A Conversation with… is a Birdsong blog series

How did you know you wanted to become a composer?

It crept up on me actually. I began composing when I was at music college, and in my second year, I enjoyed having to compose for some musicianship homework. I enjoyed it so much that I realised I should consider doing it more. Within a few months, I changed course to focus on composition and repeated my second year to allow me to build up a portfolio. Starting at 20 years old is considered quite ​“late”, but for me, it was an exhilarating journey with much to learn along the way. 

Did you have any important mentors when starting out?

Absolutely. In the first year that I studied composition at the (now Royal) Birmingham Conservatoire, Andrew Downes was the Head of Composition. He taught me all the fundamentals of writing music and expressing oneself, and I couldn’t have begun the journey without his support. After the first year, Andrew retired and I began to develop in wildly different directions under the wing of Joe Cutler, who was fantastic at introducing me to all sorts of music. I wrote so much music in those days, simply for the fascination of trying things out. I moved to the Royal College of Music in London for my Masters and was lucky enough to study with one of my idols, Mark Anthony Turnage. Shortly after this, I met Oliver Knussen, and he became a very important mentor and friend to me. 

Do you have a favourite instrument or ensemble to write for?

I really enjoy the variety of writing for different instruments and ensembles. It keeps the process dynamic, and there are always different challenges. Having said that, being a cellist is useful in many respects, and I love writing strings. 

You have an exciting premiere coming up this month with Orchestre de Paris at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. What was the inspiration behind the work?

I am so looking forward to it! It will be an honour to work with Orchestre de Pais and Klaus Mäkelä. A Sky Too Small is based on a shocking and ultimately tragic true story, where the basic human right of freedom is stolen- enforced incarceration is a central theme in the work. And, locked away in a dark hole, there is too small a sky. Then, in an instant, it snaps closed. In time, and far too late, the captor becomes captive. The sky is outspread and unbounded, seemingly and sadly, like the never-ending conflict.

The true story is of James Foley, the journalist who was captured and beheaded by the Islamic State. The piece is closely related to the opera I am in the final stages of writing, which focuses on James’s mother, Diane, and her decision to meet with one of the men who tried to kill her son. 

You’re currently working on an opera, American Mother, premiering at Theater Hagen next year. What is the opera about, and what has the writing process been like?

I have absolutely loved being immersed in writing a full-scale opera. I had the idea for the opera around two years ago, so the idea has lived with me for all that time. As mentioned briefly above, the opera is called American Mother and is based on a book by the same name written by Colum McCann and Diane Foley. It is an incredible true story about Diane Foley. Her son, the journalist James Foley, was captured in Syria and ultimately murdered by Islamic State terrorists in 2014. Diane made the staggering decision to meet with one of the men tried and convicted of killing her son. McCann has written an astonishing, gripping libretto. The opera will be premiered in May 2025 at Theater Hagen in Germany.

What do you like to do when you’re not composing?

I love being outdoors and spending time in nature, hiking, skiing… I enjoy cooking and spending time with my family. I travel too, for work or pleasure, and I enjoy combining the two.