Composer Speaks with Laura Bowler

Attempts at Climate Crisis

Laura Bowler discusses her music theatre works centred around the subject of the Climate Crisis:

Wicked Problems
Houses Slide
Distance

Laura Bowler, described as “a triple threat composer-performer-provocatrice” (Arts Desk-Premiere of FFF at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival) is a composer, vocalist and Artistic Director specialising in theatre, multi-disciplinary work and opera. She has been commissioned across the globe by ensembles and orchestras including the BBCSO, ROH2, Opera Holland Park, The Opera Group, Manchester Camerata, LPO, Quatuor Bozzini (Canada), Ensemble Phace (Austria), Ensemble Linea (France), Omega Ensemble (Australia), among other groups both in the UK and abroad. Recent projects include a music theatre work, FFF, for Ensemble Phace (Vienna) and vocalist (herself) commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and HCMF, Feminine Hygiene, a multimedia work for large ensemble and vocalist (herself) commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic and Sounds from the Other City Festival; Damned Mob of Scribbling Women- a 20 minute music theatre song cycle for leading UK new music vocalist Lucy Goddard recently nominated for a British Composer Award; Antarctica, a 50 minute multimedia work for orchestra and vocalist (herself) co-commissioned by Manchester Camerata and BBC Radio 3.

Laura is a Lecturer in Composition at the RNCM and GSMD. She is also the Vocal Composing Group lead tutor at the Sound and Music Summer School.

Laura completed her BMus (Hons) at the RNCM and Sibelius Academy (Finland), followed by her MMus and PhD at the RAM. She also completed an MA in Theatre Directing at RADA.

Free and open to all. Please email new.music@music.ox.ac.uk for Zoom details.

About the series:

Professor Martyn Harry and Jennifer Walshe convene this series in which visiting composers discuss their work.