Swan orchestra teams up with top composer

The leading chamber orchestra will be working with 35-year-old award-winning composer Huw Watkins for two years as its new ‘composer in the house’ after being selected by the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) and Performing Right Society for Music Foundation (PRSF).

‘Composer in the house’ was created by the RPS and PRSF in 2005 to enable composers to have more space to create new work and to engage audiences more actively with new music through long-term involvement with a composer.

Orchestra of the Swan, which has residencies and concert series in Stratford, Birmingham, Bedworth, London and Loughborough, has followed the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Sinfonia ViVA in becoming a composer in the house recipient.

Huw Watkins, who lives in London, is one of the UK’s most admired composers and pianists, known for his distinctive orchestral, chamber and vocal compositions.

Having won the vocal category at this year’s British Composer awards, Huw will be writing new works for Orchestra of the Swan, including a major commission in spring 2013 and pieces for community and concert performance during his residency.

David Curtis, artistic director of the orchestra, said: “We are delighted to receive this award, which recognises our long-term commitment to commissioning and performing new music, placing contemporary composers at the heart of the concert programme.

“Huw Watkins’ appointment as our composer in the house will create extremely exciting and innovative opportunities for the orchestra, Huw, our partners in schools and at the Royal College of Music where he teaches, and of course our audiences.”