“From parted shadows, the radiant roots—she breathes.”

“For String Quartet (2025)” is a catalogue: a short piece of music that aims to be encyclopaedic, but acknowledges its limitations and eventually fails—a fake encyclopaedia. It avoids any use of programmatic means to convey this subject matter; instead, it incorporates a made-up numerical system to generate sets of material— which are then organised into a taxonomy— forming a list of different ways to compose a piece of music.

lava_cycle is an immersive experience where sound, light, and audience interaction merge to create a constantly evolving musical environment that flows between performers and listeners.

Ji is a string quartet inspired by the atmosphere of traditional Chinese ritual ceremonies, moving from busy ceremonial gestures into a quiet, sacred space of remembrance, offering and reflection.

While “She Breathes” explores a more historical and human narrative, my broader compositional sound has recently been shaped by the philosophy of “poetic science,” evoking the “silent” languages of mathematics and quantum physics into vivid, “audible” sound worlds. Rather than illustrating scientific mechanics, I focus more on the philosophical weight of these disciplines. I am interested in manifesting human insignificance in relation to our Creator, and in how scientific inquiry might connect with a more introspective, almost spiritual mode of listening. I strive to find the intersection between these ethereal concepts and emotional depth, inviting my audience to engage with both the universe’s vastness and their own inner being.

I have a deep obsession with absurdist self-reflexivity: whether it’s an episode of Peep Show or a film by Peter Greenaway, I have an unquenchable thirst for it. Recently, I’ve been exploring Chris Morris’s The Day Today and Brass Eye, and I’ve been intrigued by his sheer audacity in depicting the extreme grotesquerie of the human condition and our collective existence— a topic I’m particularly concerned with and aim to reflect in my own work.

I’ve been strongly influenced by filmmakers like Gaspar Noé and artists such as Olafur Eliasson. Their work made me think more about the visual presence of performers – how movement, gesture, and body language relate to sound. Coming from a background in techno and ambient music, I’ve become interested in highlighting these physical aspects through light: colours, flashes, even strobe effects, to create a more direct and immersive experience for the audience.

The soft, airy sound of milk foam settling on a cup of cappuccino.

This is a significant milestone in my artistic career: LMP is an extremely prestigious institution with a profoundly rich history, and considering my conditions—as an immigrant artist from the Middle East— to be recognised as one of 4 finalists feels especially welcoming: affirming a sense of belonging and contribution to an cultural/historical landscape.

It’s a real honour to be selected as a finalist, and I’m very grateful. I discovered LMP when I moved to London and was really impressed by their commitment to new music. To be connected to them in this way feels very meaningful. It’s both encouraging and motivating, and it gives me a strong sense of connection to performers and institutions who are actively supporting contemporary creation.

Being selected as a finalist for the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Prize means a great deal to me at this stage of my journey. It feels like a warm encouragement to keep trusting the musical language I have been developing, and to continue exploring sound, gesture and emotion with honesty. I am very grateful for this recognition, and for the chance to share my work with performers and audiences in such a meaningful context.