Barry Mills

Barry Mills was born in Plymouth in 1949 and is for the most part self-taught as a composer. He obtained a degree in Biochemistry from Sussex University in 1971, returning there in 1976-77 to pursue an MA in Music, studying analysis with David Osmond-Smith and David Roberts and composition with Colin Matthews and Ann Boyd.

His present lifestyle consists of working as a delivery postman in Brighton, an early morning job, and composing in the afternoons. Four CDs of his chamber music have been issued by Claudio Records. Thalia Myers commissioned Clouds from him for the Spectrum 2 piano collection published by the Associated Board and recorded by her for NMC. This piece was issued by the Associated Board as a Grade 3 set piece in 2002.

His orchestral piece Tartano was premiered by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Jiri Mikula, in 1997 in Olomouc, the Czech Republic, and recorded by them for the Vienna Modern Masters label.

His music has been performed by musicians including Endymion, Sounds Positive, Tacet Ensemble, Michael Finnissy and Jane's Minstrels, in venues including Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John's Smith Square, the Almeida Theatre and The Warehouse.  Barry Mills is currently working on a piece for the Swiss choir Cappella Nova.