Lewis Murphy made Glyndebourne Young Composer

Monday 8 December 2014

RCM composer Lewis Murphy has been announced as Glyndebourne’s new Young Composer in Residence.

Lewis is an RCM Scholar, supported by a Miss Ianthe Williams Award and a Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award, and currently studies with Mark-Anthony Turnage. He was chosen from over 50 strong applicants for the position, which he will take up in January 2015.

The Scottish composer has had his music performed in the UK and abroad by such highly esteemed ensembles and soloists as Red Note Ensemble, Ensemble l’Itinéraire, Orkest de Ereprijs and Richard Craig. His first opera, Now, written in collaboration with RCM singer Laura Attridge, was premiered in May 2014 as part of the RCM’s Hogarth’s Stages production in association with Tête à Tête Opera, and is now available to watch again on YouTube.

Lewis said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to the role of Glyndebourne’s Young Composer in Residence. It’s a fantastic opportunity to work closely with singers to explore my interest in writing for the voice and further develop my own musical style. Composing ‘Now’ gave me an insight into the collaborative nature of staging an opera and I’m looking forward to learning more about that process from an opera house of such renowned quality as Glyndebourne.”

A new song cycle composed by Lewis and performed by RCM baritone Julien van Mellaerts will be premiered at the RCM on 28 January 2015 as part of the Great Exhibitionists series.

The Glyndebourne Young Composer in Residence scheme offers an emerging composer under the age of 30 the chance to spend three years immersed in the work of the company. During that time they are able to observe the creation of new opera, involve themselves in Glyndebourne’s broader artistic, learning and audience development activities and create their own new work. The programme is part of Glyndebourne’s long standing commitment to supporting and developing young artists.