Tomorrow’s Warriors Young Composer awarded exciting development opportunity

We were over the moon in July to receive news that our very own Youth Warrior and Young Composer, Cassie Kinoshi has been awarded a bursary that will bring her one year of specialist support in her development as a composer.

A member of Tomorrow’s Warriors and student of Trinity College of Music, Cassie was one of just two young composers selected from over 40 applicants after a month long application and interview process.

The Music For Youth Young Artist Development Programme is aimed at musicians, aged 14-21, with experience of writing their own material. The programme offers Cassie a fantastic opportunity to develop her writing style and compose an original piece for an MFY performing group with the support of a specialist composition mentor. She will also attend a series of bespoke composition and song writing workshops that will introduce her to new styles and ways of working. At the end of the programme, her new work will be performed by her MFY group/collaborators in one of MFY’s public performance events.

Said 19-year-old Cassie, ‘I can’t believe it! It’s such an amazing opportunity and will contribute to my skills development, both as a composer and as a musician generally. I’m interested in all kinds of music but particularly African and East Asian music, plus Western Classical and jazz which I’d like to explore and incorporate into my own music.’

Tomorrow’s Warriors artistic director, Gary Crosby OBE, who supported Cassie’s application, was also thrilled with her success. ‘This is fantastic news! Cassie has an exceptional talent for music and has progressed rapidly on the Tomorrow’s Warriors Young Artist Development Programme. She is a valued member of our community of young musicians, and she has already started writing for our Youth Jazz Orchestra (TWYJO), and for our all-female group, Nérija who she performed with in the National Festival of  Music For Youth  in Birmingham in July.

We’ll be keeping you updated on Cassie’s progress and you can look forward to hearing more of her compositions being performed by TWYJO and Nérija over the coming year.