Composer in Residence

Chineke! is looking to appoint a Composer in Residence for the 2026 / 27 season

Chineke! has had a long-standing commitment to commissioning new music by Black and ethnically diverse composers, with dozens of pieces commissioned by the orchestra in our first 10 years of existence from composers like Errollyn Wallen, Stewart Goodyear, Shirley J. Thompson, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Daniel Kidane, Hannah Kendall, and James B Wilson.  

We are now looking to appoint our inaugural Composer in Residence for the 2026/27 season to work with the orchestra and further our mission. The majority of commissions for the season will go to this composer, and the aim is that this will be the start of a long-term relationship between the orchestra and composer.  

Your role as Composer in Residence

• We will commission at least 3 pieces from you over the course of the year – two chamber pieces, and one larger-scale orchestral work, with scope for more beyond this if the opportunity arises
• Chineke! will commit to performing one existing work by the composer during the season
• There will be possibilities for collaboration with the other strands of Chineke!’s artist development work – the orchestra’s assistant conductor and the Chineke! Junior Orchestra
• There will also be collaboration with Chineke! musicians, including (for example) workshops for new pieces, if the composer wants them
• Participation in community outreach and engagement programmes if interest and schedules align
• Ongoing engagement: Chineke! will look to continue championing the composer beyond the scope of the season by revisiting and reprogramming their work beyond the residency
• Where possible, strategic partnerships with other ensembles or organisations will be explored to further champion the composer’s development and exposure beyond Chineke! 

HOW TO APPLY

Application timeline

November 2025  – applications open

13 February 2026 – applications deadline

February 2026 – shortlisting  

March 2026 – Composer in Residence appointed

Please apply by filling in this form.

Your application should contain:  

• A CV outlining your musical career and training to date
• At least 2 recordings (video / audio) of your work, with pdfs of the accompanying scores. Live recordings are preferred, but if you only have MIDI recordings, that is acceptable. If you’re sending videos, please send these as YouTube / Vimeo links rather than as email attachments (they can be private/unlisted, if you prefer)
• A cover letter explaining why you’d like to be appointed to the position, and what you feel you would bring to the Composer in Residence role. Please also include why you’re specifically applying to Chineke!, and what the organisation’s mission means to you.  
• Written Task: Imagine you have been asked to write a piece for a Chineke! chamber ensemble (the instrumentation is up to you). What would be your approach to this, and what sort of work would you look to write?  

If you have any questions about your application, or about the Composer in Residence programme more generally at Chineke!, please get in touch with Chris Bland, Learning & Participation Manager – [email protected]