16-20
Sept
2026
2023 Composer-in-Residence
See Nathan James Dearden in...
Described as “a champion of his generation” and whose music is “hauntingly beautiful” (Media Wales), Nathan James Dearden is an award-winning composer, conductor, and educator. He has been performed and featured by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tippett Quartet, Genesis Sixteen, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, National Youth Orchestra of Wales, Heath Quartet, Grand Band, Fidelio Trio, Hebrides Ensemble, CHROMA, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and Dunedin Consort. His music regularly features in concerts across the UK and overseas, including at the Cheltenham Music Festival, Dartington International Summer Festival, International Young Composers' Meeting, CROSSROADS International New Music Festival and Vale of Glamorgan Festival of Music. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, Resonance FM, RTÉ lyric FM, S4C and Soho Radio, and has been released on NMC Recordings and Delphian.
Recent projects include a Passion setting combining choir, chamber ensemble and immersive, digital storytelling in partnership with the Choir of Royal Holloway (generously supported by the PRS Foundation), plus collaborations and commissions with tenor Nicky Spence and pianist Andrew Matthews-Owen, cellist Guy Johnston, Trio Anima, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
A champion for bringing audiences and communities diverse and exciting programming, Nathan is also a sought-after conductor, arts advisor, event curator and educator. He is currently Director of Composition and Lecturer in Music Composition at Royal Holloway University of London, Lead Composition Tutor at Centre for Young Musicians (Guildhall), Associate Artistic Director at MusicFest Aberystwyth, Conductor of the New Voices Consort and New Music Collective, and holds arts advisory roles with several international organisations.
