
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Abstract, fixed media (8 tracks), 1994
Study for Electronic Music in 3 Sections, fixed media (8 tracks), 1994–95
Electronic Piece I, fixed media (8 tracks), 1995
ARRANGEMENT:
Anthology of Choral and Piano Malay Folk Song Arrangements (27 folksongs from Malaysia), mixed chorus, piano, 1992–93