Host: John Broomhall

Speaker:

Christian Henson – Multi award-winning Composer and co-founder of Spitfire Audio

Our panel of leading industry figures discuss their musical world view of, and influence on the artistic and commercial intersection of ‘classical music’ and music for screen media, followed by an intimate live performance of “Kara’s Theme” from DETROIT: Become Human by composer and cellist, Philip Sheppard.

With popular symphonic concerts of videogame, theatre and movie music packing the world’s concert halls, and sales of accompanying soundtrack albums buoyant, have the borderlines of classical music now become so blurred as to be relatively meaningless? Is it time to rebrand ‘classical’ as ‘orchestral’ and push harder to break down cultural and generational barriers much further to build on the evident appeal of the orchestral sound, encouraging new listeners to explore the classical canon? Can Final Fantasy and Star Wars be the gateway to Stravinsky and Beethoven? Or is the classical music fraternity and establishment too staid to respond to and embrace a new wave of interest in orchestral music arriving via entertainment media? What is classical music in the 21st century?

Speakers:

Jessica Curry – BAFTA Award-winning Composer (‘Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture’, ‘Dear Esther’) and Presenter of Classic FM’s ‘High Score’.

James Williams – Managing Director, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Darrell Alexander – Film, TV & Games Composer Agent, CEO of COOL Music Ltd and The Chamber Orchestra of London.

Philip Sheppard – Film and Game Composer, Virtuoso Cellist, member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (‘Detroit: Become Human’, David Bowie, UNKLE).

Chair: Jenny Nelson – Author of Classic FM’s ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ book, former Executive Producer of‘High Score’ on Classic FM, trustee of the Cambridge Film Trust.

The illustrious track records of our panel of experts represent between them decades of continuing success in the world of procuring, composing, performing, recording and producing music for screen media. Bringing personal insights from their own distinct career journeys and extensive knowledge base, they will seek to highlight key factors that they believe will help media composers negotiate and navigate the film, TV and videogames businesses in order to build and maintain a profitable, successful and long career both now and in future.

Speakers:

Darrell Alexander – Film, TV & Games Composer Agent, CEO of COOL Music Ltd and The Chamber Orchestra of London.

Richard Jacques – Ivor Novello and BAFTA Nominated Composer.

Dru Masters – TV and Film Composer. Board Director at PRS and BASCA.

Chair: John Broomhall – Composer, Music Artist (String Theory – ‘Modularity’) and Game Music Connect Co-Founder.

Machines are becoming more capable and ‘intelligent’ – and they’re doing so at a quickening pace.  As this wave gathers momentum, the world is witnessing impressive advances in artificial intelligence over a diverse range of human endeavours as AI learns to engage in a creative process of immersion, assimilation and recombination.

As today’s impossible rapidly becomes tomorrow’s commonplace, will we consider AI-generated music and art to be ‘fake’ in future – and who cares anyway, if the end effect is pleasing? Are these advances actually the first steps to an extensive democratisation and personalisation of visual and sonic arts?

What does this mean for human composers?  Should they be uneasy or should they be curious, even optimistic?  Will they be replaced or will they find audience empathy for them beyond their work becomes more significant? As humanity enjoys an ever more creative world, can they learn from, and harness creative AI as a powerful collaborative tool?

Speaker: Ed Newton-Rex – Composer; Founder and CEO, Jukedeck.

Lunch and refreshments are not provided at Screen Music Connect.

Cafés, Restaurants and Bars in and around the Southbank Centre.

‘Interactive music’ is a term now deeply embedded in videogame speak. Yet, thirty years ago it simply didn’t exist. We examine what interactive music is, where it came from and why – questions which in turn also lead us to the heart of the matter of the fundamental raison d’être of music in games – its role, purpose, identity and delivery. Further, was some of the interesting creativity of the early days of game music lost in the clamour for cinematic mimicry and why?

With the book on how to do interactive music and indeed music for games seemingly for many now signed and sealed, are there in fact yet trend-bucking radical techniques possible to serve what, after all, is a medium radically different from its linear cousins. John Broomhall hosts a discussion featuring three pioneering interactive composers together with examples of their distinct approaches to the challenges and opportunities of creating music for a non- linear medium.

Speakers:

Olivier Derivière – BAFTA Nominated Composer (‘11-11: Memories Retold’, ‘Get Even’).

James Hannigan – Creative Director of Screen Music Connect and Multi-Award Winning Composer.

Richard Jacques – Ivor Novello and BAFTA Nominated Composer (‘James Bond 007: Blood Stone’, ‘Mass Effect’).

Chair: John Broomhall – Composer, Music Artist (String Theory – ‘Modularity’) and Game Music Connect Co-Founder.

Debbie Wiseman is a highly sought after composer and conductor whose extensive canon of work covers a plethora of illustrious film and television productions as well as numerous concert performances including music for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  From Wolf Hall to Wilde, her credits include name after household name with her propensity for creating iconic themes apparently inexhaustible. Consequently her music is heard and loved the world over and she’s become one of the UK’s most respected and distinguished music writers working today.

But she is more than that – much more. Leveraging her own success to help others, she encourages and guides young talent through her visiting professorship at the RCM and regular masterclasses in schools and colleges – and this role as ambassador has seen her widely featured as a popular expert radio presenter, guest and composer in residence. Furthermore, in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list she was awarded an OBE for services to music.

Screen Music Connect proudly presents Debbie Wiseman discussing her life and work in conversation with Classic FM’s ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ presenter, Andrew Collins.

Speakers:

Andrew Collins – Presenter of Classic FM’s Saturday Night at the Movies and Film Editor of Radio Times

Debbie Wiseman OBE – Composer/Conductor, Classic FM’s Composer in Residence

From Hitchcock/Herrmann and Bond/Barry to Spielberg/Williams and Burton/Elfman, film and television history boasts some remarkable director/composer partnerships.  How did they come about and what can we learn from them? What characterises these symbiotic relationships and makes them tick – and do they have a place in a world of identikit trailer music, temp tracks and – at times – seemingly interchangeable generic Hollywood-inspired scores?  Could it be that today’s art of screen composing is actually suffering from a dearth of them?

Our panelists discuss creative collaboration, relating their own experiences of forming and maintaining key strategic music partnerships for success, advancement and longevity. They will examine to what extent the composer’s voice helps create the identity and progress of their partner’s work and therefore how far aspiring composers and other creatives might wish to focus on developing and nurturing such key partnerships at the earliest stages of their career, whether for film, television or videogames.

Speakers:

Jessica Curry – BAFTA Award-winning Composer (‘Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture’, ‘Dear Esther’) and Presenter of Classic FM’s ‘High Score’.

Patrick Jonsson – Emmy Nominated Film Composer.

Jenny Nelson – Author of Classic FM’s ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ book, former Executive Producer of‘High Score’ on Classic FM, trustee of the Cambridge Film Trust.

Chair: Vasco Hexel – Composer and Area Leader, Composition for Screen, Royal College of Music. Author of ‘The Film and Media Creator’s Guide to Music’.