Philip Venables

A short introduction video

January 23, 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 Casa da…

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My Favourite Piece is the Goldberg Variations

February 24, 2021

For the last year I have been collaborating with Ted Huffman and the accordionist Andreas Borregaard on a new piece. This has now come to fruition, and will be premiered (virtually) at the Borealis Festival in Bergen on 20th March…

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Denis & Katya wins Ivor Novello Award

December 16, 2020

I am delighted to say that I have won an Ivor Novello Award for Denis & Katya in the Stage Works category of the 2020 Ivors Composers Awards. The awards ceremony was not a public event this year, due to…

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Denis & Katya dates announced in Montpellier

November 6, 2020

Performance dates for Denis & Katya have now been announced by Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier. The opera will have three performances on May 8th, 9th and 11th in the spectacular open-air Théâtre de l’Agora. This will be the world premiere…

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Denis & Katya shortlisted for Ivor Novello Award

November 3, 2020

Denis & Katya has been shortlisted for an Ivor Novello Award in the Stage Works category of the 2020 Ivors Composers Awards. The awards ceremony will not be a public event this year, due to Covid-19, but the winning composers…

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‘A Photograph’ premieres at Oxford Lieder Festival

October 18, 2020

The outstanding contemporary music specialists, The Hermes Experiment, recently gave the world premiere of A Photograph, a new song that I wrote for them over the summer in collaboration with playwright Cordelia Lynn. The song was commissioned by Oxford Lieder…

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Reviews for MTW tour of Denis & Katya

March 15, 2020

Music Theatre Wales tour of Denis & Katya is now complete. The show went to Newport, Mold and Aberystwyth in Wales, followed by two nights at the Purcell Room in the Southbank Centre, London. Unfortunately the scheduled performance in Cardiff…

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Denis & Katya shortlisted for International Opera Award

February 22, 2020

Denis & Katya has been shortlisted for the World Premiere award at the 2020 International Opera Awards. Others shortlisted include Anthropocene by Stuart MacRae and Louise Welsh and p r i s m by Ellen Reid and Roxie Perkins. The…

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Denis & Katya UK tour announced

October 10, 2019

Music Theatre Wales has released its tour dates for Denis & Katya in 2020. The tour will be in four theatres in Wales, and two shows will be performed at the Southbank Centre in London. Unfortunately the England tour has…

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“Spellbinding” — reviews for Denis & Katya

September 30, 2019

We sent Denis & Katya out into the world on 18th September at the premiere at Suzanne Roberts Theater in Philadelphia with Opera Philadephia. Scored for just two singers, four cellos and pre-recorded sound and video, the 65-minute pseudo-verbatim opera…

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Denis & Katya wins Fedora Prize for Opera

July 1, 2019

Denis & Katya, my second opera, has been awarded the prestigious Fedora Generali Prize for Opera this year. The prize was awarded at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice at a special awards ceremony on 28th June. The prize is…

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Aix Festival Opera Creation Workshop

June 24, 2019

I’m delighted to say that I will be participating the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence Opera Creation Workshop.  This is a gathering of emerging opera makers (composers, directors, writers) from all over the world.  We will spend ten days discussing our ideas about…

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More dates for 4.48 Psychose in Dresden

June 24, 2019

 Semperoper in Dresden have announced more dates next season for their production of 4.48 Psychose.  The opera had its german premiere run in Semper Zwei in April/May this year, with sold-out performances.  The dates next season will be 7th,…

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Denis & Katya announced

June 19, 2019

My new latest music theatre piece, Denis & Katya, has been announced for its premiere production with the lead commissioner Opera Philadelphia.  The work has been conceived and written with my long-time collaborator, Ted Huffman.  It is pseudo-documentary music theatre, taking a…

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Featured composer at PLUG Festival

April 18, 2019

From 6th—10th May, I will be the featured composer at the PLUG Festival, a contemporary music festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. The PLUG Festival predominantly features the work of student composers from the conservatoire in an…

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Rave reviews for 4.48 Psychosis in NYC

January 28, 2019

4.48 Psychosis made its american premiere in New York City a few weeks ago at the Prototype Festival. The exceptional cast, orchestra and crew gave six performances of the Royal Opera production (directed by Ted Huffman) over eight days in…

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Residency at Watermill Center, NY

September 12, 2018

I have been awarded a month-long residency at the Watermill Center in the Hamptons, NY, in January 2019.  I will take up the residency with Ted Huffman, and together we will spend the month working on our new opera, Denis &…

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American debut of 4.48 Psychosis in NYC

September 12, 2018

The Royal Opera production of 4.48 Psychosis will make its american debut in New York City on 5th January 2019, headlining the Prototype Festival.  Prototype is North America’s largest promoter of new opera and music theatre, and their January showcase festival…

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Riot Ensemble plays Illusions and Numbers 91–95

September 3, 2018

The Riot Ensemble is performing two pieces of mine, Illusions and Numbers 91–95, at Kings Place on Monday 17th September as part of the new ‘Luminate’ series.  It’s a semi-portrait concerto, with other composers Sarah Nemtsov, Lee Hyla and Helga Arias Parra also featured….

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Successful premiere for ‘Venables plays Bartók’ at the BBC Proms

September 3, 2018

Venables plays Bartók, my new violin concerto written for Pekka Kuusisto, received a warm response at its premiere at the BBC Proms on Friday 17th August, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo.  A huge thanks to Pekka, Sakari, the…

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‘Venables plays Bartók’ for BBC Proms

May 4, 2018

The BBC Proms announced their 2018 Festival a few weeks ago, including a new violin concerto that I’m writing for Pekka Kuusisto and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.  The piece will be performed in the Proms on 17th August 2018, conducted…

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Semperoper announces 4.48 Psychose

March 8, 2018

4.48 Psychose will gets its premiere at Dresden’s Semperoper Zwei next year.  This will be a new version of 4.48 Psychosis in German, based on the official translation of Sarah Kane’s play by Durs Grünbein.  The premiere will take place…

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Below The Belt

February 6, 2018

My debut album, Below the Belt, is now available for pre-ordering via NMC here. The disc will be launched on 16th March 2018.  The works on the disc are: The Revenge of Miguel Cotto, Klaviertrio im Geiste, Numbers 76–80, Numbers…

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British Composer Award for 4.48 Psychosis

December 8, 2017

On Wednesday night, I won the British Composer Award for Best Stage Work, for 4.48 Psychosis.  The awards, organised by BASCA and supported by the PRS for Music Foundation and BBC Radio 3, were held at the British Museum.  Other…

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London dates announced for 4.48 Psychosis

October 25, 2017

Dates for revival performances of 4.48 Psychosis have been announced by the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and the Royal Opera.  The production, which premiered in 2016 at the Lyric Theatre, co-produced by the Royal Opera and the Guildhall School of Music…

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The Gender Agenda reopening the Queen Elizabeth Hall

August 1, 2017

I’ll be writing a big audience-interactive piece for four european ensembles: The London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, Remix Ensemble and Asko Schoenberg.  This will premiere in London, Frankfurt, Porto and Amsterdam through 2018, beginning with the reopening of the Queen Elizabeth Hall…

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Laura sings Olkahoma! at Manchester Opera Project

July 20, 2017

My ongoing collaboration with performer and composer Laura Bowler and director Patrick Eakin Young is being shown as a ‘work in progress’ at Manchester Opera Project on 27th July at Halle St Peter’s in Manchester.  This project has been developed…

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Installation on Canal Street in Manchester International Festival

July 20, 2017

My collaboration with David Hoyle for Manchester International Festival played every hour of every day on Canal Street through the whole of MIF 2017 – a total of 204 plays!  It was recorded with the brass of Manchester Camerata and…

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Illusions at Hull City of Culture and Royal Festival Hall

July 20, 2017

Illusions, my collaboration with performance artist David Hoyle, was premiered in its new extended version at Hull 2017 City of Culture on 2nd July as part of the PRS Foundation New Music Biennial.  The following week it was performed at…

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South Bank Sky Arts Award nomination

June 12, 2017

4.48 Psychosis has been shortlisted for the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Best Opera 2017.  The awards ceremony is on 9th July at the Savoy Hotel in London, and covers all art forms from opera, dance, classical music, theatre, literature,…

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RPS Composition Award for 4.48 Psychosis

May 23, 2017

I’m delighted to announce that I won the Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for Large Scale Composition for 4.48 Psychosis.  The award ceremony took place at The Brewery Hotel in London, and was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.  The award was one of…

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