Our Associate Professor in Music Composition, Dr Nathan James Dearden, has been invited to undertake an artist residency at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia this August, supported by Royal Holloway, University of London, Wales Arts International, and Arts Council of Wales.
Arvo Pärt Centre, Laulasmaa, Estonia
Set within the peaceful pine forests of Laulasmaa on Estonia's Baltic coast, the Arvo Pärt Centre is dedicated to the life and work of one of the world's most influential living composers. Alongside preserving the composer's archive, the Centre welcomes artists and researchers from around the world, offering an environment that encourages reflection, experimentation, and creative development.
During the two-week residency, Dr Dearden will begin work on an ambitious new large-scale composition that reimagines the Passion tradition for the twenty-first century. The project will explore themes of sacrifice, identity, memory, and post-industrial heritage, bringing together composition, immersive technologies, and contemporary approaches to musical storytelling.
Speaking about the opportunity, Dr Dearden said:
"I'm deeply grateful to the Arvo Pärt Centre for this invitation, and to Royal Holloway, Wales Arts International, and Arts Council of Wales for making the residency possible. Time and space to think, read, listen, and create are among the greatest gifts a composer can receive. The Centre's unique setting, and the opportunity to engage with Arvo Pärt's extraordinary creative legacy, provides the perfect environment in which to begin shaping this new work."
The residency marks the first stage of a wider programme of artistic research that will continue over the coming year, bringing together collaborators from across music, immersive technologies, and performance to develop new approaches to composition and audience experience.
About Nathan James Dearden
Nathan James Dearden is an award-winning Welsh composer, conductor, and educator. His music has been performed internationally by leading ensembles including the BBC Singers, Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He is Associate Professor in Music Composition and Director of the Choral Academy at Royal Holloway, University of London, where his research explores composition, immersive technologies, and new approaches to musical storytelling. In 2024, he was awarded the Composer's Medal (Tlws y Cyfansoddwr) at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Read more.
