The Seed Award is a targeted package of support, including coaching sessions and a small bursary to enable artists to research and develop a particular project or take the next step in their creative journey.

In this Q&A, we speak to Seed Award 2025 winner Delyth Field, a Japanese-Welsh composer whose work spans concert music, film scoring, electronic music, and audiovisual media. Her practice explores the concept of authenticity, and how digital tools challenge our understanding of originality, human expression, and the boundary between organic and synthetic sound.

Has your background, identity or environment influenced your sound or practice in any particular ways?

Growing up in Japan has deeply shaped my musical language, drawing from both its ancient traditions and modern innovations. I’ve long been inspired by gagaku, the traditional court music, especially the shō — an instrument I loved as a child — which continues to influence the harmonic and textural world of my compositions.

At the same time, Japan’s contemporary media culture, including Vocaloid and the country’s influential electronic pop scene, has played a key role in shaping my approach to sound design and digital tools.

What’s a piece of advice you’ve received that’s stuck with you?

I often overthink whether the audience might get bored, which sometimes leads me to rush through ideas or introduce too many concepts too quickly, without fully developing them. My teacher once told me not to “people-please” in my composing — advice that resonated deeply, as it connected with some of my own personality traits. 

They encouraged me to “allow yourself to be a bit more selfish,” which really helped me gain confidence in my ideas and focus more on how I want to shape and structure my music.

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Before accepting my offer from the Royal College, I also had offers to study computer science, which I am still interested in pursuing in ways related to music. I’m hoping to go back into a master’s in creative computing.

Is there a medium or format you haven’t yet explored but would like to?

I’m eager to explore the world of live-coding music, where artists create sound and visuals in real time through code. It’s a fascinating intersection of composition, performance, and technology — offering a unique, improvisatory space to reimagine how music can be made and experienced live.