What is our Associate Composer Scheme?

As a flexible group, the Ensemble performs in many guises. Each group of musicians and each of our concert programmes is tailored to suit the venue and organisation we are performing for. The Ensemble's interest in performing mainstream repertoire alongside music of today's composers has led to our Associate Composer scheme.

Alongside mainstream repertoire, the Ensemble often performs living composers' works. Within our Associate Composer scheme, we build a creative relationship with each composer, featuring the composer's music in many of our concerts. We also involve our Associate Composers in workshops, courses and other educational projects. Our performances are developed in collaboration with each composer, giving our concerts and educational programmes an added dimension and authority.

Who are our current Associate Composers?

We are delighted to have strong links with the British composers Cecilia McDowall and Graham Williams, together with two of Russia's finest composers (now resident in the UK), Dmitri Smirnov and Elena Firsova.

Links with other artists

The distinguished painter Nicola Bealing is Associate Artist with Ensemble Lumière. Her vibrant paintings currently provide the focus for some of our educational workshops (involving student compositions and performances) and the inspiration for new works for the Ensemble by professional composers.

Ensemble Lumière's "Building an Audience for the Future" project offers special programmes to music clubs, arts centres, festivals & schools. The programmes interweave music and stories and introduce a broad range of classical music to younger audiences. We are currently exploring creative and educational links with Bob Wilkins (Storyteller) for this and other projects.

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