In Conversation with CJ Brooke: From Guildhall Young Artist to BMus Composition Student
In Conversation with CJ Brooke: From Guildhall Young Artist to BMus Composition Student
Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to apply for the BMus Composition course?
The background to my interest in composition really begins when I was 8 years old. Having played the clarinet for a year, I started playing in the Norfolk Schools Wind Band and quickly became obsessed. This led to me getting my hands on Musescore 1 and trying to write out what I could remember of our wind band pieces for me and my friends to play outside of rehearsals. I continued arranging music for me and my friends throughout primary and secondary school.
I started at GYA Norwich during my first year of high school, and my first formal composition lessons followed a year later. During the next few years, I had an amazing array of opportunities, including a Young Composer commission for the King’s Lynn Festival, a workshop with Sir James MacMillan, and later a fanfare commission for the renaming of my school. Composing quickly became one of the most consistently enjoyable parts of my musical life. While I always loved performing, I liked how much more concrete composition felt, which is a feeling I still carry today.
When I sat down at the end of Year 12 to write my personal statement for a degree in Maths at Oxford, it became obvious it wasn’t right for me – all I had to talk about was music. I realised the pressure I felt to do something ‘academic enough’ was all extrinsic and not what I was truly passionate about. Conservatoire became the obvious choice because of the hands-on, practical nature of the courses.
I spent the rest of Year 13 building my composition portfolio and applying for different opportunities before taking a gap year to focus on conservatoire applications. It was really helpful to be away from school, as I could give my full attention to my portfolio, interview preparation and takeaway papers without the pressure of A Levels.
What was the audition process like?
For my audition there were two stages. Firstly, I submitted a folio of compositions, which then resulted in a short test paper and an interview.
My interview at Guildhall was by far the most enjoyable of any during my applications. There was a friendly atmosphere, and it really felt as though the panel were on my side and genuinely interested in what I had to say, and the work I had submitted in my folio and paper.
What does a typical week look like as a Composition student?
A typical week will vary depending on the course and institution you’re enrolled in, but this is my experience on the Guildhall BMus.
The vast majority of my time is taken up by my principal study (composition). Most of this is spent working on my original folio, where we complete one major composition project each term. I have weekly one-to-one lessons with my composition tutor and spend much of my independent study time composing, listening and researching.
Alongside this, we have three technical modules each term, usually taught through weekly classes covering areas such as orchestration, analysis, aesthetics, counterpoint and electronic music. We also have seminars, where we take turns presenting our work to the rest of the BMus cohort, and open sessions with guest composers or staff members.
Outside of principal study, we take a module called Creating and Performing Knowledge, which involves an essay and arrangement in Years 1 and 2, followed by a dissertation in Year 3. From Year 2, we also choose electives. I take a second study in electronic music and have previously studied bassoon, so part of my week is spent in additional one-to-one lessons and independent practice.
Beyond the course, there’s a strong culture of going to concerts and supporting the wider Guildhall community, so I usually go to around one event a week. I also spend time curating concerts and events for the Guildhall New Music Society.
I should note that I don’t necessarily do all of these things every week! Priorities ebb and flow throughout the term, but this is the overall picture of what you can expect.
What has your experience been like so far attending Guildhall?
My experience so far at Guildhall School has been brilliant. I think a large part of what makes it such a special place is the incredible sense of community. Everyone is there to support each other, lift each other up and, most of all, have fun making music together.
The composition degree is rigorous and intense, but incredibly rewarding. I really feel as though I’ve been rebuilt as a composer from the ground up and have discovered new passions and interests as a result. Being able to continue my studies as a bassoonist is also a real privilege, and I think it’s so valuable to maintain a practice as a performer while studying composition.
Are there any composers, ensembles, or artists you'd love to collaborate with in the future?
There are a few collaborations that I already have lined up that I’m really looking forward to, particularly with violist Niamh Gallagher for her PhD research, and the Jasmine Quartet for their upcoming season.
Beyond that, two ensembles I find particularly inspiring within the London new music scene are Musarc Choir and COMA London, the latter of whom I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. They both have such forward-thinking and open-minded approaches to contemporary music and performance.
I also had the most amazing time writing a piece that was performed by Matthew King (The Music Professor on YouTube) in Carey’s Secret Garden, Dorset, in collaboration with Birds of Poole Harbour to celebrate the fifth year of their reintroduced pair of ospreys breeding. It was such a pleasure to celebrate successful rewilding, as stories around climate and biodiversity are so rarely positive. I’d love to do more projects with charities like Birds of Poole Harbour and make work that helps people connect with nature.
I’m particularly inspired by artists like Kathy Hinde and Alice Boyd, whose work cultivates those connections with the natural world. I’m not sure I could quite suggest collaboration, but I would certainly love to study with either of them!
Closer to home, I’d love to have a piece performed as part of the Black Shuck Festival in Bungay. The festival is steeped in East Anglian folklore, something that regularly appears in my practice, and I’d especially love to collaborate with a Norfolk-based writer on a project involving text and storytelling.
Is there a project, collaboration, or performance that stands out as particularly memorable?
Aside from my project with the LSSO, which has probably been the highlight of my studies so far, I’m particularly proud of a piece I wrote in first year called In the round. The piece features a 20-metre circular score wrapped around the audience, with the performers walking around the outside. The score combines text instructions, graphic notation, transcriptions of birdsong and folk tunes from around East Anglia.
Another recent highlight was being the lead curator of the New Music Society’s concert LA LA LA: new music for untrained voices in December 2025, which featured 12 new works by members of the composition community for a ramshackle choir.
I’m currently working on my dissertation, Cultivating nature connectedness through sound, which explores Kathy Hinde’s Listen to the voices of the fen, alongside a new piece for large ensemble and narrator exploring the folklore and ghost stories of Norfolk’s fenland.
Are there any skills or values from your youth training that still guide your work today?
While my compositional style and priorities have completely changed, I think plenty has stayed with me. I really try to maintain a sense of curiosity and play in my practice - a willingness to experiment, try something new and challenge myself rather than becoming too comfortable. It doesn’t always go to plan, but those projects have often led to the most valuable learning experiences, and the pieces I’m proudest of.
The amount of time I spent in ensembles as a young musician was also instrumental in developing my people skills and continues to shape my practice today. I like to work collaboratively with performers, and many of my ideas are rooted in their experience of the work, whether in solo or large ensemble settings. I think music-making has a unique capacity to help us explore our relationships with each other, and playing in ensembles as a young musician was foundational to that belief.
What advice would you give to prospective applicants interested in studying Composition?
My main piece of advice is to be curious and open-minded in both your composing and your listening. I think one of the strengths of my folio was that every piece was different. I was trying new things and exploring what my compositional practice could look like. Were the pieces particularly refined? Absolutely not. But the variety and willingness to experiment worked in my favour.
It’s also really important to engage with music by living composers. Contemporary music can be challenging, and you definitely won’t like everything you hear, but I believe there’s always something to take from it, even if it’s simply learning what you don’t want to do yourself. As a living composer, it’s the world you’re writing within, so it pays to engage with it.
That said, be genuine about your interests. I had moments where I thought talking about a composer I’d only recently researched would help my interview - it absolutely didn’t! The same applies to your portfolio: write the music you genuinely want to write, not the music you think will succeed in applications. There’s no point studying composition if you’re not enjoying it.
Finally, be prepared for feedback. During interviews, the panel may offer gentle critique to see how you respond in a teaching situation. You’ll probably be emotionally invested in the music you’ve submitted, but being able to discuss your work openly and respond thoughtfully to feedback is a really important skill.