Luke Styles - Selected Works

For vocal trio (Juice) and recorder quintet (Consortium5). This is the 9th movement of 12. Composed by Luke Styles, text Jacob Sam-La Rose

A Stratagem for Light - IX

A short selection from this 60min symphonic song cycle by Luke Styles, setting text from the award winning book of the same name by Behrouz Boochani (translator Omif Tofigihan).

Premiered at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne Australia on the 21st of March 2021 by bass-baritone Adrian Tambourine, conductor Rick Prakhoff, Melbourne Bach Choir and the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra

The work has been turned into a 2-part documentary, No Friend But The Mountains: A Voyage Through Song, which aired on the ABC in June 2021. The work has also been broadcast in full on ABC Classic Radio.

No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle

A roller-coaster sample of my saxophone concerto, Tracks in the Orbit.

Tracks in the Orbit received it’s world premiere with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, superb soloist Iain Ballamy (for whom the concerto has been written) and conductor Fiona Monbet in April 2022.

This has been a significant large work for me, focusing my instrumental thinking for large orchestral forces and unearthing the musical personality of Iain Ballamy. The concerto plays with the intersection of my musical imagination and Iain’s musical identity. It traverses jazz and contemporary music aesthetics, blending moments of improvisation, a freedom of interpretation and fidelity to compositional intention.

Tracks in the Orbit, Saxophone Concerto was commissioned by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with the philanthropic support of private donors.

Tracks in the Orbit

Commissioned by Juice as part of the New Music Biennial, The Girls Who Wished to Marry Stars is a new theatrical work by Luke Styles featuring experimental vocal trio juice and Trish Clowes' jazz/classical ensemble Tangent. This new work takes the outlandish behaviour and characters in this Native Canadian folk tale creating a funky, playful and highly dynamic musical world.

The Girls Who Wished to Marry Stars - Excerpt

Performed by Le Balcon - The World Premiere was performed at the Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris, France, by Le Balcon, tenor Michael Smallwood, bass-baritone Damien Pass, electronics Remi Le Taillandier and Luke Styles. With video design and projection by Nieto.

Composer: Luke Styles

Text: The text in Custodians of the Sky comes from Australian writers. At the start and throughout the work are the writings of indigenous astronomer Bill Yidumduma Harney and Hugh Cairns from their book Dark Sparklers. Five poems emerge as songs in the following order; Stars by David Malouf, Skywatchers by Margaret Bradstock, Perspective Passes over Us by Renee Pettitt-Schipp, Moon by A. Frances Johnson, The Moon via telescope by Margaret Bradstock.

With gratitude to Bill Yidumduma Harney for his generous guidance, encouragement and support, and to the Wardaman peoples, for holding and sharing celestial knowledge of the skies that are referenced herein.

‘Commissioned by Le Balcon, Michael Smallwood, Veronica and Don Aldridge and donors via the Australian Cultural Fund.’

Custodians Of The Sky - Sample

Tycho's Dream, a sci-fi youth opera for the Glyndebourne main stage, premiered 8th Nov 2014. Part 2: Fear of Counting Forward

Tycho's Dream: Part 2, Fear Of Counting Forward

A short extract from my chamber opera of Macbeth. Commissioned by Glyndebourne. Premiered August 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th 2015 by Glyndebourne singers and the LPO. Performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden on the 9th of September 2015.

Why did you bring these daggers from the place?

A shortened (best bits) version of the longer Double Bass solo, Parallax of Mars.

Parallax Of Mars (condensed edit)

Performed by Ensemble Amorpha and Tangent. Premiered as part of Emulsion at The Vortex, 19.05.12 
Review from the Cheltenham Festival 2015: "But highlight of the evening was Luke Styles‘ highly atmospheric Chasing the Nose, doleful despite a persistent funked-up tribal groove; focussed on a wonderfully lyrical bass clarinet line, it expanded into a feisty duet with saxophone at its conclusion; exhilarating and immersive stuff." 5:4 http://5against4.com/tag/luke-styles/

Chasing The Nose

Ep2. Scene 3

The latest opera by Luke Styles, to a libretto by Peter Goldsworthy. Premiered at the 2019 Perth Festival to sold out crowds, commissioned by Lost and Found Opera. Conductor: Chris van Tuinen. Director: Janice Muller. Cast: Samuel Dundas, Fiona Campbell, Adrian Tamburini, Matt Reuben James Ward, Robert MacFarlane, Pia Harris, Community Chorus. Orchestra: West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Ned Kelly weaves together the common myth with lesser known extraordinary  facts about the politics, loves and quirks of Australia’s legendary  bushranger. Cross dressing, pig stealing, bee keeping, opium smoking,  devout republican supporting, armour wearing loyal family men — that’s  just part of the  story of the notorious Kelly gang.

NED KELLY REVIEWS

"The folk sweetness was darkened by Britten-esque orchestral dissonance with added bush flavourings from an onstage folk band, rattled gum leaves and metallic percussion. Styles shaped the drama with moments of stillness and explosions of energy." The Australian

"a solid, gripping production, mostly because the music and performances are terrific...This Ned has the potential to become a transcendent stage figure, a deeper wellspring of flawed Australian masculinity – hero, myth or otherwise." The Guardian

“Luke Styles and Peter Goldsworthy’s score and libretto, and Janice Muller’s deft direction, summoned the self-reliant strengths of the bush … to re-imagine a well-worn legend. Light and shade, sound and music were used intelligently throughout this world premiere, the bush a constant backdrop until a steam train whistle signalled the arrival of overwhelming firepower.” The West Australian 4.5/5 Stars

“…an important addition to the Australian operatic canon.” Nicole Youl @NicoleYoulOperaSinger

"Luke Styles’ strong score is impressive in this new chamber opera,
The folk element adds a familiar melodic element from the era to sit against the darker, dissonant orchestral score, frequently driven by percussion, with influences of Britten and Berg. At times the percussion evokes the sounds of the bush, while the final scene is explosive musically as the sound of gun shots ring out. Conducted by Chris van Tuinen and splendidly played, it’s clear that Styles has a strong musical voice." - Limelight

“Ned Kelly as an opera succeeds on a number of levels. It’s an unusual venue in the country, a smooth orchestra, strong performers, a well-drilled chorus, a story that is familiar to Australians… music that is colourful and dramatic.” seesaw

Ned Kelly Sample

Luke Styles is a British (and Australian) composer based in London. He recently completed 3yrs as the Glyndebourne Young Composer in Residence and from Feb-Dec 2015 was composer in residence at the Foundling Museum. At Glyndebourne, Luke composed two chamber operas and two youth operas, which were performed on the famous Glyndebourne main stage, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski. Alongside his operatic work Luke has found time to write new works for the London Sinfonietta, the 2014 Commonwealth Games and members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.


Luke began his composition training with a Bachelor of Music (composition) degree at the Royal Academy of Music London (graduating with honours in 2005, in 2015 Luke was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music). Following this Luke went on to postgraduate studies with Wolfgang Rihm at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, Germany, with George Benjamin at King’s College London and with Detlev Müller-Siemens at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Vienna.


Throughout his career Luke has been heavily involved in creating collaborative and multi-disciplinary works. These have included works for dancers and circus performers, in the form of Handspun, commissioned by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and subsequently produced in Oslo, Helsinki, Prague, Stockholm, London and Panama City. Luke has composed silent-film scores for the British Film Institute and works for musicians and actors for Kings Place and the Werkraum Festival in Germany.


Luke has collaborated with many of the worlds top soloists such as horn player David Pyatt and violinist  Matthew Truscott. His music has featured at festivals including the Wien Modern, Aldeburgh Festival, Glyndebourne Festival and the Darmstadt International Festival for New Music. Major performance venues where Luke’s music has been heard include the Sydney Opera House, Glyndebourne, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Finnish Music Center and the Vienna Concert Hall.


Luke has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions including, a carol for the Financial Times, the Wolfgang-Rihm Scholarship from the Privatbrauerei Hoepfner 2008, an Association for Cultural Exchange Study Tours Scholarship with George Benjamin (08/09), DAAD scholarship for 06/07, PRS New Works commission, RVW Trust commission, Britten-Pears Foundation commission Prize Winner ‘Remasterpiece’ Competition 2006, Sonic Arts Network Expo 2005 commission, Young Australian Composer of the Asian Composers League (2003), Associate composer of the Australian Music Centre, Mosco Carner Composition Award winner (2001-2003), Lena P Green Award (2004), Pullen Memorial Prize (2005), Moscow International Schnittke composition competition 2nd place winner (2002), 24th International Competition of Electro acoustic Music Russolo finalist (Italy 2002) and Australasian Performing Rights Association Professional Development Award winner.


Luke has been awarded scholarships to take part in various courses throughout Europe and Asia where he has worked with composers such as Brian Ferneyhough, Harrison Birtwistle, Marco Stroppa and Gunnar Eriksson. Luke was also part of the 2010/2011 Jerwood Opera Writing Programme at Aldeburgh Music. Luke is Artistic Director of Ensemble Amorpha.