What inspires composers?

Ahead of the OPUS2016 open workshops taking place this week at the Barbican (Friday 22 & Saturday 23 January), we asked our ten shortlisted composers what inspires them...

Robert Peate:

Everything really... I still get very excited when I see/hear people playing instruments, and the idea of writing music is still an inspiring thing. Apart from music itself anything with a strong character or feeling to it can suggest ideas... it’s hard to say exactly where and when and what you’re inspired by most of the time, a lot is also subconscious I think. Nature is always a source of fascination, pleasure, truth and inspiration to me though, as are relationships between people.

Margaret Haley:

Visual sources. Abstract paintings, e.g. Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky. Poetry often shapes the outcome of my vocal music. Astronomical phenomena have a strong bearing on my music for traditional instrumentation. The rotational forces of the cosmos have certainly influenced my writing over the last decade.

Neil Smith:

My pieces can be the result of inspirations from almost any subject or area. They don’t always have to be extra-musical, as often I find particular musical ideas are inspiration enough to write a piece. Recent pieces have been based on Spanish poet Lorca, the nature of musical speeding up and slowing down, the phenomenon of discovering historic hoards, the science of animation and Arabic art. In the past five years I have found science in particular a fertile are for exploration. Scientific models can be represented in fascinating musical ways. This is something I want to explore more in the future.

Emma Wilde:

Everything but particularly other art forms, visual art, drama, dance, poetry and literature, all sorts of music, lately I think listening to electroacoustic music has changed the way I think about composing a lot. I listened to a lot of popular music growing up and still do and I think this has had a big effect on me too.

Gonçalo Gato:

I would say that what inspires me is indeed the mystery music still is, and how it makes me feel and think all sorts of things. I get inspiration from other people’s music because it transforms me, and because I can hardly picture myself living without it. Music is a kind of ‘speaking sound’, and in this sense I can hear the human voice in it. I am also an audiophile, very interested in Hi-Fi and acoustics. I take much pleasure from the ‘plastic’ aspect of sound and from sound reproduction fidelity.




James Hoyle:

Many things inspire me: recently these have included visual art, medieval music, architecture, food, political issues... It’s impossible to pin down any one point of inspiration because I enjoy the fact that many seemingly unrelated things can collide together as I work.




Andrew Thomas:

Anything from a novel, a line in a poem or an image to a noise, sound or smell from traveling and the real world. I gain constant inspiration from contemporaries and older composers and would cite particular influence from Nielsen, Sibelius, Purcell, Ligeti, Harvey, Grisey and Japanese music and aesthetics.

Andrew Baldwin:

My inspiration for pieces is often drawn from eclectic places – unless it is a commission with a specific theme. I have a big interest in orchestration and find that I spent a lot of time of this once my musical ideas are formed. I always find brilliant examples in the works of Ravel, Varese, and Takemitsu, as well as contemporaries Philip Hurel and Magnus Lindberg. My compositions often take a directive to effect the listener in a range of emotions.

Sohrab Uduman:

A difficult question since I cannot pin it down to one thing. The impulse, idea, can come from a number of sources; fine art (particularly important for me in recent times), literature, landscapes, environmental sounds, pieces I have heard, plain curiosity. Any piece I write usually takes up something that was present, to one degree or another, in a previous piece of mine.




Daniel Kidane:

Everything and anything. It could be a sound, or something visual or perhaps an idea I want to explore.

Click here to book your free place to attend one or both days of the OPUS2016 open workshops at the Barbican (22 & 23 January).

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Daniel Kidane

Full Name: Daniel Kidane
Age: 29


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music? 

I was born in London and I currently live in London. Some of my pieces do reflect my heritage and upbringing. But I’d say my music speaks for itself.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 for Britten Sinfonia? 

I would like to explore the resonant features of the piano trio.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations? 

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ensemble 10/10 and many other great groups.


What’s your earliest musical memory? 

As a kid I remember going to a lot of concerts involving solo violinists. I was fortunate to see many of the old school greats.


When did you first start to write music? 

My first compositional endeavours began whilst I was a student at the Royal College of Music Junior Department.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points? 

Settling on a musical language, making the most of each opportunity that came my way and meeting some great performers and ensembles along the way.


How do you start a new work/what is your composing method? 

Piano, pencil, computer (that order).


What’s your musical guilty pleasure? 

ABBA


What instrument do you play? 

I was a violinist and now I dabble at the piano when I compose.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers? 

There are some great opportunities out there; however I do think more could be done especially when it comes to developing sustained partnerships.


What would be your advice to other young composers today? 

It’s a tough road but rewarding at the same time.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer? 

Currently working on a piece for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for the Shakespeare 400th anniversary year. Looking forward to working on many more exciting and interesting projects.

You can join Daniel and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Sohrab Uduman

(c) Jon Barraclough

Full Name: Sohrab Uduman
Age: 53


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I was born in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and now live in Cheshire, around the corner from where I work at Keele University. I grew up in South East Essex where, thanks in part to the then-enlightened practices of local government, entrepreneurs and the regional arts board, there was a rich musical life not only in Art Music but also jazz and rock; notably, in the last case, the Canvey Island R&B of Dr Feelgood, Lew Lewis and others. A healthy local circuit of recital spaces, civic halls, venues, pubs and clubs kept all this accessible, alive (and live). l doubt, however, whether any of this expresses itself on the surface of my music.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

With relish. This is an ensemble whose work I admire and I’ve had in mind for some time to write a piece for piano and strings.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

I had a very enjoyable period at IRCAM some years ago working on a commission from them for the Ardittis; it was great fun. Recently, and following on from the work at IRCAM, I’ve worked with musicians such as Jane Chapman, Susanna Borsch, Sarah Watts and Antony Clare on projects incorporating live electronics and the kind of musical ideas I’m interested in looking at. I also worked with Jon Barraclough, the visual artist, on a number of projects involving music and moving images including exploring ways of integrating live drawing with performance and computer transformation.


What’s your earliest musical memory?

The music around our home in Colombo; my mother playing Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata on the upright in the front room, an LP of Nat King Cole singing, amongst other things, Perfidia, Kandyan drumming in the street processions and my father (plus his friends) gathered around the piano at the end of the day for what you could call a spirited rendition of Foggy Foggy Dew.

Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

Another tough one since these pivotal points acquire significance after the event but the important ones relate to my composition teachers, George Mowat-Brown, Jonty Harrison and Vic Hoyland who, as well as imparting technique, attention to detail and openness to the irrational, have the knack of presenting complex ideas in simple terms. Apart from that, my formative experiences came from performing and hence encountering the music of composers such as Messiaen, Webern, Stockhausen and Boulez. Interestingly, the issue of accessibility of 'new' music during my student days at Surrey and Birmingham meant simply that; one of access to the music. Since scores and materials were readily available it was relatively straightforward, given the company of other like-minded people and some quality time, to gain physical contact with this music. And, yes, there was also an audience!


How do you start a new work/ what is your composing method?

Largely at the computer, for sketching and playing with material and for its ability to allow you to work in interesting ways with physical sound in conjunction with abstract, symbolic, ideas and notation. Recently I’ve been trying to spend more time sketching with pencil and paper since, for purely instrumental, ‘acoustic,’ music, this is more efficient.


What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

I don’t associate pleasure with guilt. On the other hand, if I sit at a piano I tend to play Beethoven sonatas, which I do badly and annoy my family, so this would be an embarrassing pleasure.


What instrument do you play?

It was the clarinet, but in another lifetime. I owe a lot to the instrument since it went some way in bringing me to composition by putting me in direct touch with some great music, including those extraordinary Alan Hacker pieces by Birtwistle and Maxwell Davies, and Roger Heaton’s performances of music by Globokar and Radulescu.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

These exist and the main challenge for us is getting our work an airing, rather than producing it. Hence, the great opportunity provided by OPUS2016 in this instance to write for Britten Sinfonia.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

I recollect Poul Ruder’s advice when he was once asked this question: “ Always use a ruler [for straight lines I assume] and stay out of jail.” Well, computers have largely made rulers redundant for us composers but the latter part of his guidance is still worth taking note of.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I don’t know what it holds but I’ll try and deal with it one piece at a time.

You can join Sohrab and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Andrew Thomas

(c) Liz Boyd

Full Name: Andrew Thomas
Age: 33


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I was born in Essex but have lived most of my life in Surrey. I don’t feel this has a direct impact on my music though - I would say I have a global outlook and field of aesthetic influence.

How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia? 

I’m going to write a piece that will exploit the skills of the players in the ensemble and develop some recent pre-occupations in my music and hopefully as a result find some new directions for me to go both in this piece and in the future.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

London Sinfonietta, CHROMA, Orkest de Ereprijs, Schubert Ensemble, London Chamber Orchestra, Construction Site Ensemble, Kokoro amongst others.


What’s your earliest musical memory?

I used to love the song with the chorus ‘we didn’t start the fire’ (so much so that I broke my dads tape player from rewinding it so often) although I can’t remember who it’s by. My first ‘classical’ memories are singing as a treble in choirs and seeing the Lutoslawski cello concerto at the proms.

Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

My lecturers as an undergraduate (Simon Emmerson and Dennis Smalley) were very influential in the exposure and insight to new music they offered, as well as the encouragement of my composition teacher Rhian Samuel and flute teacher at the GSMD, Katy Gainham, who encouraged my exploration of contemporary repertoire. I was also lucky enough to study with Jonathan Harvey whilst completing my masters which has had a lasting impact on my aesthetics and technique. In terms of my music I would say that a project I completed with the London Chamber Orchestra in 2012 was pivotal in the maturing of my voice and style which continues today.


How do you start a new work/ what is your composing method? 

I always start by imagining sound, then I try to notate it with pencil and paper. I then do a lot of pre-composition and analysis of the material I’m generating so I can start to structure the piece. Depending on the piece I then might use a computer to check complex rhythmic combinations or discuss things with a performer. I never use a computer to orchestrate and I’m a terrible pianist so work at the piano is only ever in the early stages.


What living person do you most admire, and why?

Apart from (obviously) my beautiful wife and two young children I am a big fan of Kaija Saariaho - her music is so original and she speaks and promotes contemporary music with real authenticity.


What instrument do you play?

I trained as a flautist and have been playing professionally for about 12 years. I also sing professionally as a bass in small ensembles and solo oratorio roles as well as conducting.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

There are a lot of good, able, qualified composers applying for not many opportunities. Very few involve anything more than expenses so it is becoming more and more difficult to devote enough time to composing and earn a living. Luckily it’s something I’m passionate about so I find the time but it can be hard and involve very late nights and time away from the family.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

Listen to as much music as possible but always be critical and ask how your voice and aims fit with what you're listening to and don’t forget the importance of music of the past on what we do today. Be pro-active in writing for players, don’t wait for them to come to you and grow thick skin - for every success there’s more rejection. Only do it if you REALLY want it - you won’t make a fortune out of it!


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I’m working on a new piece for Japanese Noh musicians, harp, soprano and electronics for Kings Place and will then be starting a piece for The Hermes Experiment to be premiered in November 2016. I’m also arranging a number of future projects for various duo combinations.

You can join Andrew and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Andrew Baldwin

(c) John Dutch

Full Name: Andrew Baldwin
Age: 29


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?
I was born and educated in Dunedin, New Zealand, and have been living in London for the most part of four years (having studied here for two years). Whether or not where I’m from has a bearing on my music – I’m not sure! Possibly. I have certainly in some recent works been using cultural references to home but it varies from piece to piece.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

My aim for OPUS2016 is to make the most of the opportunity to work with professional musicians and revisit what I have learnt about instrumental techniques in the past, and I am excited to be given the opportunity to write for piano trio as I had planned in the future to write one!

The initial approach to my piece will include a lot of planning as I would quite like it to be a substantial work and know in which direction the piece is heading. Certainly this is important when for the January workshop we present the beginnings of the work as this will help in knowing the trajectory in which it is likely to take when I finish developing the work in the future.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

I have had pieces workshopped and recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances by the Auckland Philharmonia and Southern Sinfonia. During my studies at the Royal College of Music I composed music for a new collaborative project with English National Ballet. Recently I was commissioned by the London Mozart Players and the Choir of Portsmouth Grammar School and the resulting work was performed at a concert commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. I write for choirs regularly also and this has been a big focus over the last few years, though I am now looking more towards a balance of choral and instrumental/orchestral.


When did you first start to write music?

My first compositions came about through piano lessons at age 10. My piano teacher suggested I write a short piano piece for a local composition competition and the resulting piece was awarded a prize. I was so delighted that I started writing for fun and it very rapidly became a huge passion of mine. I would come home after school and spend hours working on new pieces, often until the wee small hours – and being very tired for school the next day!

Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

I started seriously focusing on composition at secondary school mentored by my Head of Music, an amazing teacher who had been at the school for thirty years and was a towering figure within the music scene in my city. He encouraged me to listen, helped me with techniques and put me off to a good start. The next major step was beginning my undergraduate degree at the New Zealand School of Music as it was my first formal training in composition. I loved all the classes that went with it as it was my first introduction to harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration.

My compositional style has taken a while to focus, and though it is still not entirely focused yet I have much to thank my teachers at the RCM for – it was during my Masters years (2011-13) that things began to slot into place for me as a composer. Looking at that time and remembering what I learnt there retrospectively has really helped me to move forward as a composer.


How do you start a new work/ what is your composing method?

When I began composing I almost entirely composed on the computer. This is because I was bought Sibelius for my birthday when I started school and it seemed so natural to use it. As my ideas became more complex and I started to plan and structure my compositions more, I found the need to adapt this method to include a mix of different methods. Currently, I do a lot of planning and writing on manuscript paper and much less on computer than I used to as I find it gives me more freedom. 

The last concert you saw?

The last performance I saw (that counts, doesn’t it?!) was the production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos at the Royal Opera House. I thought it was one of the best things I’ve seen at the ROH and I think it’s a very clever opera, particularly the first act which is a whirlwind of music and ideas.


What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

In typical composer fashion I like really geeky things like harmony and counterpoint exercises. A recent project which was a lot of fun was transcribing a mid 20th century choral work of which the score was lost. I was armed with the original LP recording and the first page of the choral score, and writing out the whole work. It has made me realise I’m a bit strange as this undertaking sounds like most musicians’ worst nightmares but to me was a great and enjoyable challenge!


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

I have been very fortunate to do my undergraduate degree in New Zealand where there are endless opportunities for workshops and recording sessions – it is wonderful as it allows young composers to really make a head start and build up a portfolio of music which they can then use to apply for courses, commissions and funding. I do not have as much experience of composer opportunities in the UK but what I do understand is that there are some fantastic schemes here for composers but with so many applying it makes the chances of being successful rather slim – hence I am delighted that I was chosen along with my fellow composer colleagues!


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

Write without restriction, listen to feedback but don’t let what you do be ruled by it.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I would like to do some further study and base myself in Europe for a while. Eventually I see myself working as a composer in New Zealand but before I do that I would like to spend a good amount of time soaking up the vast opportunities in this part of the world.

You can join Andrew and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - James Hoyle

(c) John Hoyle

Full Name: James Albany Hoyle

Age: 22


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I’m originally from Leicestershire, but for the past few years have lived in London. I go to a lot of new music concerts in London but equally I always make a conscious effort to listen outside of what is immediately popular here and now. I’m sure my surroundings do play a role in my music but it’s one aspect of many.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

I’ve started by composing a number of fragments of material which each treat the ensemble in a slightly unusual way. Later I’ll assemble these together like a jigsaw puzzle to make the piece.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

I’ve been lucky to work with some great new music ensembles recently, including EXAUDI and the Plus-Minus Ensemble.


What’s your earliest musical memory?

When I was a small child my mother tried to teach me to play the recorder. I didn’t get it and gave up.


When did you first start to write music?

I started taking an interest in music when I was 11 and started learning the violin. At this point I began writing music almost instantly.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

I started composition lessons age 14 at the Royal Academy of Music, Junior Department. I had actually auditioned as a violinist but taken some compositions along to the audition. Apparently my violin playing wasn’t quite up to scratch so I was offered to study as a composer instead - prior to this point I had no idea that composition was a discipline one could study formally. Since then I have been in permanent full-time education, studying with many different teachers at a number of institutions: the Purcell School of Music, King’s College London, and presently the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

How do you start a new work/what is your composing method?

I usually compose with pencil and paper, with a piano nearby. Notes are not always the first thing to appear however, I often start by writing words, or drawing pictures or diagrams.


What living person do you most admire, and why?

I don’t think I’d single out any particular person, but all the people I admire most simply follow their own convictions, albeit never blindly.


The last concert you saw?

Georg Friedrich Haas’ new opera, ‘Morgen und Abend’.


What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

Puccini operas. 

How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

There are many wonderful opportunities available for composers embarking on a professional career. When I was growing up in Leicestershire, however, opportunities were few and far between. I think schools and regional arts organisations could do far more to encourage creative work of all kinds as an integral part of education.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

Keep your ears open: listen to a lot of music (not just contemporary music but all types of music), and go to as many concerts featuring new music as possible.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I’m hoping to do a PhD at some point, and at present I am setting up a new contemporary music ensemble. In the meantime, I’ll continue to write lots of music!

You can join James and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Gonçalo Gato

Full Name: Gonçalo Alves Gato Lopes (artistic name: Gonçalo Gato)
Age: 36


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I’m from Lisbon, Portugal, but I currently live in London. Moving to London had a great impact on my personal and artistic life, which is in some way codified by my music. So, although I can’t quite define how it affected the compositions, I’m sure the influences are there. London has allowed me to benefit from a great variety of events related to the arts in general. Particularly important was the attendance of concerts by great orchestras such as the LSO, the BBC Symphony or the LPO.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

First of all I’d like to say that it is a great honour to be able to work with Britten Sinfonia. I will approach the writing with both audacity and a sense of discovery. Although I’ve relied on very intense planning in the past — whereby I would pre-define the materials, lengths, formal sections, etc., that would feature in a given piece — now it seems to make more sense to actually go through a discovery phase: I assume I do not really know everything about how the piece will end up before I begin writing it. This way I can take care of the actual building process, assessing at every moment the materials and compositional steps and avoiding the effect of what one could call artificial initial assumptions. Of course there is always some degree of planning and strategy devising, but all is rendered flexible after I begin composing. Philosophically, it is a matter of allowing the process of knowing to take place: although one has to rely on previous experience and acquired technique, a space should be left for new things to happen so that one can become aware of their impact, study and integrate them.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

As a composer I’ve worked with many different groups of instrumentalists. Particularly important was an ensemble (NOL) I founded back in Portugal when I was completing my composition honours degree. Knowing first hand how musicians and maestros work, what they need, and how to make concerts happen — from producing to stage preparation — had a huge impact. Working with professional groups — such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Chroma ensemble or the Ligeti quartet — on the other hand, had a different impact: it enabled me to take bolder steps but also to refine my writing. Working with experienced, gifted musicians, but who are also open to experimentation, is really something I look forward to in the future.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

I guess the first pivotal point occurred when I started learning harmony and counterpoint with a composer called Eurico Carrapatoso, my first master. His classes were very enjoyable but also very, very clearly articulated. Every subject was presented as clearly as possible and as pedagogically as possible, always with a sense of intellectual honesty and elevation. At the time I was finishing my Chemistry degree, which I completed and which gave me a sense of rationality but also of how knowledge is always evolving through research. And if artistic knowledge is quite different from scientific knowledge, it also progresses through research.

The second pivotal point occurred when, after having pursued higher formal training, I saw my music being appreciated and valued as I got selected to some competitions, some of which I won. This made me realize that my life could be devoted to making music. So I kept going until I progressed to the third pivotal point: starting doctoral studies in London, a vibrant musical city. I was ready to take an important step towards refining my craft and I couldn’t ask for a better supervisor than Prof. Julian Anderson.


How do you start a new work/ what is your composing method? 

To start a new work I usually spend some time just thinking. I ask: what aspects of music are most fascinating for me at this time? I take text notes and let imagination come up with possibilities and strategies. At the same time, I usually listen to other composers’ works written for the same instrumentation. I have the conviction that music is always a bit about acknowledging other composers’ work and progress. This contextualizes things but also raises concerns that point me to creative research and originality. Therefore, I start experimenting with material I’m curious or passionate about, usually at the computer using compositional algorithms (mostly through OpenMusic software). They work as a kind of musical laboratory, exceeding by far the piano’s limited playback capabilities (quarter-tones or polyphony, for instance) and allow me to devise new sonorities and techniques. Nevertheless, sometimes I use the piano because it provides me with an organic, living sound and poses constraints that can render my music more simple and effective. I then progress to musical sketching, usually directly on notation software. I tend to save different initial ideas, along with various versions of work-in-progress scores. Then I develop the ones I like the most and start taking more and more definite decisions regarding form and consistency. So, form usually comes late in the process after I have the materials I want and have sketched some of their developments and transformations. So, as I said before, I try to avoid taking too many initial assumptions, which can later prove artificial. I try to let the materials develop and show me the way.

This is how I usually work nowadays, which does not mean I’ll keep this process in the future. There are various methods — some of them I’ve tried before — and all of them surely have advantages as well as disadvantages.


The last concert you saw?

Actually it was an opera: ‘Morgen und Abend’ by Georg Friedrich Haas at the Royal Opera House.


What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

Just recently I was having fun with friends asking this question, which I’ll try and take as lightly as possible. If there is guilt, it means I feel guilty because in someway I like it. In that sense, I’m afraid I have no musical guilty pleasure. On the other hand, there is music that is in some way pleasurable to listen to, even though I do not hold it in high regard. Mostly it boils down to pop music I heard on TV/radio during my childhood or adolescence — or to which I danced to in discos in happy moments — but that I do not consider artistically profound. It’s mostly entertaining. There are many examples, one of which is the song ‘Material Girl’ by Madonna (I hope I’m not being unfair). I still find this song quite fun… in a funny way! And it brings to mind the format of the so-called ‘pop hit’, together with its social impact. Furthermore, it can be considered an icon of mass-consumption culture of the 80s in the form of easy‑listening music, which raises other questions…


What instrument do you play?

Guitar. I can play both classical and electric guitar. Right now I’m playing more the electric as I love jazz improvisation: both challenging and very rewarding. And I love to improvise with other musicians. I have an ongoing obsession with electric guitars, their timbre and playability.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

The ‘contemporary classical’ music world is very peculiar and demanding. Although, no doubt, it is the area I naturally gravitate to and aesthetically feel most comfortable in, its not without its challenges and problems. Composers still face several difficulties in trying to get their works performed and trying to build a career. There is so much one has to prove and so many connections one has to make… Everything that can be made to provide composers with more opportunities is welcome, of course, although the situation now is better compared to decades ago. Some teachers I had told me that one could easily go through a whole 3-year degree without a single performance opportunity!

In terms of professional performances, there is the issue of aesthetics, which still means that some currents/tendencies are favoured in some locations and by some commissioning institutions/individuals. This does not always correspond to artistic quality, I’m afraid. Add to this the very nature of being an ‘emerging’ composer (if you’re lucky to be considered as such), not fully knowing how the medium works (agents, publishers, venues, etc), and things can get really complicated. But I think even some renowned composers have a hard time making a living out of just composition. The situation is strikingly different for a number of other professions, as we know. And composition is usually as hard a task as, say, computer engineering. I wish this situation could be changed and that composers would be called more often to contribute to cultural supply — whether through pure music or through combinations such as opera, dance, musical theatre, installation, etc. — and that the arts would gain prominence in a society that is too much centred on just getting work and getting paid. I firmly believe that one of the promising areas of economy in the future lies in the cultural sector. Culture too can generate profit, and together with education is indispensable to create developed and balanced societies based on tolerance, interchange, reflection and creativity.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

Well, I have to say that the future holds a continued development of my compositional technique in general, and my orchestral writing skills in particular. I want to be able to take more and more challenging projects and hope to work with great musicians, ensembles, orchestras and maestros. Right now I’m trying to find an opportunity to get an orchestral piece premiered and will soon start to collaborate with Ensemble Recherche (Germany) towards developing a piece for flute. I have some other parallel projects, which, unfortunately, I can’t yet disclose.

You can join Gonçalo and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 Instrument Focus Session

On Friday 4 December, OPUS2016 shortlisted composers met with musicians from Britten Sinfonia and composer Julian Phillips to discuss their first drafts and sketches and to explore the idiomatic techniques of each instrument in the piano trio they have been writing for. James Hoyle and Emma Wilde share their experience…

Last Friday was the first workshop for Britten Sinfonia’s OPUS2016 scheme, and was the first opportunity to meet Britten Sinfonia musicians, mentors, and of course my fellow composers. Although each composer approached the workshop in their own way, my own plan was to compose a number of short fragments of contrasting materials from which the final piece will be assembled. It was an extremely useful (if luxurious!) experience to be able to hear my materials in the flesh so early on in the composition process, as it not only allows me to fix problems and elaborate on successes, but being confronted with sound allows me to step away from the notes on the page, and to treat the materials with greater freedom.

I was fortunate to work with three musicians (Marcus Barcham-Stevens, violin; Ben Chappell, cello; Huw Watkins, piano) who approached everyone’s work with considerable understanding and virtuosity, and they were readily able to offer useful suggestions as to how I might be able to better realise my ideas on their respective instruments. As a composer it was such a pleasure to work with musicians who are so able and supportive, and I feel this has given me greater confidence to take risks with my materials, whilst also writing idiomatically for the instruments. When writing with specific players in mind, I often find that the unique playing styles of those musicians deeply informs the music I compose, even acting as a form of muse. For me, among the most important aspects of the day was being able to familiarise myself with them, and being able to do so with my own music was particularly informative.

James Hoyle, OPUS2016 shortlisted composer

I really enjoyed the initial workshop day with Britten Sinfonia musicians and Julian Philips. Often as composers we don't get the opportunity to test out ideas with musicians at the start of the composition process and now I have heard how my initial ideas sound I have a better understanding of how I can develop these ideas into a full 5 minute piece for the January workshop. The musicians were very helpful and were willing to respond to any questions we had. I realised that some ideas were working really well, for example using the piano's resonance to complement the sustained sound of the strings and this is something I can now take advantage of and develop further. On the other hand, I realised that sometimes I had misjudged the use of the piano's pedal and can now change this for the final draft.

Another aspect of the day that was particularly interesting was getting the chance to hear the other shortlisted composers' music and have a group discussion session with Julian Philips where we presented our ideas and offered each other thoughts and advice. It was interesting to see that we had all had issues concerning how to approach composing for piano trio due to the 'historical baggage' associated with this ensemble (due to the amount of great works written for this combination) and the problematic issues of composing for piano. However, I think that after this session we all went away with more ideas for how to compose effectively for this ensemble and for how to turn our initial fragments into full pieces.

Emma Wilde, OPUS2016 shortlisted composer



OPUS2016 shortlisted composers will be presenting their works in January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Emma Wilde

Full Name: Emma Wilde

(c) Mario Duarte

Age: 24


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I’m from Manchester and I still live there now. I suppose this is relevant to my music as growing up in Manchester, a city which has such a rich legacy of both classical and popular music, has led to me experiencing many different musical events which have no doubt influenced my music somewhat.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

As I would approach any other musical composition. At the moment I am particularly interested in creating musical structures that are inspired by Greek Tragedy. The concepts of drama and characterisation are particularly important to me. Sometimes I like to think of the individual instruments as though they are musical ‘characters’ and think about how these characters would interact together.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

I have worked with professional ensembles such as Psappha, the Hebrides Ensemble and Quotour Danel. One of my most interesting experiences was working with the accordionist Maciej Frackiewicz in Poland as it was an instrument I had not thought to work with before. I also have worked with an excellent organisation in Manchester called Classical Evolution whose aim is to take chamber music into more unusual venues, they have played my pieces in bars and even in forests!


When did you first start to write music?

I think I have always made up tunes in my head from a young age but I started to properly notate music when I was studying GCSE music.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

When I first started a music degree composition wasn’t my main focus but at the end of the final year I wrote a song cycle which I really enjoyed and felt I found my own compositional voice, that encouraged me to carry on and I applied to do a masters in composition very last minute. Also I have found the composition courses I have been on in the last couple of years (St Manus Composers’ Course in Orkney and Synthetis in Poland), have helped with my growth as a composer a lot as working and meeting with a variety of different composers gives me a lot of new ideas, inspiration and encouragement to keep following in this path.


How do you start a new work/what is your composing method?

Mostly I do start working at the piano with a manuscript and pencil. Other times I will get fully formed musical materials in my head, I often sing them aloud to myself until I get chance to write them down. Sometimes I get ideas whilst listening to other music, I got the idea for my latest piece whilst sitting in a concert of electroacoustic music, there was a piece that had a particularly interesting structure and texture and I started thinking about how I could do the same kind of thing with an instrumental ensemble.


The last concert you saw?

I went to see the British band Editors at Manchester Academy, I like this band because they are always trying new things and aren’t afraid to get out of their comfort zone, which is an important thing for any composer to do to make sure they evolve and write interesting music.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

I feel that although there are some opportunities available to composers it is very hard to get out there and get your music played. Particularly in the current economic and political climate where music and the arts are seen as a commodity.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

To not worry about what anyone else thinks about your music and don’t worry about the need to follow any stylistic trends. If you write the music that you truly want to hear it will have more power and conviction


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I would like to try writing music with electronics. I would also like to do collaborative work with choreographers, theatre directors etc, I am really interested with the connection between music and other art forms and would like opportunities to explore this further.


You can join Emma and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Neil Smith

Full Name: Neil Tòmas Smith

(c) Stefan Beyer

Age: 27


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I am from Scotland originally but for the last decade I have lived in England and, from 2010-2013 in Stuttgart, Germany. For the last year and a half I have lived in Birmingham, which I think is a wonderful city for the arts. No one place has had a huge influence on my music but I’ve enjoyed moving around and living in different cities and countries as you get to meet different composers and receive various influences.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

The piano trio is a really established genre with so many great pieces written for the line up. Therefore I’ll start by revisiting some of those great pieces from the past. So much of chamber music is defined by the relationship between instruments of the ensemble – whether the piano is dominant or provides the accompaniment; whether the instruments work together or independently. I will consider this first of all to try and begin to forge my individual response.


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles / orchestras / organisations?

I have had the pleasure of working with a number of great ensembles and performers on my music: these include the Hebrides Ensemble. Red Note Ensemble, Ensemble 10/10, L’Orchestre de Philharmonique de Radio France, clarinettist Jonathan Sage, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, pianist Joseph Houston, cellist Jennifer Langridge, Ensemble Dark Inventions and percussion quartet Schalgquartett Köln. I am currently working on the Sound and Music and Making Music-supported Adopt a Composer scheme with the Thame Chamber Choir, which will result in a new work next year.


When did you first start to write music?

It was only when I began composing that I realised that music would become my keenest interest. This was at secondary school and down to encouragement from music teachers at the comprehensive I attended in Edinburgh. I will always be grateful for their enthusiasm and support during that vital time.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

Probably the most important period for me was after first realising I was interested in composition. I studied at the RSAMD junior academy – taking the train through to Glasgow on a Saturday – and then went to St Mary’s Music School. In both institutions I was taught by Tom David Wilson, who gave me a fantastic start to my composition, and indeed more general, education.

There are perhaps two further key periods that defined my development – the first at the University of York during my undergraduate degree and the second in Germany. York really gives students a lot of freedom to explore and I was involved in so many different musical activities, including analysis, performance (contemporary and Baroque) and of course, composition. This was a fantastic all-round education.

In Germany I was able to attend many of the world’s largest new music festivals and heard a great deal of music of which I would have otherwise been unaware. I was also able to meet and hear some of the leading composers in central Europe – it was a very inspiring time.

How do you start a new work/ what is your composing method? 

For me, my pieces need to have a central theme – whether musical or extra-musical – and some method of exploring it. This can then be the central pillar which will support the rest of the piece. Sometimes I draw a lot of rough diagrams, lines and shapes to try and work out what this central pillar might be; other times I write a lot of words to try and pin down what will make this particular piece unique.

How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

There a lot of people who want to be composers and opportunities are very competitive. There will only be a chosen few who can make it their full time profession. I am engaged in creating a portfolio career which includes and supports my compositional activity.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

Study abroad, at least for a time. It can give you a whole new perspective on your practice, and is, in most European countries at least, far cheaper than the UK!


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I have a number of premieres lined up for next year, including a choir work for the Thame Chamber Choir and a new piece for cello, horn and clarinet. These will help me expand my practice – writing for (very good) amateurs for example and for new performance contexts.

Other than that the future is uncertain: I finish my PhD next year and must consider my next move while other factors mean I don’t know where I’ll be living in 6 months’ time!

Perhaps most excitingly, my first piece on disc will appear in 2016, in a new solo CD by clarinettist Jonathan Sage. It’s been a joy working with him on it and I think the final product will be fantastic.


You can join Neil and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Margaret Haley

(c) Kenny Smith

Full Name: Margaret Anne Haley
Age: 61


Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I was born in Coventry. Yet have lived in West Yorkshire since infancy where there is somewhat a tradition of choral music alongside brass band music. But then the rise of contemporary music in association with the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (HCMF) seemed like a breath of fresh air to me.


How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

Using the given instrumentation I am already thinking about the sound-world I want to write. Whilst I consider, in no particular order: texture, rhythm, pitch-class, note gesture, and extended performance techniques, my starting point is a structural plan.



Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles / orchestras / organisations? 

Sounds Positive, Goldberg Ensemble, Firebird Ensemble, Huddersfield University New Music Ensemble / Richard Craig (flautist), Mieko Kanno (violinist), Philip Thomas (pianist) / Sound and Music, SPNM, Adopt-a-composer scheme (Aire Valley Singers), residency in association with Making Music.


What’s your earliest musical memory?

I must have been under the age of 5 and in church with my parents. Hearing rumbling noises
emanating from the bowels of the church organ filled my ears with a sense of wonder.


When did you first start to write music?

I think I started to write music as a young girl, in my head at least. I had piano lessons and could read/write music from the age of 7 or thereabouts. My teacher encouraged a more formal approach to music making, as did my mother. Yet I would secretly draw what I thought was music.


Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points? 

Studying composition at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels has positively contributed to my development. Through researching the work of contemporary composers, there has been a gradual move away from formal structures to a more abstract style of writing in my music. For example the music of James Dillon prompted a significant change to my way of thinking about the use of traditional instrumentation. I first heard Dillon’s Windows and Canopies (1985), before closely studying not only the global form but also the immense detail in his handwritten score.

Rebecca Saunders is another composer whose music ascribed for traditional instrumentation holds my attention. Saunders’ ethos of working with sound itself is more and more relevant to my thinking today.

Denis Smalley’s paper: ‘Spectromorphology: explain sound-shapes’1, more associated with electroacoustic music, enhanced not only thoughts about shaping sound in my music, but also influenced compositional methodology. I am more and more interested in drawing sound in time, prior to staff notation.


How do you start a new work/what is your composing method?

Always pencil. It really depends on what instrumental forces I am working with. More often than not my starting point is the creation of skeletal framework.


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

Whilst there are a growing number of opportunities for composers, geographical location can be an obstacle. If, however, a particular opportunity is right for you it is always worth applying. Some opportunities, i.e. competitions carry age limits. Age is but a number. What is really important is putting your music out there.


What would be your advice to young composers today?

Be willing to learn. Be true to yourself. Write. Find your voice. Enter competitions, but be selective. Even if you are unsuccessful, see the experience from a positive perspective, i.e., the discipline of working to a brief, meeting a deadline, more importantly completing a piece of music.


What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer? 

Keep on writing. Hone my skills. I would hope to work more and more with performers. I would like to bring my music to a much wider audience.

1Organised Sound 2 (2) (Cambridge University Press, 1997), 107-126.



You can join Margaret and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.

OPUS2016 shortlisted composer - Robert Peate

Full Name: Robert James Peate
Age: 28

Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you think this is relevant to understanding your music?

I am originally from Dymock in Gloucestershire, and currently live on the Llanover Estate in Monmouthshire. Nature and the countryside has always played an important role in my life and so also in my work, and like with anything knowing more about the music’s inspiration etc can deepen a listeners understanding or appreciation of it. However, I always try to create a sense of abstract unity or identity in a piece, and hope that it stands up on its own without much extra-musical context.

How will you approach writing your OPUS2016 composition for Britten Sinfonia?

Not 100% sure yet.. I have a few ideas but I’ve only just found out that I’ve been shortlisted - I’ll have to think quickly though as sketches are due soon!


Who have you worked with previously? What ensembles/orchestras/organisations?

Various professional student and amateur ensembles including BCMG, The Academy Manson Ensemble, Chroma, Fretwork, Orchestra of the Swan, The Britten-Pears Composers Ensemble, The Solaris and Castalian String Quartets, The Band of the Household Cavalry, The London Bach Society and currently the LPO. Plus soloists including Christopher Redgate, Huw Watkins, Rolf Hind, Elgar Howarth, Clare Hammond, Frank Ollu.


When did you first start to write music?

I started writing little songs on the guitar/piano when I was about 9 or 10, then started trying to write little piano pieces down when I was probably about 11 or 12.

Describe your growth as a composer to this point. What were the pivotal points?

I’ve had a slightly bizarre development as a composer in some ways I suppose – when I started really trying to get to grips with composition around age 14-15 I was obsessed with Bach, counterpoint and the harpsichord on the one hand; writing lots of contrapuntal fragments and harpsichord minuets, and on the other hand I was playing drums in a series of grunge bands. I soon went on to more expressive or romantic character pieces and tried my hand at orchestral writing quite a lot, studying scores and writing ambitious scale tone-poem type pieces (none of which I’ve ever heard – but I managed to gain some technique through writing them), at this time I went on to playing organ, guitar and singing in various folk, jazz and rock bands, and also picked up the cello and double bass in school/college orchestras.

When I went to study composition for the first time at Birmingham Conservatoire I soon realised how little I knew of contemporary music and it took me at least the next 4 years to soak up and somewhat internalise what was at first a shock to the system artistically. I suppose in general I’ve tried my hand at most things except graphic scores and overly conceptual music (I’ve always been a bit of a nuts and bolts composer!), and over the last couple of years have finally started to get the feeling that I’m connecting many of the often contrasting threads that have gone through my musical tastes, and am developing a more personal language. As for pivotal points I can’t remember exactly what made me want to concentrate on composition, though it was probably listening to Bach, but starting at Birmingham, and then at the Royal Academy in London where the standard of playing was so high, were probably pretty pivotal.


How do you start a new work/what is your composing method?

Every time I start a new piece I have the feeling that I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing, and can’t believe I’ve ever managed to write anything before.

I usually start with something small that I’m confident in, and will generally have a detailed and confident idea of this. Then it’s all about working hard and living with the material in order to find context, more and more I realise that context is everything and it is always a challenge to find this in the beginning stages of a work, but once things start to click it’s a great feeling. Each piece has it’s own identity and getting a sense of that always takes a little time (though occasionally things pop out more or less fully formed..). I never use a computer except for copying up at the end, but whether at the piano, the desk, on a walk, a bike ride, cooking dinner, watching tv or lying in bed I am working in one way or another – living with your ideas is important I think.


What living person do you most admire, and why?

Pretty much all the people I admire the most are dead – it’s usually the case with composers!


How do you feel about the opportunities that are available to composers?

They are few and far between.


What would be your advice to other young composers today?

Keep working.

What does the future hold for you? What are your next steps going to be as a composer?

I don’t know, it’s difficult to live more than a few months ahead of myself. I’m into a PhD at the Royal Academy of Music so I hope to continue with that and look for a decent job at the end of it, but all I’m aiming for ultimately are chances to write and develop my work with ensembles and instrumentalists.


You can join Robert and the other OPUS2016 shortlisted composers on 22 & 23 January 2016 for two days of workshops at the Barbican in London, with discussions and performances of the pieces these composers have been working on. Find out more and how to reserve your place here.