Sarah Westwood writes both acoustic and electronic music. She has a penchant for meditated concepts, folklore, improvisation and collaboration. Sarah was awarded a Bliss Trust Scholarship in 2015 for artistic development in California, where she was a visiting composition scholar at UCSD. Recently, her works have been performed by Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Okeanos Ensemble, Onix Ensamble- Mexico and by soloists Karin Hellqvist (violin) and Xenia Pestova (pianist), amongst others. In 2017-18, she is Guest Artist and Event Co-ordinator for Estalagem da Ponta do Sol Residency for Contemporary Music and Electronics, in Madeira.
For more information please visit: https://www.sarah-westwood.com |
Angela Elizabeth Slater is a UK-based composer. She is also the founder and artistic director of the Illuminate series. In her AHRC-funded PhD in composition at the University of Nottingham, Angela developed an interest in incorporating different aspects of the natural world into her compositions. She has been working on a series of works that engage with the natural world, musically mapping certain aspects into the fabric of her music.
Angela has worked with many professional and amateur musicians, and enjoys working with both groups with equal passion and enthusiasm. Recently she has worked with the BSO, Bozzini Quartet, Assembly project, Aurea Quartet, BBC Singers, and Psappha, amongst others. Angela is passionate about the promotion of new music for amateur and professionals and particularly about raising the profile of female musicians and composers. Angela has recently participated in the St Magnus Composition Course 2017, working with Alasdair Nicholson and Sally Beamish and the Britten-Pears Young Artists Composers’ Course 2017, where she has worked with Olivier Knussen, Colin Matthews and Michael Gandolfi. For more information please visit: https://angelaslatercomposer.com |
Blair Boyd is an American composer currently based in the UK. Most recently her work has been performed by members of the Heath Quartet, the Solem Quartet, Dr. K Sextet, harpist Gwenllian Llyr, soprano Sarah Dacey, and Cardiff University’s Contemporary Music Group. She has also worked extensively with Bristol CoMA who performed her piece for flexible ensemble at both Bristol University’s Victoria Rooms and Colston Hall. Blair began composing under the supervision of Kenneth A. Jacobs at the University of Tennessee, earning a BMus in Theory and Composition (summa cum laude) in 2012. After moving to the UK in 2013, she completed an MA in Music (distinction) from the University of Bristol where her principal teachers were John Pickard and Michael Ellison. She has also studied with Michael Zev Gordon (Cheltenham Composers’ Academy), Judith Weir (Dartington), and Kenneth Hesketh (MusicFest Aberystwyth) on summer festival courses. Currently a postgraduate at Cardiff University, Blair is writing her first chamber opera, The Yellow Wallpaper under the supervision of Arlene Sierra. For more information please visit: https://soundcloud.com/blair-boyd-4 |
Carol J Jones is an innovative young composer whose work has been performed across the UK. Originally a dancer, her unique approach to composition encompasses everything from neurons to the universe.
Notable performances include the first movement from Songs from the Stars for orchestra at Hoddinott Hall (BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Jac van Steen), Bulawayo Railway for string trio at Dartington International Festival (Heath Quartet; Judith Weir), All Shall be Well for ssa and harp (Godolphin Vocal Ensemble), A Commonwealth for Peace at Westminster Abbey (The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra and Choir), from Earth to Juno at IKLECTIK Lab (Ensemble Entropy), the smoke that thunders and Norholmen at St Magnus International Festival (Assembly Project, Gildas Quartet; Alasdair Nicholson, Sally Beamish) and Gravity for multiple percussion at Cheltenham Festival (Joby Burgess)
Notable performances include the first movement from Songs from the Stars for orchestra at Hoddinott Hall (BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Jac van Steen), Bulawayo Railway for string trio at Dartington International Festival (Heath Quartet; Judith Weir), All Shall be Well for ssa and harp (Godolphin Vocal Ensemble), A Commonwealth for Peace at Westminster Abbey (The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra and Choir), from Earth to Juno at IKLECTIK Lab (Ensemble Entropy), the smoke that thunders and Norholmen at St Magnus International Festival (Assembly Project, Gildas Quartet; Alasdair Nicholson, Sally Beamish) and Gravity for multiple percussion at Cheltenham Festival (Joby Burgess)
Gemma McGregor is a composer from Orkney and a member of the Scottish Music Centre. Her compositions feature a strong narrative, often influenced by the landscape, history and culture of Orkney and contain references to traditional music and birdsong. Following postgraduate studies at the University of Aberdeen, Gemma has had two operas performed - the first commissioned by the Sound Festival in 2015, and the second by St Magnus Festival in 2017. In addition to writing opera, choral and instrumental music, she has been part of many interdisciplinary performances and collaborations, created soundart and written for film. Gemma attended the St. Magnus Festival Composers Course in 2010, studying with Alasdair Nicolson and Sally Beamish. She attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland composition course in 2014, studying with Gordon McPherson and Rory Boyle. Gemma was selected for the Dartington Summer School composition course in 2016 and studied with Judith Weir.
For more information please visit: http://www.gemmamcgregor.com |