Stephen Mark Barchan was born in Middlesbrough, October 1982. He studied composition with Richard Steinitz and Edwin Roxburgh (supported by the EMI Music Sound Foundation). His music has been performed throughout Europe, Australia and the USA, along with various radio broadcasts.

Barchan has been the recipient of various awards, including the 4th Andrzej Panufnik International Young Composers Competition (2002), Denis and Maud Wright Composition Award (2003), J Wood and Sons Prize (2004) and the Philip Bates Prize for Young Composers (2005, joint-second prize). In 2006 he joined the spnm shortlist (2006-2009).

Amongst the festivals who have presented Barchan's music are Contemporary Connexions, First National Flute Choir Day, Frome Festival, 14th International New Music Week Festival, New Generation Arts Festival, Ostrava Days, Park Lane Group, Soundwaves Festival, Third International Festival Of Composition 'Alfeo Gigli', along with several concerts hosted by the spnm, at venues including Barber Concert Hall, Blackheath Concert Hall, CBSO Centre, Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, Frome Memorial Theatre, LSO St Lukes, Old Rep Theatre, Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), St James' Piccadilly, Tasmin Little Music Centre, The Warehouse, Villa Mazzacorati, Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall).

Performers include BCMG, Composers' Ensemble, Endymion, Ensemble Firebird, Ensemble Octandre, Galliard Ensemble, Psappha, Soozvuk Ensemble, Sounds Positive, Warehouse Ensemble, Aruna Narayan, Camilla Hoitenga, Christopher Redgate, Darragh Morgan and Peter Donohoe.

Future commissions and projects include a new piece for viola sextet for Rivka Golani, ensembles Okeanos and Rarescale, and a new small ensmble piece for Sounds Positive. Upcoming performances include Crying In The Distance to be given by Lior Eitan (principal piccolo of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), Blasted To Bits to be given by David Purser (trombone) and Jonathan Green (live electronics) as part of the Integra Festival in June 2008 and Freedom Within Limits which will receive its second performance by the violinst Tetsuumi Nagara at the Soundswaves Festival in Brighton, June 2008.