Miroslav Spasov, composer, conductor, and researcher, writes instrumental and interactive electroacoustic music. He was born in Skopje (N. Macedonia) in 1964. After graduating from the University of St.Cyril and Methodius in Skopje in 1992 (composition, conducting and music theory) he worked as music producer and conductor for the Macedonian Radio and Television (MRT) until 1997. He received both his MMus (David Eagle, 1999) and PhD (Allan Bell, 2002) in Composition from the University of Calgary, where he was appointed as a Teaching Fellow in composition, theory, and musicianship in 2002. Between 2003 and 2005 he taught composition, orchestration, 20th century music analysis, and lead the chamber music ensemble in the Department of Music at Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta (N Cyprus). He joined Keele University in 2005 and since 2014 he has been a Professor of Composition and Creative Music Technology in the School of Humanities.
His works have been performed in festivals and solo concerts in Europe and North and South America by the Kreutzer Quartet (London), New London Chamber Choir, Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic), Regina Symphony Orchestra (Canada), Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, Freiburg Percussions Ensemble (Germany), Reconsil Ensemble Vienna, Ankara Woodwind Quintet (Turkey), SKAW Duo (UK), and soloists such as the violinists János Négyesy and Päivikki Nykter (USA), Sarah Watts (bass clarinet, UK), Michael Bell (piano, UK), Thomas Schon (bass clarinet, Austria), Leonid Peisahov (violin), and Nadezda Pozarickaya (piano), Canada, etc. Spasov’s Sabda Vidya No.2 for flute, tenor saxophone and live electronics was premiered at STAIM in Amsterdam and The Music House in Utrecht, Netherlands. His Enactions for bass clarinet and live electronics, was premiered at the ‘International Conference and Festival MuSA 2016 (IMWI) in Karlsruhe in 2016.
Spasov has received several grants for creative work from The Canada Council for The Arts and Alberta Arts Council. Among other awards, he has received the 3rd Prize at the ‘Concours for New Music Compositions’ Ministry of Culture of Republic of Macedonia in 2015 for his Danzacalle for orchestra. His Metaanthropos/Evolutio 1 for flute and electronics, won the 1st prize in the International Computer Music Competition ‘Pierre Schaeffer’ (1999), and his orchestra piece à gauche, à droite, en haut was awarded an honourable mention by the ‘10e Concours International de Composition Musicale de Besancon’, France in 2000.
During his career as a music director, he conducted the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic), Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, Land’s End Ensemble (Canada), MRT Choir and Chamber Orchestra (N. Macedonia), MTR Big Band, and other ensembles.
Spasov’s creative interests interlink: interactive music composition based on idiosyncratic interfaces and the application of chaotic attractors in realtime sound synthesis and sound processing; instrumental composition; jazz theory and reharmonization; and semiotics and cognition applied to creative processes.