University Music graduate signs with Faber Music

03 Oct 2014

Young composer celebrates prestigious appointment

A young composer and University graduate has signed a new publishing agreement as a House composer with one of the leading independent British publishers of classical, contemporary, media, and printed pop and educational music.

Faber Music announced the new publishing agreement with Tom Coult, a young composer who, though only twenty-five years of age, has already been championed by many of the UK’s major orchestras and ensembles.

Tom is described as being mature, finessed and displaying an inventive and forward-looking musical mind. His music is characterised by iridescent timbres, glistening harmonies and clear, articulate gestures.

He completed his BMus in Music at the University in 2010, graduating with first-class honours and receiving the University’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, as well as prizes for Composition, Analysis and Aesthetics. Tom also went on to complete his Masters in Musical Composition at the University in 2011, under the supervision of Professor Philip Grange and Dr Camden Reeves, graduating with distinction and receiving the Humanities Faculty award for Distinguished Academic Achievement.

Tom says about his time at Manchester: “Manchester was absolutely crucial to my development as a composer – I received inspiring and meticulous tuition on my pieces, was part of a rewarding community of composers, and benefitted from the University’s admirable emphasis on giving performance opportunities for composers.”

Since leaving the University, Tom’s music has been championed by many of the UK’s major orchestras and ensembles. His piece, Codex (Homage to Serafini) was premièred by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2013.

He won the Royal Philharmonic Society Prize (the UK’s major Prize for Composition) the same year, resulting in the première of his Four Perpetual Motions by the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. Antic Rounds was premièred at the Bangor New Music Festival in 2014 and he is currently working on a commission for the London Sinfonietta. Tom is currently completing his PhD at King’s College London under the supervision of George Benjamin.

Dr Camden Reeves, Head of Music at the University, said: “I think Tom must count as one of the most talented students we’ve ever had in the Music Department at Manchester. He was just good at everything he turned his hand to, from composition and analysis to aesthetics and ethnomusicology. He took full benefit of all the resources the University provided and was a great inspiration to the students around him. We always knew he was destined for great things, but to achieve a house contract, as a composer, with a major publishing house at the age of 25 is just astonishing.”