Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Thomas Simaku

Thomas Simaku is an Albanian-born British composer.

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Jul 8, 2026
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Thomas Simaku (born 18 April 1958, in Kavajë) is an Albanian-born British composer.12

Education

Simaku studied composition between the years 1978–1982 at the Academy of Music and Arts of Albania under Tonin Harapi. After graduation he was nominated as Director of Music at the Palace of Culture of Permet, in southern Albania.1

In 1991 Simaku moved to England to study for a PhD in composition with David Blake at the University of York, which he was awarded in 1996.3

Prizes and Awards

Notable prizes and awards that Simaku has won include:

  • 2009: British Composer Award (Instrumental) for Soliloquy V: Flauto Acerbo.4
  • 2013: First Prize in the International Composition Competition for Lutoslawski's 100th Birthday for Concerto for Orchestra.56

Performances

Simaku's music has been performed throughout the UK and Europe, as well as in North America, Australia and the Far East. In 1995 his work Epitaph for String Orchestra was selected by the International Jury for the ISCM World Music Days in Germany - the first ever Albanian music to be included in this prestigious festival. Subsequently, Simaku's works have been selected by the International Jury at the World Music Days of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2019.789101112131415

Other venues and international festivals where his music has been performed include Wigmore Hall;1617 King’s College Cambridge;18 Den Sorte Diamant Hall, Copenhagen;19 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (HCMF);20212223242526 Forum für Neuer Musik, Deutschlandfunk, Cologne;27 New Music Miami;28 Encontre Internacional de Compositors 2011, Spain;2930 Intrasonus festival, Venice; Moderne Muziek Nijmegen in Holland amongst others.31

Simaku has given masterclasses and lectures on his music across several universities and music academies in the UK, Europe and USA.32333435

Publication

His works have been released by labels including BIS, NMC, and Naxos, and have received critical acclaim internationally from, among others, BBC Music Magazine,3637 Gramophone Magazine,38 Music Opinion (UK),39 Diapason (France),40 Crescendo (Belgium),41 Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, Tempo, Rondo – Das Klassik & Jazz Magazine (Germany),42 and Fanfare Magazine (USA).43

Discography

  • Con-ri-sonanza

BIS Catalogue No: BIS-2449 Release Date: 11/2020 Selected by Radio France in their best of year (coup-de-coeur) list.44

  • String Quartets Nos 2 and 3, Soliloquy I, II, III

Catalogue No: Naxos 8.570428 Release Date: 05/2008. It reached the best of year list in the Fanfare magazine in USA in 2008.45

Personal

In 2000, Simaku was granted British citizenship. He lives in York with his wife and two daughters. Simaku isn't a Professor of Composition at the University of York.46

References

References

  1. Simaku, Thoma; Bobaton. "Thoma Simaku biography". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  2. "Thomas Simaku: Biography". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  3. "Thomas Simaku". University of York Music Press. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  4. "British Composer Award Winners". British Composer Awards. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. "Composition Competition Winners Announced!". The Witold Lutoslawski Society. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  6. "Thomas Simaku wins Lutoslawski Competition". Polskie Radio. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  7. "ISCM: 1999". ISCM. ISCM. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  8. "ISCM: 2000". S&H Festival Review. Musicweb International. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  9. "ISCM: 2005". ISCM. ISCM. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  10. "Thomas Simaku: Premieres in Stuttgart & Miami". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  11. "ISCM: 2006". ISCM. ISCM. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  12. "Thomas Simaku at the 2012 ISCM World Music Days". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  13. "ISCM: 2012". ISCM. ISCM. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  14. "ISCM: 2019". ISCM. ISCM. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  15. "Thomas Simaku at the 2019 World Music Days". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  16. "Simaku Wigmore Hall World Premiere". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  17. "Danny Driver plays Chopin, Faure, Ligeti & Simaku". Wigmore Hall. Wigmore Hall. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  18. "Songs of Farewell". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  19. "Simaku - Copenhagen Sinfonietta Première". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  20. Woodley, Christopher. "Masters of style and grace: Ensemble intercontemporain in Huddersfield". Bachtrack. Bachtrack. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  21. "//hcmf: 2022". Ensemble Intercontemporain. Ensemble Intercontemporain. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  22. "Thomas Simaku - World Premiere at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  23. "Quatuor Diotima to premiere Simaku's String Quartet No.5 at HCMF 2015". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  24. "BBC: Hear & Now". BBC Radio 3. BBC. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  25. "Thomas Simaku - UK Première at Huddersfield 2007". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  26. "Thomas Simaku's Insomnio Broadcast on BBC Radio and Online". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  27. Kämpfer, Frank. "Avantgarde und Ethnologie vereint". Deutschlandfunk. Deutschlandfunk. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  28. "Thomas Simaku at New Music Miami 2023". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  29. "Thomas Simaku - World Premiere in Venice". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  30. "Simaku is featured composer in Spain". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  31. "Thomas Simaku: Performances". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  32. "Simaku gives Lectures and Masterclasses in Vienna and Prague". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  33. "Thomas Simaku – lectures in Palermo, York and London". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  34. "Thomas Simaku: Recent Lectures and Masterclasses". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  35. "Thomas Simaku Lecture in Dublin". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  36. Cotton, Martin. "Thomas Simaku: Solo CD Review". Classical Music. BBC Music Magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  37. "Thomas Simaku Featured in BBC Music Magazine". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  38. "SIMAKU: 'Con-ri-sonanza'". Gramophone. Gramophone. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  39. "'A highly individual musical voice'". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  40. "5-star Review in France for Thomas Simaku's New Album". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  41. "Les soliloques de Simaku : visionnaires, virtuoses, vivants". Crescendo Magazine. Crescendo Magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  42. Fischer, Guido. "Thomas Simaku:„con-ri-sonanza" (Kammermusik)". Rondo Magazin. Rondo Magazin. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  43. "Critical Acclaim in Germany and USA for Thomas Simaku's New Album". UYMP. UYMP. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  44. "En pistes, contemporains ! Spécial Coup de cœur de la saison". France Musique. Radio France. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  45. Cowen, Tyler. "The meta-lists, this time for classical music". Marginal Revolution University. Marginal Revolution University. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  46. "Biography • Thomas Simaku, composer". www-users.york.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
External links