Artist of the Week
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Artist: Sophie Sully
Artform: Composer What do you do and what are your main focuses? I'm a composer and bass player and I write contemporary classical music with focusses on collaboration with artists, writers and dancers and using traditional folk music and fairytales as inspiration. Where have you studied? I did my undergraduate Music degree and masters Composition degree at the University of Manchester. |
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Please tell us a bit about your composition Ythsie.
This piece was composed a few years ago as part of Psappha's 'Composing for ...' scheme, where the ensemble pair you with a musician and you get to learn how to write for the instrument and workshop your pieces before filming them at the end. It was a great experience and I learnt a lot about writing for string instruments. It was the first piece that I wrote where I really embraced my love of folk music. It inspired every aspect of the piece, from the structure to the melodic ideas. I feel like my music changed after writing this piece, it gave me the confidence to really write what I wanted to write. |
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Why do you compose?
Because I get to express myself and work on really cool and exciting projects with other artists. Collaboration is my favourite part of the job, bouncing ideas off each other and working together. Whether that be with other musicians, writers, dancers, choreographers or directors, I love being inspired by working with people!
What and/or who are you influenced by?
I love folk music and fairytales and they play a big part in my compositions. I'm also a big fan of soviet music (probably because of their love of folk music and fairytales!) and I find myself influenced a lot by the rhythmic patterns of Stravinsky and the orchestration of Shostakovich.
What is your favourite instrument to write for and why?
I love writing for the voice, as it means I can often work with text and writers. I love combing music and text and the voice is such a versatile and interesting instrument to write for, and I find it so personal working with singers.
What is the most exciting/interesting thing you've done to date?
My favourite project was the first piece I ever wrote for theatre. It was for a play by my friend Georgia Affonso, and it was the first of many projects we have worked on together. I discovered that my thematic and atmospheric writing is very much suited to a theatrical environment, and it inspired me to collaborate with lots of other writers and directors in the future.
Because I get to express myself and work on really cool and exciting projects with other artists. Collaboration is my favourite part of the job, bouncing ideas off each other and working together. Whether that be with other musicians, writers, dancers, choreographers or directors, I love being inspired by working with people!
What and/or who are you influenced by?
I love folk music and fairytales and they play a big part in my compositions. I'm also a big fan of soviet music (probably because of their love of folk music and fairytales!) and I find myself influenced a lot by the rhythmic patterns of Stravinsky and the orchestration of Shostakovich.
What is your favourite instrument to write for and why?
I love writing for the voice, as it means I can often work with text and writers. I love combing music and text and the voice is such a versatile and interesting instrument to write for, and I find it so personal working with singers.
What is the most exciting/interesting thing you've done to date?
My favourite project was the first piece I ever wrote for theatre. It was for a play by my friend Georgia Affonso, and it was the first of many projects we have worked on together. I discovered that my thematic and atmospheric writing is very much suited to a theatrical environment, and it inspired me to collaborate with lots of other writers and directors in the future.
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What challenges have you set for yourself?
I'm writing a lot at the moment for theatre/dance/spoken word in the form of collaborative projects and recently I've decided that I want to challenge myself to write some more purely instrumental music so that's what my next solo project will be. I've found myself structuring my work around the play or story I'm writing for, and I think it would be good for me to challenge myself to write something where the structure isn't set out for me. |
What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a composer?
Just to write what you want! Never let anyone tell you that they style of music you write is wrong, or not what people want to hear. You can learn to develop your composition skills, like orchestration, or how you develop an idea through a piece, or how to structure or pace a piece, but technique is not the same as creativity. Creativity is coming up with the ideas and technique is developing them. You can change and hone your technique, but never let anyone tell you to change your creativity. That's where your individuality as a composer comes from.
Anything interesting coming up soon?
Yes! On the 17th Nov, my newest piece is being premiered by No Dice Collective at LEAF (www.facebook.com/events/711583779035969/). It's a solo cello piece to accompany a new spoken word poem by Georgia Affonso, who I've worked with before on plays and song cycles, including 'Stick, Stock, Stone Dead'. I'm also awaiting a video recording of my Operetta, 'Dora', with a libretto by Georgia Affonso and a performance by Manchester Contemporary Youth Opera and Vonnegut Collective. I've also been asked to write a new piece for Collective31 for release next year which I am very excited about!
To hear more of Sophie's work, visit: https://soundcloud.com/sophiesullycomposer
Just to write what you want! Never let anyone tell you that they style of music you write is wrong, or not what people want to hear. You can learn to develop your composition skills, like orchestration, or how you develop an idea through a piece, or how to structure or pace a piece, but technique is not the same as creativity. Creativity is coming up with the ideas and technique is developing them. You can change and hone your technique, but never let anyone tell you to change your creativity. That's where your individuality as a composer comes from.
Anything interesting coming up soon?
Yes! On the 17th Nov, my newest piece is being premiered by No Dice Collective at LEAF (www.facebook.com/events/711583779035969/). It's a solo cello piece to accompany a new spoken word poem by Georgia Affonso, who I've worked with before on plays and song cycles, including 'Stick, Stock, Stone Dead'. I'm also awaiting a video recording of my Operetta, 'Dora', with a libretto by Georgia Affonso and a performance by Manchester Contemporary Youth Opera and Vonnegut Collective. I've also been asked to write a new piece for Collective31 for release next year which I am very excited about!
To hear more of Sophie's work, visit: https://soundcloud.com/sophiesullycomposer
