We are very sorry to share the news that 26-year-old composer Lucy Hale has died. Last year, Lucy attained a place on the RPS Composers programme and – as the Rosie Johnson RPS / Wigmore Hall Apprentice Composer 2020-21 – she was set to write a new work for performance at the Wigmore later this year.

Born in 1994, Lucy was an extraordinary force for good, never letting the disability she lived with limit her musical dreams. She shone at composition in her days attending the Royal College of Music Junior Department, and proceeded to study at the Royal Northern College of Music as an undergraduate with Adam Gorb and David Horne, and as a postgraduate with Gary Carpenter and Emily Howard. She graduated from her Masters in 2019 with a distinction.

In a few short years she achieved so much: she was the inaugural Young Composer-in-Association with BSO Resound, Young Composer-in-Residence with Orchestras for All, and a dedicated Associate Musician with Drake Music. She brought such energy and curiosity to every pursuit, and had seemingly endless appetite for collaboration and innovation, which saw her writing for choreographers, for film, for the opening of the high-profile venue HOME in Manchester, and for flautist Kathryn Williams’ album Coming up for Air released by NMC Recordings.

Take a moment to listen to her compositions for a clear picture of a composer whose imagination knew no constraints: from the wintry brilliance of the flute quartet Zeta to the incendiary drama of the orchestral work To Run With The Tigers. With such confidence, each work takes us straight into its own captivating sound world, so worth hearing.

One need only look at her Twitter feed or writing on her website to get a sense of Lucy’s signature passion: she had such an eloquent, positive, reasoned voice beyond her years on matters of equality, access and creativity. Whatever Lucy had to say, it was always full of heart and wit, and always worth hearing.

On behalf of the RPS and the Wigmore Hall, our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with her family and friends. We are proud to regard Lucy as an RPS Composer, and warmly encourage others to join us in finding opportunities for her music to keep being played, heard and cherished.