LSO Jerwood Composer+ nurtures extraordinary early-career composers to realise their artistic ambitions through a 15-month placement, supporting them to curate, plan and deliver two unique events. Composers gain valuable knowledge and insights, alongside practical experience to develop their own opportunities and enable a step-change in their careers.
With £72,000 funding from the Jerwood, the programme is committed to supporting two composers a year in 2023 and 2024.
Mentored by LSO staff, they will be encouraged to develop their entrepreneurial skills around programming for specific audiences, planning, marketing, budgeting, fundraising and evaluation. Composers also have access to world-class composition workshops and mentoring with other composers, industry professionals and musicians to develop their practice. Through the programme they have the opportunity to showcase work of their own, as well as works by other composers of their choice.
The programme aims to support exceptional composers from all musical backgrounds who are at an early stage in their career. LSO are particularly interested in applications from historically under-represented groups such as ethnically diverse composers, women or non-binary composers, disabled composers and composers from outside the classical tradition who would like to develop their experience of writing for classical musicians.
The previous awardees of LSO Jerwood Composer + are:
- 2019/20: Des Oliver and Hollie Harding
- 2018/19: Amir Konjani, Daniel Kidane
- 2017/18: Emma-Jean Thackray, Jasmin Kent Rodgman
London Symphony Orchestra is one of the UK’s leading music organisations and it has a long-standing commitment to identifying and supporting the next generation of composers. Resident at the Barbican Centre, LSO performs around 70 concerts per year as well performing at LSO St Lukes which received a capital grant from Jerwood Foundation and touring internationally.
