Young Composers’ Camerata Debut

Manchester based composer – Aaron Parker – has seen his new work ‘Look me In the eyes’ premiered by Manchester Camerata at it’s recent Portrait of War concert at the Royal Northern College of Music. The piece was chosen from a shortlist of ten compositions workshopped as part of Manchester Camerata’s annual Composers’ Project.

Each year Manchester Camerata calls on young Manchester based composers from the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music to take part in its annual Composers Project.

From all the entries – ten compositions were then chosen to be workshopped by members of the orchestra, under the baton of Eduardo Portal, who was joined this year also by the respected composer and mentor Peter Wiegold.

Each work was short – five minutes long – and had to be inspired by a portrait in the City’s Art Gallery – reflecting Manchester Camerata’s season theme of Portraits.

The ten works chosen were workshopped at the RNCM on Saturday 21 January.  From that selection, Manchester Camerata’s Head of Creative Programming, Manus Carey and Peter Wiegold selected one piece to be performed as part of a Manchester Camerata concert.

This year – the successful piece ‘Look into My Eyes’ came from Aaron Parker, who is currently studying at the RNCM.  It was premiered at Manchester Camerata’s Portrait of War concert at the college on 10 March 2012.

Aaron Parker studies composition at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and has already built an extensive portfolio of work, with some of his works having been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC 1, and also performed in venues across Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands, by ensembles such as the BBC Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the National Youth Orchestra, and the Aurora Orchestra.

He has taken part in collaborations with the Royal Ballet School in London, the Northern Ballet School and The Place (London Contemporary Dance School).  In July 2010 he took part in the Lake District Summer Music Festival’s 4×4 Composer Residency led by Robert Saxton and Garth Bardsley, during which the first scene of a new chamber opera Rhodopis was premièred in Keswick.

Manchester Camerata’s Composers’ Project is an annual event.  Next year entries will be accepted from young composers at the RNCM senior and junior schools and Chetham’s School of Music.  They’ll be joined by students from Salford University.