We’re excited to partner with Classical Music for the Composer Spotlights series—a new collaboration highlighting the most innovative and diverse voices shaping classical music today. This series celebrates the exceptional composers who have been part of our programmes, showcasing their artistry and creative journeys.
Kicking off the series, British-Japanese composer, pianist, and producer Ben Nobuto offers his insights on music and career development. A participant in New Voices 2021, Ben received vital support and mentorship, helping to shape his distinctive artistic path.
With a style described as ‘postmodern’ (Nonclassical), ‘utterly contemporary’ (Manchester Collective) and ‘sonically dazzling’ (RPS Awards), Ben Nobuto’s music explores themes of attention and fragmentation, drawing from internet culture and popular idioms in a playful, ironic and surreal manner.
Often combining acoustic with electronic sounds, his interest lies in how processes from one can be applied to the other, and the relationship between the ‘human’ and ‘non-human’ in the context of a live performance. He is currently working towards a debut album, with the support of Sound and Music’s New Voices programme, which is set to release in 2025.
Since Sound and Music, Ben’s career milestones include composing for the Manchester Collective and premiering works at significant events like having his piece, ‘Hallelujah Sim.‘, performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, BBC Singers and Elim Chan on the first night of the BBC Proms. His music has featured on BBC Radio 3 and 6, Times Radio and Resonance FM and has released on NMC Recordings and Nonclassical.
He was recently awarded an Ivors Classical Award for his choral work ‘Sol‘ and a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for ‘SERENITY 2.0‘. As a pianist, he often performs his own work, combining a genre-fluid style of piano-playing with electronics, as in his performance at UK New Artists’ Leicester Takeover Festival in early 2022.
His involvement with Sound and Music’s New Voices scheme was instrumental in helping him develop his debut album, providing valuable funding and mentorship.
“I was on Sound and Music’s New Voices scheme in 2021, which gave me funding and support to help me realise my debut album, a big project I’ve been working on for a while now and hoping to finish in the next year or so. The funding allowed me to pay for studio time, engineers and musicians.
The scheme also offered sessions with mentors – composers I’d chosen for creative advice – and a coach who acted as a kind of creative counsellor for me. This kind of holistic support was all new to me and really valuable and eye-opening.
Even now, Sound and Music continue to support me and show interest in what I’m doing which is really lovely, and I’ve stayed in touch with people from the scheme.”
— Ben Nobuto (Classical Music, 2025)
To read the full Composer Spotlight featuring Ben Nobuto, register for free on Classical Music Magazine‘s website.
About Classical Music
Classical Music is the only dedicated magazine and website for the Classical Music industry in the UK, with features, news and reviews for performers, agents, managers, promoters along with anyone with an interest in the music world.
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We are the UK’s national charity for new music and are proud to have supported Ben, whose journey highlights the impact of artist development programmes like New Voices and In Motion. These programmes empower composers to explore and share their unique voices with the world.
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