Philip Venables

A short introduction video

23 January 2017

Here is a new short (seven minute) video about my work, which gives a brief introduction to what I’m interested in, along with excerpts of four recent works. This video (in a slightly longer version) was first presented at the…

Read more →

Naomo Pinnetuo released by Royal Academy of Music

19 December 2022

In celebration of their 200th Anniversary, the Royal Academy of Music asked 200 composers for birthday-gift compositions for solo instruments. To celebrate our friendship, which began at the Academy in 2002, Naomi Pinnock and I both chose to write for…

Read more →

Performance photos of Answer Machine Tape, 1987

7 December 2022

We’ve just completed the run of premiere performances of Answer Machine Tape, 1987 with the four co-commissioning festivals: Time of Music in Finland, November Music in the Netherlands, hcmf// in the UK and the Festival d’Automne à Paris. Thanks to…

Read more →

Portrait photo by Étienne Grandon

3 December 2022

A new headshot / press image by Étienne Grandon, taken on a vintage Yashica camera. This can be used for promotion with a credit to the photographer. A higher-resolution is available on request, contact here.

Profile by Tayyab Amin for hcmf//

23 November 2022

I was very fortunate to be featured this year at hcmf// across three concerts of my most recent works: Answer Machine Tape, 1987, performed and commissioned by Zubin Kanga; Numbers 81–100, performed and commissioned by Lovemusic; and My Favourite Piece…

Read more →

“The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions” at Aix-en-Provence Festival

23 November 2022

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions, has just been announced by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in France, in July 2023. This will not be the world premiere (which is still to be announced), but will be the European premiere. The music…

Read more →

“The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions” announced at Bregenz Festival

17 November 2022

My next opera, The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions, has just been announced by Bregenz Festival in Austria, in July 2023. This will not be the world premiere (which is still to be announced), but will be the Austrian…

Read more →

Press images of Denis & Katya in Amsterdam by Milagro Elstak

5 November 2022

Some production images from the Dutch National Opera production of Denis & Katya, March 2022, on the enormous main stage of the opera house in Amsterdam, as part of the Opera Forward Festival. The singers Inna Demenkova and Michael Wilmering, with…

Read more →

Below the Belt one of BBC Music Magazine’s ’30 must-have albums’

30 September 2022

BBC Music Magazine is celebrating its 30th Birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations they have chosen Below The Belt as one of their 30 “Must-Have Albums of our Lifetime”. In the week when the UK’s financial and…

Read more →

Answer Machine Tape, 1987

25 September 2022

Photo of Zubin Kanga by Eeli Järvinen, taken at the premiere at Time of Music, Viitasaari. This is the catalogue page for Answer Machine Tape, 1987. Answer Machine Tape, 1987 after David Wojnarowicz  Answer Machine Tape, 1987 is dedicated to…

Read more →

Naomo Pinnetuo

25 September 2022

This is the catalogue page for Naomo Pinnetuo Naomo Pinnetuo was written for the Royal Academy of Music. as a gift on their 200th Birthday. It is dedicated to Naomi Pinnock and the Royal Academy of Music. The first performance will…

Read more →

More dates announced for ‘Answer Machine Tape, 1987’

14 September 2022

Answer Machine Tape, 1987, my a new work for piano and multimedia, has more performances announced this autumn. Zubin Kanga, who commissioned the piece, will perform the work at the following places: 12th November 2022 — House73 Courtroom in ‘s-Hertogenbosch,…

Read more →

4.48 Psychose revival at the Semperoper Dresden

14 September 2022

The Semperoper in Dresden has announced a third run of performances of 4.48 Psychose, postponed from 2021.  The opera had its german premiere run at Semper Zwei in April/May 2018, with sold-out performances.  The dates next season will be 16,…

Read more →

Two-part interview with Will Davenport / ConnectsMusic

6 August 2022

I was delighted to speak to Will Davenport earlier this year about my work in the context of LGBTQI+ issues, particularly focussing on my operas and my work with David Hoyle. This two-part interview features on the ConnectsMusic platform as…

Read more →

Excellent reviews for Denis & Katya in Hannover

5 July 2022

The German premiere of Denis & Katya happened earlier this year, in a new german-language version of the opera, commissioned by the Niedersächsische Staatsoper in Hannover. The production took place in Ballhof Eins, and featured two singers from the young…

Read more →

‘Answer Machine Tape, 1987’ premiere, Time of Music

30 June 2022

Answer Machine Tape, 1987 — a new work for piano and multimedia — has its first performance on 8th July 2022 at Time of Music Festival (Musiikin Aika) in Viitasaari, Finland, given by Zubin Kanga. The festival is programming a…

Read more →

Denis & Katya revival next season in Hannover

30 May 2022

Denis & Katya was given its german premiere in Hannover this season on 26th Feburary, and a revival has just been announced in the 22—23 Season of the Niedersächsische Staatsoper Hannover. The Staatsoper Hannover commissioned a german language version of…

Read more →

Conducting debut with London Sinfonietta in the New Music Biennial

26 April 2022

Photo above: Jamie Gray / New Music Biennial. I picked up a baton again this weekend for the first time in 15 years. Having spent a lot of time as a student conducting my own ensembles or youth orchestras around…

Read more →

Denis & Katya announced at Finnish National Opera

31 March 2022

Opera Company Taite, Finnish National Opera and Musica Nova Helsinki have just announced their co-production of Denis & Katya on 8th, 10th, & 11th March 2023 at the Arminsali at Finnish National Opera, Helsinki. Opera Company Taite is making a new version…

Read more →

Press images of Denis & Katya in Hannover by Clemens Heidrich

18 March 2022

Some production images from the Staatsoper Hannover production of Denis & Katya, February 2022, at Ballhof Eins in Hannover. The singers were Weronika Rabek and Darwin Prakash, with cellists Reynard Rott, Gottfried Roßner, Clara Berger, Marion Zander, Killian Fröhlich and Gonçalo…

Read more →

5 stars for Denis & Katya in Amsterdam

15 March 2022

The Dutch premiere of Denis & Katya took place on Friday at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, as part of the Opera Forward Festival. It was performed by Inna Demenkova and Michael Wilmering, with cellists of the Residentie Orkest The…

Read more →