Background
Holt was born in Bolton and educated at Bolton School.
Holt was born in Bolton and educated at Bolton School.
1978-1982 – Studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Anthony Gilbert.
Not to be confused with Simeon ten Holt. Shortly after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, he became firmly established on the new music circuit with a series of commissions and fruitful collaborations with the London Sinfonietta and the Nash Ensemble. Influenced by Messiaen, Xenakis and Feldman as well as visual artists such as Goya, Alberto Giacometti and Brâncuși, his music is complex, dramatic and often enigmatic.
During the 1980s he worked primarily in complex soundworlds, while since the 1990s the dense textures have often been offset by Feldmanesque moments of calm, that Holt refers to as ‘still centres’.
Career highlights 1985 – Came to prominence as featured composer at the Bath Festival 1989 – Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Capriccio Spettrale 1998 – Featured composer at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2001 – Le Prix de la Fondation Prince Pierre, Monaco for Sunrise’ yellow noise 2002 – Ivor Novello Classical Music Award for Boots of Lead 2004 – British Composer Award (Stage Works) for Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? 2006 – British Composer Award (Orchestral) for Witness to a Snow Miracle 2008 – Appointed Composer in Association with the British Broadcasting Corporation National Orchestra of Wales 2009 – British Composer Award (Orchestral) for A Table of Noises Kites for ensemble (1983).