Academy researchers receive RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grant 2025

Composer Professor David Gorton (Senior Postgraduate Tutor and Associate Head of Research) and flautist Dr Carla Rees (Professor of Low Flutes and Contemporary Flute) will work collaboratively on a new substantial piece, with support from the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Thea Musgrave Fund.

The RPS Thea Musgrave Composition Grant promotes dedicated time for close interaction between composers and performers throughout the creative process.

David and Carla will develop a new 20-minute piece for solo alto flute across a series of recorded workshops, using substantial collaborative time to develop and refine ideas. Of particular interest is the development of a microtonal language using the quartertones afforded by the Kingma System instrument, and the embedding and distortion of early-music references within this language.

The new piece will be premiered in 2026/27 alongside Musgrave's Narcissus for solo flute and electronics.