Huw Watkins has been appointed Composer in the House at Orchestra of the Swan.
Huw Watkins, one of the UK’s most admired musicians – both as a composer and pianist – will join forces with Statford-upon-Avon based Orchestra of the Swan as the next Composer in the House.
Composer in the House was created by the Royal Philharmonic Society and PRS for Music Foundation in 2005. The scheme enables composers and performers alike to have space to create new work, and seeks to engage audiences more actively with new music through long-term involvement with a composer. More about CITH.
Huw Watkins has built a strong reputation with a body of distinctive orchestral, chamber and vocal works. A recent winner of the vocal category at the 2011 British Composer Awards, he will work with Orchestra of the Swan for a period of two years from 2012. As well as writing new works for the orchestra (including a major commission in Spring 2013, and pieces for community and concert performance), Huw is at the heart of a new partnership between the orchestra and composition students at the Royal College of Music (where he teaches) with performances of short works by five young composers. His considerable skills as a pianist will also be heard on the concert platform and in community performances.
Orchestra of the Swan is a major champion of new music; its recent Spring Sounds 2011 festival included four world premieres, two recordings, visiting composers, soloists and conductors from the USA and a joint commission with the American Composers’ Orchestra.Previously the orchestra has commissioned work from Joe Cutler, Tansy Davies, Joe Duddell, Alexander Goehr, John Joubert, Joanna Lee, Roxanna Panufnik, Paul Patterson, Joseph Phibbs, Julian Philips, DobrinkaTabakova, ParamVir, ErrollynWallen, Shu Wang, John Woolrich and many others. Orchestra of the Swan is resident at the Civic Hall in Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, Associate Ensemble at Town Hall, Birmingham and has other residencies and concert series at Cadogan Hall London, Bedworth Civic Hall, Loughborough Town Hall and tours to venues and festivals throughout England and Wales.