NEWS
April 22, 2025
The London Philharmonic Orchestra will perform my new piece "Exoplanets" in their 2025/26 season announced today. This 25 minute piece, commissioned by the LPO and Basel Interfinity Festival, takes inspiration from distant planets discovered by my scientific collaborators using the James Webb Space Telescope, and explores cosmic timescales, imagined alien music and our own planet through orchestral experimentation. 29 November, 2025:
https://lpo.org.uk/event/sheku-kanneh-mason-plays-bloch/
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March 11, 2025
Happy to announce “TECHNO-UTOPIA”, my new concerto for Zubin Kanga commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. TECHNO-UTOPIA explores memory, magic, ruthless algorithms, and what makes music more than just data. Zubin will be performing on piano, synths, and new intelligent instruments which navigate orchestral archives. It will be premiered on July 11 in Manchester with Jack Sheen, and receive its German premiere in 2026.
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January 4, 2025
A recording of the premiere. of piece 'content', music about the Internet for saxophonist David Zucchi and electronics is now available to watch on YouTube. Click here to see it
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December 12, 2024
Today I was made an Associate of the Royal Northern College of Music (ARNCM) at a ceremony at the college. After completing my PhD at the RNCM in 2022, I have continued to work very closely with the college and those I met while there, so I am honoured and delighted to be once again officially affiliated.
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September 06, 2024
I'm really pleased to begin working with Hennessey Brown Music, who will be representing my compositional work going forward. It's lovely to be working with the team at HBM on some very exciting future projects, and to be on a roster alongside a fantastic range of composers, conductors, and performers.
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https://www.hennesseybrownmusic.com/classical-musicians/robert-laidlow-composer
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May 7, 2024
"Soul", the last movement of my piece Silicon for the BBC Philharmonic, has been selected for the 2025 ISCM British Section shortlist. Click here for more info and to see the other shortlisted composers.
May 4, 2024
I've joined Music Patron, a new platform connecting patrons and composers. I'm excited to use it as a space to experiment, share behind-the-scenes of my work, and more. If you'd like to support my work on Music Patron, I'll be delighted to have you on-board. Patrons receive behind-the-scenes updates, free entry to selected concerts and rehearsals, and the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting an artist in these difficult times.
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February 4, 2024
My piece Tui for International Contemporary Ensemble will be performed on May 16 at Roulette in New York City. This is a piece that brings together lots of things I've been thinking about for the last few years, and I'm looking forward to finishing it. The programme is put together by PRiSM Director Emily Howard and ICE Artistic Director George Lewis. More details here
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October 10, 2023
A live recording of Post-Singularity Songs, which I wrote for soprano Stephanie Lamprea has been released. Click here to view it. This piece has been performed three times over the summer, in Southampton, London, and Glasgow.
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September 18, 2023
Silicon was performed today by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conducted by David Brophy. The performance was recorded for an upcoming TV broadcast.
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June 11, 2023
My work has been featured in the New York Times as part of an article on composers using technology in the concert hall. Click here to read
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May 8, 2023
My piece "Post-Singularity Songs" will be previewed in Southampton, Turner Sims, at 1PM on July 17th and in London, Kings Place, at 8PM on July 19th ahead of its full premiere at Glasgow Cathedral Festival later this year.
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April 22, 2023
Double radio feature for Silicon today as it was broadcast in full on BBC Radio 3's New Music Show, and also featured in BBC Radio 3's Music Matters programme, alongside an interview with me. You can hear the Music Matters show here.​
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November 25, 2022
I passed my PhD Viva today, where I was examined on my portfolio of compositions and thesis created during my PhD at RNCM PRiSM. My examiners were the composers Professor George E. Lewis (Columbia University) and Professor Larry Goves (Royal Northern College of Music). My thesis title was "Artificial Intelligence in the Creative Process of Contemporary Classical Music" and you can download it here.
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November 4, 2022
My piece 'Silicon' was featured in the New Scientist. Click here to see the article and video they made on it, in addition to interviews with Emily Howard and myself.
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November 2, 2022
My piece 'Silicon' was featured in Bachtrack, as part of an article on its conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni. Click here.
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October 25, 2022
My piece 'Silicon' was featured in PRS M Magazine, as part of a special on RNCM PRiSM. Click here.
June 24, 2022
My piece 'Warp' has been awarded the 2022 Ivan Juritz Prize, administered by Kings College London. For more information and to see the shortlist, click here for the Ivan Juritz website.
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May 23, 2022
I am very happy to have been offered a Career Development Fellowship in Composition at Jesus College, Oxford. In this role, which lasts 3 years, I will be continuing my compositional research using advanced technology, and I will also be teaching Composition and related subjects.
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May 16, 2022
The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra have announced their 2022/23 season, which includes the premiere of my piece Silicon for orchestra and artificial intelligence. They will perform it on October 29th, 2022, and tickets can be booked by clicking here.
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March 10, 2022
'Phoenix' studio recording released
The studio recording of my piece 'Phoenix' for percussionist (drum kit and sample pads) is now available to listen to. This piece is performed here by the brilliant Matthew Brett and was one of the Royal Academy of Music's Bicentennial commissions. Click here to listen
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January 4, 2022
'Gravity' studio recording released
The studio recording of my string quartet 'Gravity', recorded by the Echea Quartet, is now available to watch on YouTube. Click here to view
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November 12, 2021
Programme for BBC Philharmonic & BBC Radio 3 now available
The Afternoon Concert I curated for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is now available to be listened to for 30 days. It includes 2 new pieces of mine (Warp and Spheres) and work by Missy Mazzoli, Emily Howard, William Herschel and Benjamin Britten. It begins at 31 minutes into this broadcast
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0011d1b
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October 7, 2021
Curating programme for BBC Philharmonic & BBC Radio 3
The BBC Philharmonic has asked me to curate their Afternoon Concert programme on 11th November, 14:30. I've had a wonderful time doing this, and the programme includes a new piece by me for soloist Joseph Havlat and orchestra, alongside an arrangement of my string quartet "Gravity" and music by Emily Howard, Missy Mazzoli, William Herschel and Benjamin Britten. More details here.
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July 26, 2021
RLPO Programmes 'Chromodynamics'
After a very long COVID-related delay, I'm very pleased that my Royal Philharmonic Society commission 'Chromodynamics' in being premiered by Ensemble 10/10 of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on 6th October. More info and tickets here.
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May 21, 2021
Livestream premiere of 'Phoenix'
My piece 'Phoenix' for drum kit and electronics, commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music, has received its livestreamed premiere. You can watch it through this link, performed by Matthew Brett
https://youtu.be/TeOTR2JZ4hE?t=2460
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March 11, 2021
Commission for the Echea Quartet
I've been commissioned for a new string quartet by the Echea Quartet, kindly supported by the RVW Trust and the Nicholas Boas Trust. The new work will be premiered in summer 2021. I've worked with the Echeas several times in the past on my piece Aroha and my Piano Quintet, so I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to write a new work specifically for them.
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Feb 15, 2021
New recording published
I'm very pleased to have worked with Bandwidth Ensemble, an ensemble formed during lockdown to perform music live over the internet, on a new piece for tenor and ensemble. The piece is titled "The Writer" and sets text generated by AI, created as part of the ongoing "Sound of Contagion" research project. Listen to the recording here.
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November 03, 2020
Nominated for Ivors Composer Awards
I'm very happy to announce that my string quartet Aroha has been nominated for the 2020 Ivor Composer Awards in the Small Chamber category. Aroha was written for the Elias Quartet and was premiered at the Wigmore Hall in May 2019. The winners will be announced on December 1st during a Radio 3 Awards Ceremony. More information and the other nominees here.
October 07, 2020
Mailing List Launched
I've launched a mailing list for those interested in keeping up to date with my work. I'll be emailing a few times a year with a round-up of recent news and performances and information on events coming up, as well as whenever something interesting is happening that I'd like you to know about. You can click here to sign up.
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September 24, 2020
Article published by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The OAE commissioned me to write an article on the value of digital art, as part of their launch of this season's digital concerts on their website. The article has now been published; click here to read it.
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September 4, 2020
Writing new work for Psappha's 'Composing For'
I will be writing a new work for violin and cimbalom as part of Manchester-based Psappha ensemble's 'Composing For' sceheme. This programme culminates in a video recording of the new work in 2021.
June 15, 2020
Presenting ‘Generating the Future’
I have presented an hour-long online recital and research discussion around my work with artificial intelligence, the BBC Philharmonic and soprano Vanessa Guinadi. This forms part of the RNCM’s ‘Future Music #2’ festival and can be watched here.
May 19, 2020
New recording of Miniature for solo violin
Violinist Emily Earl has recorded and broadcast ‘Miniature’ as part of a livestreamed recital. It can be heard here.
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May 15, 2020
Article ‘Inventing the Lovelace Engine’ published
An article on the Lovelace Engine, written by myself and engineer Jonathan Morris, has been published on the PRiSM website. It can be read here.
May 12, 2020
Alter shortlisted for Ivan Juritz Prize 2020
Alter, for mezzo-soprano and ensemble, has been shortlisted for the 2020 Ivan Juritz Prize, run by Kings College London.
May 05, 2020
Part of Liverpool Philharmonic 2019/20 season
The RLPO’s season, just announced, includes my new work ‘Chromodynamics’ to be premiered on October 22nd. This piece was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society.
April 19, 2020
New piece for piano published
A new work for piano, ‘Orion’, has been published as part of the ‘Twenty Piano’ project. This collection includes twenty short new works for piano, intended to be applicable for pianists of all abilities. The collection can be downloaded here.
February 06, 2020
Presenting BBC Philharmonic's "Journey Through Music"
I will present a 45-minute workshop at the Bridgewater Hall alongside members of the BBC Philharmonic as part of the orchestra's Journey Through Music programme. During the event, three works will be performed, including two short new pieces written for the occasion.
December 28, 2019
Turing Test//Prelude broadcast on BBC Four
My work Turing Test//Prelude was performed by Chineke! Orchestra and broadcast on BBC Four as part of the Royal Institution's Christmas Lecture series.
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November 26, 2019
Winner of Philip Bates Prize 2019
My work for string quartet, Aroha, has been selected as a winner of the 2019 Philip Bates Prize. This work was premiered at the Wigmore Hall in May 2019, and was performed at this Prize concert at the Birmingham Conservatoire by the Echea Quartet.
July 26, 2019
Commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society
I have been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society for a new work in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's 2019/20 season. This commission is part of 'RPS Composers', previously known as the RPS Composition Prize, and is supported by Schott Music and ABRSM. For more details, click here.
June 22, 2019
Interviewed on BBC Radio 3 'Music Matters'
I have been interviewed by Tom Service for the programme Music Matters on BBC Radio 3. This special edition focusses on AI and Music, and features extracts from my work 'Three Entistatios for Chamber Ensemble', written for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The programme can be heard here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00066lv
May 20, 2019
'Aroha' featured on Radio 3
My string quartet 'Aroha' will be featured on Radio 3's In Tune programme on Wednesday 22nd May. The Elias Quartet will be live in the studio, performing it amongst other pieces in advance of its world premiere at Wigmore Hall on May 23rd.
May 13, 2019
Awarded Artist-in-Residency at Aldeburgh
I have been awarded an Artist-in-Residency, supported by Wild Plum Arts and the Britten-Pears Foundation, at Aldeburgh during August 2019. This residency will be used to work on a new orchestral work for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. For more information on "Made at the Red House", click here.
April 15, 2019
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra perform Three Entistatios
In the first performance of my music composed using artificial intelligence-based tools, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Three Entistatios for Chamber Ensemble at the University of Salford's Research Festival at the BBC's MediaCity Studio on July 2nd. An "Entistatio" is a word invented and defined by artificial intelligence trained on the English dictionary. It means "a short piece of music or metal".
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March 04, 2019
Elias Quartet to premiere string quartet at Wigmore Hall
The Elias Quartet will perform the world premiere of Robert's Aroha at Wigmore Hall on May 23rd. Robert's work was selected to be performed at this concert alongside Schumann's 3rd quartet after winning the RNCM/Elias Quartet Composition Prize in February. Tickets are available from Wigmore Hall's website.
February 21, 2019
Commissioned by the Barbican Centre
Robert has been commissioned by the Barbican Centre as part of the 2019/2020 season Life Rewired for a new work in collaboration with the PRiSM team. The work will be performed by the Britten Sinfonia on November 2nd as part of an evening inspired by Ada Lovelace, curated by composer Emily Howard.
February 11, 2019
Work selected for Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Composers Day 2019
Robert's orchestral work DUNE has been selected as one of six orchestral scores to be workshopped by the BSO and composer Sally Beamish at the BSO's 2019 Composers Day. For more information, click here.
November 01, 2018
Robert nominated for the British Composer Awards 2018
Robert has been nominated for the 2018 British Composer Awards for his work Lines between under the Small Chamber Ensemble category. The awards ceremony will take place at the British Museum on 4th December, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 9th December. For more details and to see the other nominees, click here.
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October 04, 2018
'Lines between' selected as a winner of Abundant Silence Competition
'Lines between' for clarinet, cello and piano has been selected as a winner of the Abundant Silence Composition Competition. It will receive its US premiere during the 2019/2020 season as a result.
September 22, 2018
Selected to write for Southampton Concert Wind Band as part of 'Adopt a Composer'
Robert has been selected as a member of 'Adopt a Composer' 2018-2019. He will be writing a new work for Southampton Concert Wind Band, to be premiered in May 2019. The work will be recorded by BBC Radio 3, and this programme is supported by PRS Foundation and Sound and Music.
August 06, 2018
Robert to begin PhD with the RNCM and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Beginning in September 2018, Robert will be studying for a PhD at the Royal Northern College of Music in association with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The PhD project will develop compositional techniques using Artificial Intelligence processes and will last three years. He will be working with the PRiSM (RNCM Centre for Practice & Research in Science and Music) team, primarily supervised by Professor Emily Howard , Professor Marcus du Sautoy (University of Oxford), Professor David De Roure (Oxford e-Research Centre) and Simon Webb (BBC Philharmonic).The PhD is funded by the National Productivity Investment Fund as part of the AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership. For more information, click here.
June 06, 2018
Awarded Alan Bush Prize for composition
Robert's piece "Lines between" has been awarded the Alan Bush Prize for composition from the Royal Academy of Music. This piece was written for the Tritium Trio, and they can be heard performing it here:
https://soundcloud.com/roblaidlow/lines-between
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May 22, 2018
Psappha record 'Invisible Horizon'
Invisible Horizon for solo horn was recorded on Tuesday 22nd of May by Andrew Budden, for whom it was written. This piece will be released by Psappha on their website and video channels and was edited and produced by Tim Williams.
January 22, 2018
PRS 'Accelerate'
Robert has been selected along with seven other composers to take part in PRS' inaugural 'Accelerate' development scheme.
He will be writing a new work for the Berkeley Ensemble which will be first performed in November 2018.
January 15, 2018
Commissioned by Fabio Zanon
Robert has been commissioned by international guitarist Fabio Zanon for a new work for solo guitar or guitar and cello duo. The new work will be written in late 2018/early 2019.
December 15, 2017
Winterscape to be recorded at the University of Surrey
The Ancient and Modern Ensemble, part of the London Consorts of Winds, will be making a professional recording of Robert's piece Winterscape, commissioned by the ensemble and first performed at Herne Hill Winter Festival 2017.
November 21, 2017
New piece for Katherine Clarke
Robert is to work with violist Katherine Clarke on a new work for solo viola to be premiered in 2018.
September 22, 2017
'Recreator' premiered in the USA
The premiere of 'Recreator' for violin and cello at the Doors Open architectural festival Milwaukee, commissioned by ACM, marks the first time Robert's music has been performed in the USA. Click here to view a live recording of the performance.
August 17, 2017
Psappha 'Composing for French Horn'
Robert has been given a place on new music ensemble Psappha's 'Composing for French Horn' scheme. He will work closely with horn player Andrew Budden over several months, resulting in a video recording in March 2018.
August 14, 2017
Commissioned by Access Contemporary Music Chicago
Robert has been commissioned by Access Contemporary Music Chicago for a new work in the Doors Open Milwaukee architectural festival. The duet for violin and cello will be performed in the Clock Shadow Building on September 22nd.
August 01, 2017
Commissioned by Campos do Jordao Music Festival
As a result of his participation in the 2017 Campos do Jordao Festival as a Composition Fellow, Robert has been awarded a chamber commission for the 2018 festival. This work will be performed in Sao Paulo and Campos do Jordao in July 2018.