Emerging composers selected for NYCGB 2022 scheme

National Youth Choirs of Great Britain (NYCGB) has announced the four composers selected for its 2022 Young Composers scheme, a year-long development programme to help its early-career participants develop as professional composers.

This month, NYCGB welcomes four composers to participate in the scheme’s fourth year: Thomas Metcalf, Ben Nobuto, Sun Keting, and Claire Victoria Roberts.

Ruth Evans, NYCGB’s head of artistic planning & participation said: ‘Sun, Thomas, Ben and Claire thoroughly impressed the panel with their applications, interviews and appetite to be at the cutting edge of writing for young singers/emerging artists.’

Aimed at emerging composers aged 18-29, the Young Composers scheme is fully funded and offers participants residential courses, creative retreats, workshops, mentoring and performance opportunities along with advice and tuition from established composers.

The music written by scheme participants will be performed by NYCGB’s choirs and programmes and a professional recording and release for young composers’ work will be facilitated by NMC Recordings and licences and training in Dorico Pro notation software will be provided by Steinberg Media Technologies.

Participants will also receive opportunities with independent music publisher Stainer & Bell as well as an annual retreat in the former home of Benjamin Britten provided by Britten Pears Arts.

Thomas Metcalf is a composer and researcher based in Oxford. He recently completed his DPhil (PhD) in Music at Oxford University and currently teaches for various colleges at the university.

Ben Nobuto is a British-Japanese composer who was recently selected for Sound and Music’s 2021 ‘New Voices’ scheme. He said: ‘Writing for voices is still quite new for me so I have a lot of learning and exploring to do. I’m hoping I can create something that feels authentic to me whilst also working for the singers.’

Sun Keting is a London-based Chinese composer and artist. She has collaborated on projects with organizations including The Wellcome Collection, The Bristol School of Animation and Leeds Lieder Festival and is a composer-in-residence of both Chinese Arts Now and Tangram Sound.

Claire Victoria Roberts is a composer, vocalist and violinist who draws upon diverse influences. She was the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize 2019-2020 and has been broadcast on Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.

NYCGB’s five choirs - the National Youth Girls’ Choir, National Youth Boys’ Choir, National Youth Training Choir, the flagship National Youth Choir and National Youth Chamber Choir - have a membership of over 800 young singers across the UK.