Sound Pioneers

Six upcoming electronic composers were given the opportunity to push musical boundaries by creating new multichannel work in state-of-the-art facilities thanks to YSWN’s Sound Pioneers project.

Selected from a competitive pool of nearly 70 applicants, the six early-career women and gender-minority composers undertook paid residencies in studios at the University of Huddersfield and the University of Hull. To further aid their development, they also benefited from specialist mentoring and coaching support and received a high-profile performance opportunity for each new work.

The Sound Pioneer composers are: Nwando Ebizie, Lottie Sadd, Rachael Gibson, Kin (Cultura Plasmic INC), Charlotte Bickley and Hayley Suviste. The first three are developing work in the University of Huddersfield’s SPIRAL lab, while the others are discovering the possibilities of the University of Hull’s Ambisonic Studio.

Originally planned for 2020, the Sound Pioneer residencies were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are now taking place during summer and autumn 2021, with performances at the University of Hull in October, hcmf// in November and Electric Spring in February 2022.