Elliot Wigham selected for BBC National Orchestra of Wales Composition: Wales 2026

Current student Elliot Wigham has been selected as one of eight composers for Composition: Wales 2026, a development scheme led by BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW).

The annual initiative supports and showcases Welsh and Wales-based composers, offering participants the opportunity to have their work workshopped, rehearsed, performed, and recorded by BBC NOW at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay.

Elliot is the youngest composer selected for this year’s programme. His fourteen-minute orchestral work, Firenze, is formed of eight miniatures and received its culmination performance on Friday 13 February 2026, following two days of workshops and rehearsals.

In the lead-up to the rehearsals, Elliot took part in a series of meetings with composer Gavin Higgins, Composer-in-Association with BBC NOW, and conductor Jac van Steen, who leads this year’s project, to discuss and work on the score.

Reflecting on the experience, Elliot said:

Working with an orchestra as capable as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a truly phenomenal experience, especially under a conductor of the calibre of Jac van Steen. They master the most virtuosic passages with ease and bring the work to life with impressive colour and flair.

Composition: Wales provides composers with direct feedback from professional orchestral musicians alongside mentoring from leading composers and conductors. The 2026 project is run in association with Nimbus Lyrita Arts, Tŷ Cerdd, Composers of Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan Festival and Welsh Music Guild.

The final concert at BBC Hoddinott Hall is available on iPlayer (from 47:53) and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 later this year.

Elliot’s selection for this national programme marks a significant milestone in his development as a composer and offers a great opportunity to hear his work brought to life by one of the UK’s leading orchestras.