CMC announces four selected for the 2024-25 Emerging Composer Scheme
The Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland announces the expansion of the CMC Emerging Composer Programme, with four candidates awarded places for the 2024-2025 period. The four CMC Emerging Composers will receive bespoke training and mentorship opportunities designed to support them in the development of their individual professional practices. CMC is delighted to welcome Laura Heneghan, Tadhg Kinsella, Santiago Kodela and Caterina Schembri on to the 2024-2025 Emerging Composer programme.
Laura Heneghan
Laura Heneghan (b.1999) is a Mayo-born composer and pianist who predominantly composes chamber and vocal works. With music described as "memorable and strongly conceived" (The Scotsman), her work frequently makes "vivid use of the [ensemble]'s sonic potential in a compelling and convincing musical argument”.
Laura’s work has been performed throughout the UK and Ireland by notable groups such as Chamber Choir Ireland, Gaia Duo, Con Anima Chamber Choir, Contempo Quartet, and Irish Chamber Brass amongst others. She has received numerous accolades for her compositional work, including the Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition 2023, the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival’s Composer Competition for Brass Quintet 2023, and was selected for Sound Scotland’s development scheme for emerging composers. Most recently, she was selected as a finalist for the 6th Peter Rosser Award.
Laura has studied with Dr Amanda Feery at the University of Galway, and Dr Bekah Simms and David Fennessy at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Tadhg Kinsella
Tadhg Kinsella, a queer classically trained percussionist and composer, began their musical journey at the Royal Irish Academy of Music at age 5. Tadhg graduated with a BA in Music Performance (second study electronic composition) in 2018.
Specialising in Modular Synthesis and haptic devices, Tadhg has received various awards and supports as an emerging contemporary composer from The Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland, Dublin City and Fingal County Councils. Recent performances highlighting their compositional works have taken place at the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Machina Bristronica (Bristol), Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival, FYLKINGEN (Stockholm), and Lightmoves Festival (Limerick).
Tadhg has also performed at various international masterclasses and concert halls across the United States, Columbia and Europe. Upcoming projects include collaborative sound design works & installations for gallery, visual artists and contemporary dancers. Tadhg is passionately involved in the Irish arts and queer scene, founding Dublin Modular, promoting electronic music, education, and inclusivity in Ireland's contemporary art culture.
Santiago Kodela
Santiago Kodela is a distinguished Classical Guitarist & Composer who delves into intricate soundscapes across concert, solo, chamber, and choral music. In 2023, 'The Distant Shepherd' earned him the 3rd Prize Bronze Medal from the North American Global Music Awards. Simultaneously, he co-founded the Éire Guitar Duo, contributing significantly to the classical guitar scene.
In 2022, 'Pinnacle Vol. 2' secured the 2nd Prize Silver Medal, and 'Delicate Soliloquies' was a Dutch Guitar Foundation Composition finalist. In 2021, he won the 1st Prize Gold Medal at Feis Ceoil and the 2nd Prize Silver Medal for 'Sustain, Vol. 2.' Santiago received dual Arts Council of Ireland awards in 2020 and completed his Master’s at Trinity College Dublin in 2018 working closely with Dr. Ann Cleare.
As a performer, he excelled at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and played live with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. His compositions, managed by PARMA Recordings / Navona Records, grace international stages, reflecting a remarkable journey of musical exploration and achievement.
Caterina Schembri
Caterina Schembri is an Italian-Colombian composer and producer based in Dublin. Through her work, she likes to traverse harmonic explorations, literary motifs, multidisciplinary intersections, symbolic meaning, and different orchestration possibilities within acoustic and hybrid ensembles.
Connections with visual imagery and written word are recurrent in her music, often working with original text written by her. In the last years, she has composed pieces for a wide range of musicians including Ficino Ensemble, Tonnta, Chamber Choir Ireland, Spilliaert Trio, the Dublin Viols, members of the UCDSO, percussion ensemble Tridio, vocalist Michelle O'Rourke and cellist Kate Ellis.
In 2022 she was granted a Music Bursary by the Arts Council of Ireland to develop new work, was commissioned to premiere a piece in New Music Dublin 2022 and most recently was commissioned by MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland) to write a piece for the 2023 Bloomsday video. Caterina is also one of the founding members of Sonic Gate Studios, an international collective of sound artists working on curated new music, and the general manager for the record label Ergodos.
Find out more about CMC's Emerging Composer Programme and how to apply here.