Unveiling String Quartet No.1 – The Art and Thought Behind David Paterson’s Award-Winning Work
- WOMCO
- May 21
- 4 min read
David Paterson was awarded the Diamond Prize in the Original Composition Category, at the 2025 Season 2 World Exceptional Musicians Competition
Biography
As a former protégé of the late Richard Gill and an alumnus of the Royal College of Music, Australian National Academy of Music, Sydney and Elder Conservatoriums, David has become established as one of the next generation of critically acclaimed Australian composers with past commissions including: Introduction and Rondo for small orchestra (Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia) 2009, The Legend of Nintendo for String Quartet (Ensemble Urbane) 2012, Tasting Notes (Tarrawarra Estate Yarra Valley) 2014, Septet (Melbourne Ensemble for ABC Classics) 2020, Quartettsätze, Scherzo, and String Quartet No.1 (Australian String Quartet) 2016, 2020, and 2022 respectively. David continues to work extensively as a pianist, composer, researcher, and educator.
“Paterson’s new work proved a revelation – attractive tonal music that seems to spill off the page. . . Interesting use of dynamic contrasts, neat cross rhythms and strong melodies showed this work to be a cut above. . .”
Steve Moffatt (Limelight, 2022)
“. . . the second movement Adagio Tranquillo was an outstanding source of musical magic.”
Julie McErlain (Classic Melbourne, 2022)
“David… demonstrate[s] a firm command of technique…”
David Barmby (Artshub, 2019)
“David’s… contrasting movements [were] attractively coloured with rich harmonic depth.”
Maxim Boon (The Age, 2019)
Could you share the inspiration behind "String Quartet No.1" and the message you hope to convey through it? How do you feel about the response to your composition, and are there any particular emotions or reactions you'd like listeners to experience when they hear it performed?
Whilst rummaging through copious sketches for material to use in this work, I came across a melodic line scrawled many years ago. From this seven-bar melody played twice by the first violin in the opening of the first movement, almost all the material for what became the First String Quartet is derived from the musical cells contained within this melody.
The notion of developing musical material from an opening statement over multiple movements has long been established, with Beethoven’s Symphony No.5, Op.67 being one of the most famous examples. In addition to creating unity within a work as a whole, this method provides for the audience a coherent journey with which to follow in context of a piece of absolute music. A quality which is integral to my experience as an audience member for any work.
What was your creative process like while composing "String Quartet No.1"? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
Throughout my career as an educator, performer, and composer, I have often encountered a common misconception: the assumption that composers have a magical sixth sense that somehow affords them a deeper level of musicianship and musical appreciation, which can result in a crippling outcome. That the act of composing—and the teaching of it—presents an insurmountable challenge.
The theoretical knowledge required to refine one’s level of musicianship is the same knowledge that affords a composer their level of craftsmanship. By defining what the compositional process entails, we can approach the teaching of composition in a pragmatic and meaningful way that reveals the truly fascinating nature of how music functions.
In essence, composition is the artistic application of theoretical knowledge. Without a fundamental understanding of theoretical concepts—such as rhythm, harmony, and pacing—one cannot be expected to apply them effectively. A composer’s theoretical knowledge is what informs their decisions during the compositional process. While intuition plays an important role, I argue that a strong foundation of consciously held knowledge is crucial for intuition to develop and thrive. Therefore, any educational journey into composition must first establish a solid grounding in theoretical concepts.
This process can begin with the introduction of basic musical elements: identifying melodic contour, recognising intervallic qualities, and understanding how note values combine to create rhythm. These foundational skills are essential for developing a student’s facility to dictate melody. In essence, dictation is the process of turning audiation into notation—a fundamental skill required to compose.
Once these building blocks are in place, meaningful musical analysis can begin. That is to say, engaging in the process of identifying what is there, why is it there, and how is it achieved, in pursuit of discovering the musical function of a given excerpt. Applying this method to a piece that a student already finds captivating can remove much of the tedium from analysis. Instead of merely extracting data, the student engages in discovering why a particular piece has such an impact on them. This approach can foster active listening and encourage autonomous learning.
To contextualise these theoretical concepts, I found it incredibly useful—as a student—to study and compare pertinent musical examples that exemplified a particular concept which I would then use as models for my own compositional exercises. In these exercises, I would attempt to successfully demonstrate my understanding of a musical concept (e.g., establishment of key, modulation, motific development, counterpoint, etc.) primarily through emulation. The purpose of these exercises was not to find my individual compositional voice, but to understand how the past masters had acquired theirs. The process of discovering what one’s individual compositional voice sounds like can only occur once one has written a large corpus of compositions, from which, certain tendencies and propensities will emerge.
By keeping things simple, one can be surprised at the potential level of sophistication of the outcome. Nobody’s Opus 1 ever turned out to be their magnum opus, and nobody’s magnum opus was ever written without first completing their Opus 1.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank (such as mentors, collaborators, or supporters)?
Given my inattention to detail resulting in winning this award, perhaps there are some emerging composers that may benefit from my publications/work through your network.
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