Composers’ Academy experience: insights from our Fellows
Composers’ Academy is the Philharmonia’s established programme for exceptional composers to develop their skills as composers and to create a new 10-minute piece as part of the Philharmonia’s Music of Today series.
We caught up with our 2024/25 Composers’ Academy Fellows – Soosan Lolovar, Sarah Lianne Lewis and Elif Karlidağ – about their experiences over the past year.
Have you enjoyed being part of the Philharmonia’s Composers’ Academy?
Elif: Yes, I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s been an incredibly enriching and eye-opening (or ear-opening in this case!) experience. I’ve learned so much, not only about orchestration and collaboration, but also about myself as a composer.
Sarah: Absolutely! The Academy came at a time where I had recently returned to composing after having my son, and also followed a period of around 4 years where much of my music had been heavily influenced by – or incorporated – text. It was a space where I could rediscover my compositional voice when not collaborating with fellow creatives or using text, and that was both exciting and a little bit scary.
As a composer and parent I found the environment to be very supportive and flexible. There’s a deep respect for the creative process, and for each person’s individual circumstances. That level of care makes it so much easier to focus on the music, and to make the most of this opportunity. I have also really attending several Philharmonia concerts this season!
“Working so closely with the Philharmonia has been both a privilege and a rare opportunity to develop my musical voice and ideas in ways I never imagined.” – Elif Karlidağ
What has been the most inspiring part of the Fellowship?
Soosan: Working with Christian has been great. I’ve admired his music for a while and so have really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss ideas and exchange music recommendations with him. Also the chance to have your work performed by such incredible players and recorded / released on NMC is a real treat!
Elif: The workshops with the musicians have been particularly inspiring, hearing your ideas come to life and being able to experiment in real time is a rare gift. Christian Mason’s mentorship has been invaluable; his generous and thoughtful guidance helped me refine both the technical and conceptual aspects of my piece. I’ve also learned a great deal from my peers, whose diverse perspectives have expanded my own. Linda [Biney, the Philharmonia’s Talent Development Manager] has been incredibly supportive throughout, and I was able to create a piece I don’t think I could have written anywhere else. I’m truly grateful to everyone involved for their support and openness.
Can you tell us a bit more about what happens in the workshops? How do you work with Philharmonia musicians on your music?
Elif: In the workshops, we have the chance to try out musical ideas directly with the Philharmonia musicians and receive immediate feedback. It’s a collaborative environment where you can ask questions, try out techniques, and explore the full range of each instrument. The musicians are incredibly skilled and generous, often offering practical insights and creative suggestions that help shape your ideas in new and exciting ways. It’s a transformative experience.
Soosan: The workshops were our opportunity to try out new ideas. These started with a very small ensemble (trombone, tuba, percussion) playing some extremely early sketches, and progressed up to the full 13-piece ensemble performing some more considered sections. We had the chance to try out various versions of the same passage – e.g., strings with or without mutes, what it might sound like with different types of paper threaded through the harp strings – in the process of developing our pieces. It was really fun to work in this way and meant we had a chance to experiment and play.
Sarah: The workshops are at the heart of the Composers’ Academy experience; it’s where the music starts to come off the page. It’s still pretty magical each time it happens, where the ideas that have been swimming around your head for weeks (or months) begin to take shape as sound, and you have that creative dialogue with the musicians.
Each of us composers got dedicated workshop and rehearsal time with the Philharmonia musicians, and it’s a very collaborative and supportive space. The players will ask questions, offer insights about their instruments, or suggest small changes that can make a difference to the playability of a passage.
“It’s still pretty magical each time it happens, where the ideas… begin to take shape… and you have that creative dialogue with the musicians.” – Sarah Lianne Lewis
What is the most important lesson/experience you’ll be taking away from your Fellowship?
Elif: The most important lesson for me has been to stay open to new perspectives, collaborative ways of working, and unexpected creative outcomes. Being flexible and responsive, especially when working with others, has helped me grow as both a composer and a person.
Soosan: Your first idea is always your best one. I started the first workshop with a very embryonic idea of getting the brass to sing down their instruments and this became the essence of the whole piece. It was fun to hone in on this and allow everything else to unfurl from this moment.
Sarah: The most important lesson I’ll be taking away from the Fellowship is the value of trusting my own musical voice; it’s so easy to get in your own head and begin worrying about what you bring to the table. But when working with the Philharmonia musicians, I was reminded that clarity and authenticity of ideas matter, even if those ideas are introspective and subtle, rather than big and impressive.
What would your advice be to composers who are considering applying to the Philharmonia’s Composers’ Academy?
Elif: Apply now! The Academy is incredibly supportive and rewarding. I’ve learned so much and created a piece that would never have existed without this experience. The whole team go above and beyond to support you. It’s more than just a development programme. It’s a truly transformative journey.
Soosan: Grab the opportunity and focus on sounding like yourself. Try not to get sidetracked by your ideas of the kind of music the orchestra is accustomed to playing. In actual fact they’re up for anything and they only really want you to be true to your voice.
“It’s a truly transformative journey.” – Elif Karlidağ
“Working with such generous and skilled musicians is a brilliant opportunity to experiment, to refine your compositional voice, and to build lasting creative relationships.” – Sarah Lianne Lewis
Sarah: One of the most reassuring aspects of the Composers’ Academy is how understanding and supportive the environment is. The team and musicians are not only exceptionally talented but also kind and collaborative. Be open and be curious. Working with such generous and skilled musicians is a brilliant opportunity to experiment, to refine your compositional voice, and to build lasting creative relationships.
Which contemporary composers inspire you most? Whose music should we be discovering?
Elif: That’s a tough one. I frequently return to the music of Eivind Buene, whose sense of form and atmosphere I find deeply compelling. I also greatly admire the work of Olga Neuwirth, Rebecca Saunders, Du Yun, and Beat Furrer, all of whom bring unique and powerful voices to contemporary music. But, there is so much interesting music and so many remarkable composers in our time to discover. We are very lucky!
Soosan: I have been a fan of Cassandra Miller for a long time. Matthew Herbert’s work is really varied and I keep diving into a lot of Josquin lately! Beyond that I’m actually spending most of my time listening to music outside of the western classical world right now. I’ve done a deep dive into various kinds of folk music – Scottish, Iranian, Corsican – and keep finding myself drawn to very early music traditions such as the Byzantine.
Sarah: I’ve been recently been listening to Andrea Tarrodi’s music; she’s a Swedish composer, whom I discovered through listening to her work ‘Wildwood’ on Dalia Stasevska’s album ‘Dalia’s Mixtape’. ‘Highlands’, Tarrodi’s cello concerto, is also worth a listen.
