LIFT OFF! Royal Academy of Music 200 Pieces Launch

As part of its Bicentenary celebrations, the Royal Academy of Music has just published the 200 new works they commissioned for solo instrument / voice…and my piece I Am More Than is one of them!

I had the honour of writing for the amazing flautist Sofiia Matviienko. When Sofiia and I met in January 2022, she spoke of how she had eluded the presumptions and expectations of many in her immediate rural community when becoming a musician. Through her flute playing, she found a distinct voice and direction, combining her heart for home with reaching past what had automatically been imagined for her. I wanted to write something as a means to purely express, to take up space, to venture. I wanted to write something as simple and as beautiful as I could.

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. On that day, my purpose in writing this piece became an expression of love, pain, and solidarity with Sofiia and Ukraine. It was an honour to write for her for all kinds of reasons.

The recordings and scores are now available; have a prod around the online treasure trove!

https://www.ram.ac.uk/multimedia/i-am-more-than