Philip Venables

Philip Venables is known for his compositions for opera, musical theatre, multimedia concert works, chamber music and the song genre. His work is characterised by an eclectic range of styles and influences and themes often related to social politics, violence, gender and storytelling. He studied at Cambridge University and with Philip Cashian and David Sawer at the Royal Academy of Music, which named him an Associate (ARAM) in 2016 for his significant contribution to the world of composition. Philip obtained his doctorate in 2016 as Doctoral Composer in Residence at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Opera House. In 2016 Philip made his Royal Opera House debut with his first opera 4.48 Psychosis - the first ever authorised adaptation of the play of the same name by celebrated British author Sarah Kane. The composition earned him the UK Theatre Award in Opera in 2016, the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Large-Scale Composition in 2017 and the British Composer Award for Stage Work in the same year. The opera was also nominated for the Olivier Award and the Sky Arts South Bank Award. In addition, his most recent opera Denis & Katya (Opera Philadelphia, Music Theatre Wales, Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, Staatsoper Hannover) received the MacDowell Scholarship in 2017 and the Fedora Generali Prize for Opera in 2019. In 2020, the opera was a finalist for the International Opera Awards in the category of best new opera.