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St Hugh’s music student hits the right note

Congratulations to second-year music student Jonty Watt whose latest composition called “Apogee” for full orchestra, was chosen as the winner of this year’s Oxford Music Society composition competition.

The competition is an annual initiative run by the Oxford University Music Society. Entrants are invited to write a piece for orchestra between 7 and 15 minutes in length, and the prize is a performance of this work in University Church by the Oxford University Sinfonietta in one of their termly concerts (plus a £100 cash prize). Jonty’s piece was performed alongside Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Grace Williams’ Violin Concerto at University Church. Jonty was partially inspired by Hokusai’s famous woodblock print, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, which he saw on a family mouse mat when he was 6 years old, and his piece aims to capture some of the endlessly complex nature of water. Following graduation, Jonty hopes to pursue postgraduate study in composition before embarking on a career in music. You can listen to Jonty’s composition here: https://jontylefroywatt.bandcamp.com/track/apogee-2020

The image below is Hokusai’s famous woodblock print, The Great Wave of Kanagawa.