Between 1991 and 1999, he researched and studied under famous avant-garde composers such as György Ligeti, Helmut Lachenmann, Klaus Metzger, Mathias Espahlinger, Mauricio Kagel, Franco Donatoni, and Brian Ferneyhough.
They were united by their desire both to champion the contemporary repertoire : George Crumb, György Ligeti, Giacinto Scelsi, John Cage, György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Kaija Saariaho, Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Raphaël Cendo, Marco Stroppa, Henri Dutilleux...
He is closely associated with composers such as Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Finnissy, Richard Barrett, Chris Dench and Liza Lim, as well as frequently performing such composers as Pierre Boulez, Helmut Lachenmann and Vinko Globokar.
He is an eminent musician who has had an influence on various artists and has played at the premiere of a number of works that have become a part of the Clarinet repertoire, such as works by Helmut Lachenmann, Isang Yun, Edison Denisov, Jean Françaix, Gia Kancheli, Krzysztof Meyer, amongst others.
More recently, Hamburg gave the world premières of Wolfgang Rihm's The Conquest of Mexico (1992) and Helmut Lachenmann's The Little Match Girl (1997), for which it received much international acclaim.
Two chamber music concerts with Salome Kammer and members of the ensemble musikFabrik showed among others temA for flute, mezzosoprano and piano, his string trio and Allegro sostenuto for clarinet, violoncello and piano.
In 2005, the festival was held from 17 November to 27 November and featured the latest works by Helmut Lachenmann.
In 1998 he continued his studies in composition with Helmut Lachenmann and Marco Stroppa at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule and took his diploma as a composer in 2002.
As a piano performer, she was engaged in over 30 first performances of her own as well as contemporary chamber music works by European and American composers as, for instance, "Senzapatria Sempiterno" by the German composer Anton Plate for the concert and award of the honorary doctor title onto Helmut Lachenmann in 2001 in Hannover.
He attended master classes and individual lessons with Mauricio Kagel, Helmut Lachenmann, Jean-Claude Risset, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Brian Ferneyhough, Frederic Rzewski, Magnus Lindberg, and others.
His work is noted for its use of unconventional and extended techniques, closely allying him to contemporaries Salvatore Sciarrino and Helmut Lachenmann.
Helmut Lachenmann: Mouvement ( - vor der Erstarrung) for three ad hoc players and 14 players (1982/84)
Helmut Lachenmann | Helmut Kohl | Helmut Newton | Helmut Schmidt | Helmut Jahn | Helmut Reichelt | Helmut Berger | Helmut Werzer | Helmut Oehring | Helmut Lang | Helmut Käutner | Helmut Zahn | Helmut Reichmann | Helmut Krone | Helmut Grunsky | Helmut Benthaus | Helmut Sonnenfeldt | Helmut Schwarz | Helmut Schreyer | Helmut Rahn | Helmut Oberlander | Helmut Michel | Helmut Metzner | Helmut Markwort | Helmut Landsberg | Helmut Krausser | Helmut Horten | Helmut Herbst | Helmut Hasse | Helmut Dietl |
Among the composers who wrote music for the ensemble are Pierre Boulez, Brian Ferneyhough, Vinko Globokar, Gérard Grisey, Heinz Holliger, Mauricio Kagel, Helmut Lachenmann, György Ligeti, Krzysztof Penderecki, Steve Reich, Dieter Schnebel, and Hans Zender.
Gourlay has a commitment to new music and has given premières of works by Bingham, Gorb, Gilbert, Lachenmann, Gregson, Horovitz, Sparke, Penderecki and Newton to name but a few.
The term "Third Viennese School" is occasionally used to refer to the composers surrounding the Viennese new music ensemble Klangforum Wien, including its founder Beat Furrer and other late modernists such as Helmut Lachenmann, Olga Neuwirth, Friedrich Cerha and Bernhard Lang.
For the fourth 3-year cycle (2007-2009), the selection by the Advisors Committee members and the previous judges were Akira Nishimura (2007), Steve Reich (2008) and Helmut Lachenmann (2009).