Rachel Beckles Willson

  • Composition
  • Playing
    • Oud
    • Piano
    • Voice
    • Saxophones
  • Writing
  • Education
  • Archive
  • About
  • News

News

Compositions

Migrant Voices and “Soap of My Heart”

I was fortunate to have an artist residency to develop music within Olympias Music Foundation’s Migrant Voices project. The spontaneously-formed band in which I co-created music was called “Soap of My Heart”. Migrant Voices was the premiere performance of 4 Read more…

By rachel, 2 weeks2 weeks ago
Compositions

No Sacred Place

 Rachel Beckles Willson · No Sacred Place I was asked to write a piece exploring the idea of place, in sound. In response, I examined how a place is not only as a physical location, but also a trigger Read more…

By rachel, 3 months2 weeks ago
Compositions

Manchester Art Gallery sound work

Following the bombing of the Manchester Arena in 2017, people of Manchester gathered tributes in an enormous spontaneous memorial, which was subsequently collected and stored by the Manchester Art Gallery. Now known as the ‘Manchester Together Archive’, this collection serves Read more…

By rachel, 9 months3 months ago
Compositions

New Mixed-Media Work! “Fundamentals of the New Normal”

I composed this mixed-media work for bassist James Banner. It responds to the radical uncertainty of life during a pandemic, particularly as it has hit musicians. In the first part, ‘Playing on, nevertheless’, I explored fragmentation and playful resilience: a Read more…

By rachel, 10 months8 months ago
Oud lessons London
Education

Oud lessons in Manchester

Are you interested in learning oud? I teach Arabic, Persian and Turkish traditions as part of my affilliation with the Royal Northern College of Music, where I am Honorary Research Professor. Feel free to get in touch and arrange a Read more…

By rachel, 10 months ago
Compositions

New work! Unwept Tears

What happens to our secrets? What happens to our hidden stories? Eventually they find their way out. Unwept Tears began as a story and became a piece of music before turning into a film. Text and music by Rachel Beckles Read more…

By rachel, 1 year6 months ago
Events

Kronberg Academy Guest Seminar

I am honoured to have been invited to join Kirill Gerstein in the distinguished online forum for leading thinkers hosted by Kronberg Academy on 20 May, 5pm BST (6pm CET). “Sound journeys with the oriental lute”. What can Europeans learn Read more…

By rachel, 1 year1 year ago
info

connective tissue

a playfully serious mixed-media collaboration

By rachel, 1 year6 months ago
info

Winning the Frances Densmore Prize

I am thrilled to have won the Frances Densmore Prize for my article “Orientation through Instruments: The ʿūd, the Palestinian Home, and Kamīlyā Jubrān” in the world of music (new series), vol. 8, no. 1, 2019.  This prize is awarded Read more…

By rachel, 1 year1 year ago
Education

Collaborative Sonic Art Workshop at Connect

I will be leading another workshop in Collaborative Sonic Art, this time for the Connect: Resound Learning Festival put on by NYMAZ, the North Yorkshire Music Action Zone. As a whole, the festival is an exploration and a celebration of the Read more…

By rachel, 1 year1 year ago

Posts navigation

1 2 … 6 Next
Tags
Bartok bass bewater collaboration Composition Covid-19 Education electronic music Elliott Carter Hungarian music intercultural Kurtag Ligeti lockdown London makam Messiaen MeToo Mixed media MTA music musicboatmusic New music Orientalism ottoman oud oud lessons oudmigrations Palestine piano press Prizes protest refugees research Rossetti saxophone soas Sonic Art theatre video voice Workshop Writing yayli tanbur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NDZ8e4AayM
Contact

    Tags
    Bartok bass bewater collaboration Composition Covid-19 Education electronic music Elliott Carter Hungarian music intercultural Kurtag Ligeti lockdown London makam Messiaen MeToo Mixed media MTA music musicboatmusic New music Orientalism ottoman oud oud lessons oudmigrations Palestine piano press Prizes protest refugees research Rossetti saxophone soas Sonic Art theatre video voice Workshop Writing yayli tanbur
    Follow me on Twitter
    My Tweets
    Watch
    https://youtu.be/e0376WmMB34
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXHa_DGPUbQ&t=89s
    https://vimeo.com/666457891?loop=0

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Youtube
    Hestia | Developed by ThemeIsle