Rufus Isabel Elliot (it/its) is a composer and musician originally from Tower Hamlets, living now in North West Scotland who has recently been appointed to the LSO Jerwood Composer+ scheme and will participate in a 15-month placement, developing and delivering two artistic projects while gaining entrepreneurial skills through mentoring by LSO staff.
Rufus will have access to composition workshops and mentoring from other composers, industry professionals and musicians to develop its artistic practice and programme a showcase work of its own, as well as works by other composers. Both composers will present their first concerts in January and March 2024 at LSO St Luke’s.
Rufus has written funerary music for doomed spaceships and orchestral music about rotting seaweed. It cares about honesty and openness. Its work is concerned with testimony, the conditions in which one speaks out, and how those stories are passed on.
Its music is ‘fluid and ambitious’ (The Wire), ‘stunningly intimate’ (The Quietus), and ‘achingly fragile’ (The Scotsman).
So far this year, Rufus has enjoyed working on a new work for Tectonics Festival, and a new collaborative work with artists Miek Zwamborn and Rutger Emmelkamp of Knockvologan Studies, Isle of Mull.
When asked how it felt about being appointed to the LSO Jerwood Composer+ scheme, Rufus said,
I’m enjoying how much creative energy the project is already bringing me, as I anticipate bringing together works and ideas I’m excited about alongside composing new works for such amazing players.
