Honorable Mention: Anselm McDonnell
SSO would like to congratulate Anselm McDonnell on his excellent submission to our annual Call for Scores. Though we will not be performing his piece, Laniakea, we honor his achievement and thank him for sharing his art with us.
Anselm McDonnell is an Irish/Welsh composer based in Belfast. His music has been performed in thirteen countries and he has been commissioned by some of the top new music ensembles in the UK/Ireland, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Crash Ensemble. His music features on eight CDs, including his own debut album Light of Shore, and his second portrait album, Kraina, is scheduled for release in late 2023, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the PRS Foundation for Music. In June 2023 he will have a portrait concert dedicated to his music performed in Bangkok, Thailand, by the Tacet(i) Ensemble. His compositions have been described as 'abrasive and compelling' (Irish Times), 'bristling with energy' (GoldenPlec), 'an overall sense of anarchic freedom' (Journal of Music) and 'perhaps the contrasts and complexities that it contains are a musical reflection of the multi-layered nature of what it means to be a composer in a community as complex as Northern Ireland.' (Robert Hugill)
