Florence Maunders

Florence is one of eight composers selected for a place on the 2023 RPS Composers programme. This will culminate in her writing a new piece, commissioned by the RPS, for Wigmore Hall as the Rosie Johnson Wigmore Hall Learning Composer.

On this page, Florence 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 Florence's work, and please be in touch with us if you would like to connect with her.

About Florence

'I started to create my own music as a teenager, then studied composition at RNCM, but after a few early pieces that I'm still kinda proud of, I didn't really compose at all for over a decade. Instead, I produced electronic dance music, taught, performed (jazz piano and percussion) and conducted. In 2018, I made a dramatic change to my life, started composing again, started studying again, and met with some really encouraging successes in terms of prizes, commissions and performances.

Much of the music I create reflects my influences - I guess in that long compositional drought I absorbed a lot through listening, studying and performing, so there are elements of jazz, medieval music, EDM, and the music of the Middle East, alongside and mixed up with the contemporary vernacular and my love of Stravinsky and Messiaen. Over the last three or four years, I've managed to overcome my disabilities – or perhaps to take advantage of them in some way – to create some of the music that I've been wanting to compose for ages, and it's amazing at the moment to continue to get opportunities to work with incredible musicians to make new sounds together.'

Highlights

  • LCO New 2022 – writing a new piece for London Chamber Orchestra with mentorship from Freya Waley-Cohen.
  • Making Music Adopt A Music Creator 2021-22 – working with Fulham Brass Band on a new piece – they've now taken me on as their Composer in Residence for an extended period.
  • Uprising 2022 – Skipton Camerata commissioned me to write a piece and let me do whatever I wanted, and the result was fantastic!
  • Goliath 2021 – a brand new (filmed) opera with Strange Trace Opera which retells the biblical story from a different perspective.

Not Getting Out

Find out more

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

The 2023 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.