A round-up of news, performances, events and key dates from some of the composers on Music Patron
Live events/performances
Gus Gowland #ComeWhatMay musical theatre challenge, Online
1-31 May
Co-created by Gus and now in its 5th year, Come What May is a month-long new musical writing challenge where composers, bookwriters and lyricists sign up to receive creative writing prompts every day during the month of May. This year’s challenge is in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland, where Gus is Resident Composer.
Alice Beckwith Five Armitage Songs
York Unitarian Chapel, York, part of a series of concerts by York Late Music.
Saturday 3 May
Stuart O’Hara and Marianna Cortesi perform Alice’s Five Armitage Songs, settings of poems by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, originally commissioned by the 2024 &Piano Festival.
Angela Elizabeth Slater Weaving colours
Supriya Nagarajan New Work
York Unitarian Chapel, York, part of a series of concerts by York Late Music.
Saturday 3 May
An opportunity to see new work by two Music Patron composers in one concert. Experience Supriya perform her own new work, and see the world premiere of Angela’s Weaving colours for alto flute and flute, alto saxophone and vibraphone.
Yshani Perinpanayagam Aurora’s Carnival, London and Suffolk
3 – 23 May
Yshani is pianist in this brand-new orchestral theatre production of The Carnival of the Animals, Aurora musicians are pushed to their limits by collaborators Frantic Assembly (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). Performances at Southbank Centre, Snape Maltings and The Apex.
Robert Laidlow Exoplanets, Maths and Music, Oxford
Monday 5 May
A unique lecture-recital led by Robert, exploring how the latest research in astrophysics can give rise to brand new ways of making music. Robert is joined by physicists Brian Foster and Raymond Pierrehumbert, and violinist Freya Goldmark. Part of Oxford May Music.
Jo Quail God Is An Astronaut’s Embers Europe tour
9 – 17 May 2025
Jo guest performs with Irish instrumental post-rock band God Is An Astronaut on their European tour.
Robert Laidlow Excerpts from TECHNO-UTOPIA, Cafe Oto, London
Tuesday 13 May
Part of The Wire magazine’s series looking at the impact of AI on music making, hear Robert Laidlow and Zubin Kanga discuss, demonstrate and perform new works that feature new creative uses of AI. Includes excerpts from TECHNO-UTOPIA amongst other things.
Lisa Robertson DIG 2025: GUIR! Gaelic Arts, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow
Thursday 15 – Friday 16 May
Be among the first to experience new work in Gaelic developed by Lisa, working with field recordings, dance, Gaelic texts and live music. One of a series of scratch performances part of Guir! Gaelic Arts incubator programme.
Marcus Joseph Beyond The Dome Remix Album, Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, London
Saturday 17 May
Watch Marcus perform live with his band and immerse yourself in the transformative beats of his Beyond The Dome Remix album. Join the musical journey as Marcus pays homage to Afro-Caribbean roots and spreads positive vibes through infectious grooves, hip-hop beats, and interactive participation.
Angela Elizabeth Slater Night Mirrors and Never to Leave, part of Komponistinnen Piano-Marathon, Berlin
Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 May
The German premiere for two of Angela’s works; Night Mirrors and Never to Leave in a unique 24 hour concert. Pianist Fidan Aghayeva Edler, together with Nina Guo and Mareike Hein, will present more than 300 pieces by 115 female composers, including 20 world premieres.
Elliot Galvin Low Four Studio, Manchester
Monday 19 May
Part of this year’s Manchester Jazz festival, experience a special performance of Elliot’s new album The Ruin in the intimate surroundings of Low Four Studios. This performance will be filmed live for the YouTube series: Live from Low Four Studios.
Robert Laidlow Exoplanets, Maths and Music, Switzerland
Saturday 31 May
Reflecting on how he translates science into music, Robert discusses his upcoming work Exoplanets at Fantasy Basel (the Swiss Comic-Con).
On-demand audio, soundscapes + installations
Ayanna Witter-Johnson Magic Classical
Saturdays 12-3pm
Listen to Ayanna’s weekly radio show
Stick in the Wheel Noods Radio
Second Tuesday of the month, 3-4pm
Listen to Stick in the Wheel’s monthly radio show
Emily Peasgood Listening Desk, venues across the UK
The Listening Desk is an interative sound sculpture that democratises access to sound archives in a fun and playful way. Installed at 10 locations around the UK.
Explore the Listening Desk
Colin Riley Cutty Sark soundscape, London
An immersive ambient set of soundtracks mixing sounds from the Cutty Sark with an orchestra of electric violas and treated piano.
Explore the Cutty Sark soundscape or download the EP on Bandcamp.
Alice Beckwith ‘Tomorrow, at dawn’ with The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge and Steven Grahl
Commissioned by Choir & Organ magazine for the New Music Series 2025, Tomorrow, at dawn is a stunning new choral work by Alice Beckwith. The recording and score was released in February 2025 with the Spring issue of Choir & Organ and is available to download for free until 31 August 2025 from Gramophone magazine.
