Joseph Howard is a composer working in the UK. He writes acoustic music, electronic music, and music for film and theatre.

Drama on 3

I composed orginal music for BBC Radio 3’s Drama on 3 production of Cymbeline: ‘Shakespeare's exhilarating late play of lovers under strain and leaders under pressure. Staged in an alternative present-day Britain.’ Recorded by Zak Ghazi-Torbati and Eosaph Caimbeul. Broadcast on 28th April.

BLeed

Roman Lytwyniw gave the first performance of a new work, bleed, in a recital at the Royal Northern College of Music.

an artifice of hands

This project was a concert-exhibition in collaboration with painter Gregory Howard about digital experience, hand-made reality, and the spaces in-between. With an extended work - PAINT - by me premiered by Richard Durrant (guitar), Lucía Polo Moreno (contrabass) and Hannah Shilvock (bass clarinet).

The event was held in London (Downstairs Gallery, Brixton) and Manchester (Unit 11 Studios). It was supported by the Marchus Trust.

Hey, Maudie

Hey, Maudie, a new opera performance devised by Rachel Jones, premiered at St. James’s Church, Piccadilly. With music by me, libretto by Rachel and Victoria Adukwei Bulley, soloist Gweneth Ann Rand, music director Otis Enokido-Lineham, and costume by ROKSANDA. Presented by the Roberts Institute of Art.

elliptical

It was a real privilege to write elliptical for the Jess Gillam Ensemble, and be part of such a joyous concert at the Ryedale Festival.

re // FLEX

re//FLEX is my contribution to Amy Jolly’s doctoral project of ‘Variations on a Theme by Benjamin Britten’.

Watch the video here.

Chiltern Arts Festival

As part of a project I led whilst Junior Composer-in-Association at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, The Carducci Quartet workshopped and premiered new works by a number of the students, as well as a new piece of mine: warp and weave.

Behind God’s Back

Behind God’s Back was performed at Tête à Tête Opera Festival, directed by Sophie Daneman and featuring Anna Cooper, Emily Thorner and Theodore McAlindon.

A murderous true story of flies, waltzing and arsenic, with libretto by Emma Harding, described by The Stage as ‘powerful’, with praise for its 'dramatic and musical impact’.

Photo: Claire Shovelton

So They Gave Me Opium

Andrew Watts and Gavin Roberts gave a fantastic premiere of So They Gave Me Opium at the St. Marylebone Festival.

SEVEN MERCIES

Seven Mercies, a Community Song Cycle inspired by the famous murals of Pickering Church, with a libretto by Emma Harding, was performed on 21st May as part of the Ryedale Festival. It featured mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge as soloist with Christopher Glynn at the piano, who were joined by a host of local singers, children from three local schools and young members of the Kirkbymoorside Brass Band.