Alice Beckwith

Alice Beckwith is a versatile composer of concert music, working on commission throughout the UK. Her lyrical melodic sound is firmly rooted in the British Isles - with an emphasis above all upon story-telling.

The creative process never stops. Whether consciously or subconsciously, you tune in (literally) to everything around you - space, colour, sound, energy, words... all seemingly unrelated. My job as a composer is to sift through to find the gem of an idea, often a time-consuming process! But just sometimes, suddenly when least expected, the outline of a sketch effortlessly appears.

Rapidly emerging as a contemporary composer, Alice was commissioned by the 2024 St Endellion Easter Festival, where her new setting of Paul Fiddes’ The Phoenix - for tenor and harp - was premiered by Mark Padmore and Alis Huws. A new song-cycle commissioned by the 2024 AndPiano Music Festival in Huddersfield marks a welcome return to West Yorkshire - setting texts by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. As well as a composer, Alice is an animateur and music educator, and a passionate advocate for arts engagement and accessibility. She runs a private teaching studio, and regularly delivers academic teaching and school workshops alongside her role as an ABRSM examiner. She is a trustee of Yorkshire Youth and Music. What does being one of Alice's patrons look like? Patrons are invited to join Alice "behind-the-scenes" through regular updates, engaging with her creative process as she collaborates with ensembles and artists on a variety of commissions. Patrons can expect curated playlists, sneak previews of new works, and advance notice of future projects; as well as opportunities to connect digitally through live streaming, and, most importantly, over a cup of tea when in Manchester. For commissioning opportunities, please contact Alice directly though her website.

"Music Patron is a very special opportunity to share my new work, professional success and creative development with an engaged, interactive community of philanthropic individuals."

Supporting a composer on Music Patron gives you a first-hand perspective on the many elements within the creative process and an understanding of the authentic journey of a composer. You can learn more about what it’s like to be a patron here. Biography Alice was one of 6 composers selected to participate in the 2023 Cheltenham Music Festival Composers’ Academy, for which she created Three Songs with The Carice Singers. Between 2020-22 she was Composer-in-Residence with Lodge Moor Children’s Choir. Recent projects include her settings of Heinrich Brockes’ poetry, Nightingale and Reflections - commissioned by Endelienta Baroque - toured the UK as part of their 2023/24 Autumn EarthSong project. Alice’s contemporary cantata The Golden Thread (2022) - commissioned by the Green Man Gallery, Buxton, with support from the Vaughan Williams Foundation - received a London premiere at the 2023 Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival. Originally from Halifax, West Yorkshire, Alice studied at the Junior RNCM before reading Music at Oxford University; subsequently studying Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Listen Nightingale | Alice Beckwith