Nicholas Ray Seven Poems of Elizabeth Daryush for soprano and piano duration: 10 minutes   Nicholas Ray Nick Ray was born in Gillingham, Kent in 1973 and began studying piano at five years old. After a good general education he opted for music, and commenced as an undergraduate at Trinity College of Music in 1994, studying piano with Kaoru Bingham and composition with Daryl Runswick (whose Scafra Preludes Books I and II he performed at the Dartington Festival in 1998). He graduated with first class honours, winning prizes for composition and piano. The following year he gained his MPhil from St John's College, Cambridge University, where he studied composition with Alexander Goehr. His interests as a composer are centred around the early American pioneers (notably Ives and Ruggles) and the Second Viennese School, and he claims these composers as his main influences. He has many interests outside music and likes reading, countryside and cats. Back to shortlist.