Established in 1992 by Oliver Knussen and Colin Matthews, Composition & Performance is a flagship course within the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme and many of its alumni have gone on to become internationally established composers and performers. This intensive 9-day course, with composers and performers working side by side, gives participants a uniquely collaborative and in-depth experience of music-making. Young artists will work together to develop new works as well as explore and rehearse core repertoire from the 20th & 21st century. The course will feature a masterclass on Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, daily readings of young composers' work and an end of course concert.

Composers Colin Matthews, Mark-Anthony Turnage and soprano Claire Booth lead this course as directors, working alongside conductor Jonathan Berman, and instrumental tutors Jacqueline Shave (strings), Rosa Campos (woodwind), Richard Watkins (brass) and George Barton (percussion).

I was rediscovering myself and going through a million different processes with a million different thoughts but all I can feel now is more freedom and courage as a musician.

Britten Pears Arts Young Artist 2023-24


The Artists

George Bailey (Bassoon, UK)

Roberto Boschelli (Piano, Italy)

Meadow Brooks (Percussion, UK)

Hy-Khang Dang (Composer, Luxembourg)

Jasper Eaglesfield (Composer, UK)

Joanne Evans (Mezzo-soprano, UK)

Gabriel Francis-Dehqani (Cello, UK)

Claudia Fuller (Assistant Conductor, UK)

Gunnar Helgason (Trombone, Iceland)

Olivia Moss (Soprano, UK)

Rowan Jones (Clarinet, UK)

Joseph Jordan (Oboe, USA)

Jennifer Kreider (Soprano, USA)

Mingdu Li (Composer, China)

Cole Morrison (Double Bass, Canada)

Rosie Murphy (Harp, Ireland)

Szymon Paruzel (Piano, Poland)

Sam Rudd-Jones (Composer, UK)

Euan Scott (Trumpet, UK)

Dominic Stokes (Viola, UK)

Violetta Suvini (Violin, UK)

Alex Tay (Composer, UK)

Liucile Vilimaite (Composer, Lithuania)

Ka Wing Wong (Flute, Hong Kong)

Christine Wu (Piano, USA)

Amalia Young (Violin, UK)

Bar Zemach (French Horn, Israel)

Sam Rudd-Jones is the recipient of the John Lawrence Field Memorial Bursary.

Christine Wu is the recipient of the Mary Mackintosh Award.

We are grateful to The Boltini Trust and The Radcliffe Trust for their support of this course.


Upcoming events