I am a Welsh composer living in London. My work spans opera, choral, orchestral, chamber, film, advertising, and music for art installations.

I am particularly interested in how music can express emotions. The connection between music and our inner worlds. Music as a means of self-expression. Ritual. Identity. Natural landscapes. My inspiration often comes from nature, metaphysical and spiritual subject matter, ancient history, and historical archives.

My work has been performed widely, including at the Barbican, The National Gallery, The V&A, Cheltenham Music Festival, Wigmore Hall, King’s Place, Café OTO, Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Sónar Music Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, Tokyo Opera City,  and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4.

My first opera, Dear Marie Stopes was about birth control and women’s bodily freedom. It premiered in London in 2018 at the Welcome Collection and was revived in 2019 at King’s Place. It was called “a first-rate addition to the catalogue of one-act operas” by The Stage. My second opera, LEONARDO, explored the often-overlooked queer identity of Leonardo da Vinci and premiered at the V&A in 2019, the 500th anniversary year of the polymath’s death.

Other work includes pieces for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Liam Byrne, Hermes Experiment, EXAUDI,Ligeti Quartet, Juice Vocal Ensemble, and Grammy award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird.

My work has also been featured in The Economist, BBC World, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, Classical Music Magazine, The Independent and Opera Magazine.

I studied music (briefly) at the University of Cambridge before studying composition privately with Raymond Yiu and completing a Master’s in composition at Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Richard Baker and Paul Newland, for which I was awarded a distinction.

In my previous life, I studied journalism at the London College of Fashion and worked for magazines, newspapers and creative agencies. I continue to work in these areas alongside my work as a composer.

I am originally from Pembrokeshire in West Wales.

List of works:

  • Zenith (2022) Harp & Cello, 9 min.

    BARDO (2021) Contralto & Piano Quartet, 18-min. Inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead and incorporating meditation.

    Look How Brightly the Universe Shines (2021) Piano trio, 5 min. Vigorous concert opener inspired by Richard Dehmels’ poem Verklärte Nacht, commissioned by Behind the Mirror.

    Music for Bach Flower Remedies (2021-22), various chamber forces. 24 short pieces bringing to life Bach Floral Remedies’ products.

    Hurrian Meditations (2020) Soprano and strings. A 30-minute meditation on the oldest known melody in the world.

    Solo for Violin & Piano (2020) meditative unison piece for violin and piano, 10 mins.

    Nearly Nothing (2020) Sparse solo for mixed metal percussion. c.19mins.

    Leonardo’s Studio (2019) Viol consort. Music to accompany the National Gallery’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibition in December 2019.

    Fragment (2018, rev. 2023) string quartet, 9 min.

    Cascade (2018) String Trio, 5 min. Written for a kinetic sculpture by Harrison Pearce, exhibited at Compton Verney.

    Saṃsāra (2018) Soprano, harp, clarinet and double bass: written for and premiered by Hermes Experiment at Cafe OTO.

    For the Time Being (2017) Harp and cello, c.10 mins. Premiered by Olivia Jageurs and Tom Wraith in London in 2017.

    Suspensions & Solutions (2017) Bass viol and electronics, c. 20 min. Premiered by Liam Byrne at the Barbican in 2017.

    Four Rain-begging Songs (2017) Duo for Flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet.

    One is Fun (2016) Violin duo, 9 min.

    Three Bocets for the Living (2015) String duo: violin/viola + violin/cello arrangement.

  • LEONARDO (2019) Chamber opera for countertenor, tenor, baritone and viol quartet. Premiered at the V&A in November 2019.

    The Body Keeps the Score - a dance piece (2019) Viola, percussion & tape. Premiered at The Place in December 2019.

    A Father is Looking for his Daughter (2019) Chamber opera for soprano, mezzo soprano, cello and percussion. Premiered at Rough for Opera, May 2019.

    Dear Marie Stopes (2018) Chamber opera for soprano, contralto, countertenor, viola da gamba, cello and electronics. Premiered at the Wellcome Collection (August 2018) and revived at Kings Place (September 2019).

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018) Mixed choir and electronics (Incidental music for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream).

  • Tuning Ritual for Orchestra (2021) A 5-minute concert opener that extends the traditional tuning ritual into a tuning of the musicians’ consciousness.

    Landsker (2020) Commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Premiere due in May 2022.

    Chords and Canons for Kew (2019) Large ensemble of assorted winds, strings, brass & percussion. Written for Kew Gardens’ Chihuly exhibition in 2019.

    In Memoriam (2015) Strings, brass and electronics.

  • The Book of Hours (2023), Contralto, countertenor, piano, accordion and percussion, 55 mins. A mystical song cycle setting Rilke’s ‘Book of Hours’.

    Saith Air Y Groes (2023) SATB choir, 25 min. The first setting of Christ’s ‘Seven Last Words’ in the Welsh Language, written for and premiered by Bangor Cathedral Choir in 2023.

    Into Air (2022), soprano, alto, countertenor, tenor, bass-baritone, 25 mins. A musical meditation inspired by the artwork of Dawn Ng.

    My Lost Love (2022), countertenor and piano. Four short songs which set Japanese Tanka poetry, written for Feargal Mostyn-Williams and premiered in Tokyo in 2022.

    About A Place (2022), mixed amateur choir, flexible length. A musical meditation.

    All Now Went Still (2022), contralto and piano. A peace song for Ukraine.

    Cave meditation: Cathedral Quarry (2021) Solo Contralto & handheld percussion. A 30-minute site-specific piece for Cathedral Quarry, Cumbria.

    Fura Remembers (2020) Soprano and piano. An 8-minute aria written as part of National Opera Studio’s 12:42 project.

    Flame Robin (2020) a 6-min piece for mixed vocal ensemble, originally written for EXAUDI.

    A Song Sleeps in All Things (2019): 5-min song for contralto, piano, flute and mixed choir.

    Repermission (2018) vocal trio for Juice Vocal Ensemble inspired by GDPR emails. Premiered at Cheltenham Music Festival 2018.