Bushra El-Turk wins Ivor Novello Award for ‘Best Stage Work Composition’
British composer Bushra El-Turk won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for ‘Best Stage Work Composition’ at the Ivors Classical Awards on Wednesday 13 November. She received the award for her opera Woman at Point Zero. El-Turk is the composer of the music theatre production Oum – A Son’s Quest for his Mother, which will have its world premiere at the Opera Forward Festival 2025 at Dutch National Opera & Ballet.
Woman at Point Zero is written for two voices, traditional folk instruments, and pre-recorded audio samples. The work, created on commission from LOD Muziektheater, features a libretto by Stacy Hardy. The opera was performed by Dima Orsho, Carla Nahadi Babelegoto, and ensemble ZAR. The jury praised the work as “a truly imaginative and sophisticated work that seamlessly blends various styles, creating a rich and engaging experience.”
The Ivors Classical Awards, organised by The Ivors Academy, are widely recognised as one of the most prestigious honours in the classical music world in the United Kingdom. The awards celebrate the best new compositions by British, Irish, and UK-based composers.
Oum – A Son’s Quest for his Mother
The nineteen-year-old Wahab is on his way to the hospital, where his mother lies on her deathbed. He realises he must face his greatest fear to finally reconcile with her. In the new music theatre production Oum – A Son’s Quest for his Mother, the influential musical universe of the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum is combined with Visage retrouvé, a book by renowned writer and director Wajdi Mouawad. The performance tells a coming-of-age story about the search for identity, reconnecting with one’s roots, and reconciling with a long-lost mother. Bushra El-Turk and director Kenza Koutchoukali weave Wajdi Mouawad’s story together with the music and poetry of Oum Kalthoum’s song Al-Atlal in a new musical retelling. The production is a co-creation with De Meervaart and the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest.
