Fellowships
Aldeburgh Music and the Jerwood Charitable Foundation offered an unique opportunity for composers and their collaborators, to receive tailor-made support for writing a new opera. Five Fellowships were awarded in the autumn of 2008, following applications from people with little or no experience of opera, opera producers, and graduates of the Jerwood Opera Writing Foundation.
The projects will last between 18 and 24 months. Support is given to composers and their collaborators (writers, directors, designers) during the creation of a new work, providing advice, practical help (e.g. access to musicians) and a bursary. At the end of the Fellowship, participants will expect to have either a complete work or a well-developed opera project with an advanced text and a substantial amount of music.
The following projects are now underway:
The Commission
Elspeth Brooke (composer), Jack Underwood (writer), Ellie Rees (video artist)
Twelve Telephone Conversations with Frank O’Hara
Larry Goves (composer), Matthew Welton (writer)
Paradise Lost
Luke Bedford (composer), Glyn Maxwell (writer), John Fulljames (director)
The Secret Life of Words
Miroslav Srnka (composer), Tom Holloway (writer), Matthew Lutton (director)
Star-shaped Biscuit
David Toop (composer/writer)
Click here to read notes from sessions with Giorgio Battistelli, compiled by Adele Bates during the Jerwood Opera Writing Fellowships week in August 2009 (PDF).
Read an article about the Fellowships from The Guardian, November 2009
Jerwood Opera Writing Programme
‘Every moment of those precious rehearsal hours was instructive. There is no substitute for actually writing and rehearsing an opera.’ – Marcy Kahan
‘It was a remarkable experience and I think every participant came to realise how unique, exciting and special the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme is. I will definitely write opera in the future.’ – Jack Underwood