Composing: practice, profession, and portfolio career
(Roseanna Dunn - Cambridge University)
What does the life of an early-career composer look like in today’s socioeconomic climate?
How do you establish and manage a portfolio career?
What action can you take to build your own professional compositional praxis whilst in tertiary education?
In this research seminar, Roseanna explores the creative processes behind two of her contrasting recent commissions: ‘Londe Hast Ben Longe’ for the ORA Singers, and ‘Her Mother’s Tongue’ for the North Wales International Music Festival and Dr Iwan Llewelyn-Jones. Roseanna discusses her portfolio career as a composer, conductor, and arts practitioner, showing how this way of working is beneficial to her, both pragmatically and creatively. Finally, Roseanna examines the challenges faced by early-career composers in a time where arts funding is scarce: as such, she gives pragmatic advice on navigating these challenges, and offers short-term steps towards building a long-term career as a professional composer and/or musician.
The workshop will feature a live performance of ‘Her Mother’s Tongue’, given by Dr Iwan Llewelyn-Jones