Sun Keting

Keting is one of seven composers selected for a place on the 2024 RPS Composers programme. This will culminate in her writing a new piece, commissioned by the RPS, for Cheltenham Music Festival.

On this page, Keting introduces herself in her own words, and shares links to her music, her website, and her social media platforms. We warmly invite programmers and commissioners to take a closer look at Keting's work, and please be in touch with us if you would like to connect with her.

About Keting

'I am Sun Keting, a London-based Chinese composer. My artistic vision is deeply rooted in my passion for merging diverse musical styles and traditions, resulting in truly distinctive and captivating experiences for audiences. My compositions predominantly focus on the performing arts and instrumental sound exploration, drawing inspiration from Eastern cultural, spiritual, and philosophical elements.

I have extensively collaborated on contemporary dance and ballet projects. Currently, I am thrilled to be working as a composer for the Birmingham Royal Ballet's ground-breaking ballet, Black Sabbath. Additionally, my works 'Enso' and 'Listen' by Huang Xiao for contemporary dance performance were premiered at LSO St. Luke's to critical acclaim.

I have been privileged to collaborate with renowned artists and esteemed organisations throughout my musical journey. As a selected participant in the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Young Composers programme, LSO Soundhub scheme, NYCGB Composers programme, Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, and Creative Dialogue, I have had the invaluable opportunity to be mentored by esteemed composers Kaija Saariaho, Brett Dean, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Colin Matthews, Mark Anthony Turnage, and Ben Parry, who greatly influenced my artistic growth and development.

As the composer-in-residence and co-director at Tangram, I am proud to be associated with a group of artists that wholeheartedly supports and showcases bold and innovative artistic endeavours. This position allows me to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of my craft to create truly remarkable works of art.'

Highlights

  • A new commission for Keting in 2023-24 is Birmingham Royal Ballet's new ballet, 'Black Sabbath', premiering at the Birmingham Hippodrome in September 2023 and touring at the Royal Plymouth Theatre and Sadler's Wells.
  • In 2022-23, Keting has been writing for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain as a participant on their Young Composers scheme. This included a digital release with NMC Recordings, which you can listen to here.
  • In 2022-24, she has been commissioned to write music for the Britten Pears Artist Programme as part of the Aldeburgh Festival 2023, which you can watch here. She is working on a new Britten Pears Arts commission, which will premiere in 2024.
  • Her music has featured in many venues and festivals worldwide, including the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, King’s Place London, Helsinki Concert Hall, Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival and National Concert Hall Dublin.
  • In 2022, her opera 'New Genus' received its premiere as part of a triple bill night in the Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival.
  • In 2021, she was commissioned to write a piece for Sitar and the BBC Singers, recorded by Jasdeep Degun and the BBC Singers and broadcasted on BBC Radio 3.
  • Previously, her music has been performed in the U.K., U.S., Europe, and Asia. She has composed music for the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Singers, Ligeti Quartet, Riot Ensemble, Psappha Ensemble, Nash Ensemble, The Silk Road Ensemble, the Chroma Ensemble, the IGF, Tangram, The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and The National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan.
  • Linked below is a 2022 commission for Tangram and the Ligeti Quartet for Our Silences Are Your Silences - a meditation on transcultural spaces and identities in the 70th-anniversary year of John Cage's piece, 4'33''.

It’s Distance that Makes Mountains Mountains (Excerpts)

Find out more

If you are interested in finding out more about Keting, hearing and and keeping up to date with her work, take a look at her website and social media below:

The 2024 RPS Composers programme is made possible with support from RPS Members, Delius Trust, The Fidelio Charitable Trust, PRS Foundation's The Open Fund, the Radcliffe Trust, the Susan Bradshaw Composers' Fund, the Vaughan Williams Foundation and several anonymous donors.