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Episode details

Radio 3,01 May 2024,14 mins

SeriesLetters to a Young Composer

Benbrick

The Essay

Available for over a year

Inspired by Rilke's letters to an aspiring poet, five leading composers write a personal letter to a young composer – real or imagined – with their thoughts about their craft, their influences and the things they wish they'd known when they were starting out. Covering themes of luck, resilience, an itinerant life and the seismic effects of Artificial Intelligence, these deeply personal essays reflect the realities of life as a leading composer. In this Essay, Benbrick reflects on the importance of perfectionism and creative thinking - and the impending AI revolution.

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