London Sinfonietta to premiere alumnus Laurence Osborn's work 'Mute'

Thursday 13 March 2025

The latest work by composer Laurence Osborn (Hertford College, 2008), Mute, will be premiered on Thursday 3 April at the Southbank Centre in a performance by the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Geoffrey Paterson.

Laurence has described Mute as a series of twelve miniature 'anti-concertos': rather than having an ostentatious solo, each of the twelve players has a solo part that is muted, muffled, distorted, or drowned out. The fascinating range of cultural references which have inspired the composition include: elocution, ventriloquism and dubbing in My Fair Lady; the drowned-out voices of different mermaids from Hans Christian Anderson and Rene Magritte; the crackly voice, recorded in 1860, of phonograph inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville; and an interview with electronic musician Burial from Mark Fisher's Ghosts of My Life about the influences of the ghost stories of MR James.

Details of Laurence's other works are available on the Rayfield Allied Publishing website, including the his most recent works TOMB! (which won both the 2024 RPS and Ivor awards for Best Chamber-Scale Composition) and Schiller's Piano.

Professor Laura Tunbridge delivering lecture, with student musician on stage behind

'Everyday Beethoven' - Professor Laura Tunbridge

23 October 2026

Professor Laura Tunbridge repeated her inaugural lecture as Heather Professor of Music at this year's Meeting Minds weekend for alumni. As the 200th anniversary of his death approaches in 2027, Ludwig van Beethoven remains ubiquitous, his music still dominating concerts, films and advertising. In 'Everyday Beethoven', Professor Tunbridge explores the friendships, collaborations and musical relationships that enabled the composer to come to prominence. A recording of the lecture is now available to watch online.

Professor Jennifer Walshe and Irish National Opera and win 2026 Sky Arts Award

14 October 2026

Dr Vai featured in Gramophone discussing the curation of the permanent exhibition Resonant Histories at the Bate Collection

12 October 2026

The Head of Collection and Curator has been interviewed by Gramophone about Resonant Histories, the new permanent exhibition at the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments. The exhibition explores the histories and stories behind musical instruments, bringing their cultural significance and musical heritage to life, and offering visitors new perspectives on the collection and the stories its instruments hold.