Ian Shanahan
Ian Shanahan is an Australian composer and recorder player, widely regarded for his command of contemporary techniques and for widening what the instrument can do.
Born in Sydney, Ian Leslie Shanahan studied composition and pure mathematics at the University of Sydney, where his composition teachers were Eric Gross, Peter Sculthorpe and Ian Fredericks (computer music).
He is well regarded as an expert in contemporary techniques for the recorder, and his work in this area has done much to expand the possibilities for composers writing for the instrument. Extremely active as a recorder player, he has commissioned many composers, both from Australia and overseas, to write pieces for him to perform.
Compositions by Ian Shanahan appear on
Phoenix Songs
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, the recorder is enjoying something of a renaissance. Six well-known Australian contemporary composers pair it with piano, harpsichord, voice and live electronics.