Irish composer Andrew Hamilton has been announced as one of the recipients of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation 2024 Awards for Artists – the largest individual award given to composers and visual artists in the UK. 

Ten artists – five composers and five visual artists – have been awarded grants of £75,000 each by the London-based philanthropic organisation. The recipients were announced at a ceremony on 14 November in London. 

Born in Dublin, Hamilton studied composition with Kevin Volans and Anthony Gilbert, and with Louis Andriessen at the Koninklijk Conservatorium. He has had works performed by Irish National Opera (the short opera erth upon erth), Alarm Will Sound, Musarc, Manchester Collective, Crash Ensemble, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland and many others. In 2018 his first album Music For People Who Like Art was released on the NMC label and in June 2020 he released Joy on the Ergodos label. In 2019, he was the composer in residence with Crash Ensemble and he is also a part-time lecturer at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. In September, his latest work Friendly Piece – a Crash Ensemble commission – was released. In March 2024, he was elected to Aosdána.

‘Receiving the Hamlyn Award at a mid-career point is enormously uplifting as it has given me a sign that I just might have been on the right track the past twenty-five or so years and a sense of confidence and support to keep going,’ said Hamilton. ‘The award will allow me the space to work on uncommissioned projects and time to learn new skills, hopefully leading to new discoveries in my work’.

Also selected as part of this year’s cohort is Scottish fiddle player and composer Aidan O’Rourke; British-Rwandan artist Auclair; improviser Rachel Musson; and British-Belizean drummer and percussionist Mark Sanders.

O’Rourke grew up in an Irish family in Argyll in Scotland and learned fiddle in the West Highland style. His music is based in Scottish and Irish folk music while also exploring other genres such as jazz. He is a member of the acclaimed trio Lau, which since 2006 has released six studio albums, multiple live albums and collaborative EPs, and he has also produced a large volume of his own compositions titled 365. O’Rourke has collaborated with artists such as Dónal Lunny in the Atlantic Arc band, whistle player Brian Finnegan, jazz pianist Kit Downes on 365, piper Brìghde Chaimbeul, and classical guitarist Sean Shibe.

Auclair’s work explores rhythm, voice and electronica and takes an embodied approach to exploring ideas with sound. Alongside recordings, her practice also includes live performances, installations, film scores and multidisciplinary projects.

Rachel Musson is a saxophonist, improviser and composer and is involved in a variety of free improvisation projects. Her most recent album is Ashes and Dust, Earth and Sky/LLudw a Llwch, Daear a Nef.

Mark Sanders is a drummer and percussionist and is renowned for his playing in the fields of free jazz and free improvisation. He performs at festivals worldwide and has released over two hundred recordings. 

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by publisher and philanthropist Paul Hamlyn in 1987. He died in 2001 and left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. Since 1994, the scheme has supported over 350 artists with grants totalling over £11 million. Previous recipients of the award include Abel Selaocoe (2021), Brian Irvine (2015) and Eliza Carthy (2012).

For further information, visit phf.org.uk.

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