Emily Hazrati: The Open Fund for Music Creators

Byron’s Don Juan reimagined through Song, composed by Emily Hazrati

Emily Hazrati is a composer and performer based in London. Her music is frequently informed by ideas around place and environment, with a particular affinity to writing for the voice and collaborative, interdisciplinary ways of making art. Recent projects have included commissions with Britten Pears Arts, Oxford International Song Festival, Ligeti Quartet, and National Youth Choir. Passionate about education and outreach, she is currently a composer on Music in the Round’s ‘WeCompose’ secondary education programme.

Acclaimed pianist Jocelyn Freeman is lauded for her artistry, innovation and communication. She is Founder-Director of SongEasel and an advocate for inclusion across diverse endeavours.

PRS for Music Foundation are supporting the development of a new song commission celebrating the bicentenary of Byron’s death, with music by Emily Hazrati. The project, with text by Joseph Spence, pays tribute to Byron’s reinterpretation of Don Juan; inspecting the role of Juan’s environment in his life and shedding light on his influences.

Through an incremental, collaborative process of developing and workshopping ideas with performers, Emily and Joseph will create two new songs which mark the beginning and end of Don Juan’s life, combining historical references and conventional notation with open scoring and extended vocal writing. They are excited to explore modern audiences’ roles as interpreters of Juan’s narrative, incorporating elements of participation where audience members can decide whether he was ‘cursed or mended’.

The first performances will be for SongEasel, in 2024 featuring soprano Ella Taylor, with a view to expanding the work into a full song cycle.

Website
Instagram
Website
Instagram
Website
Instagram
Instagram