Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale has announced the appointment as Tarik O’Regan the company’s first-ever composer-in-residence. He will work with Music Director Richard Egarr and company artists to compose new works and build new relationships within the PBO community.

O’Regan has established himself as one of the most commissioned composers of his generation. His residency will include three new commissions: a concerto for oud and orchestra, a major operatic production, and a new work for the Philharmonia Chorale. He also intends to launch a short-form commissioning program with the goal of 10-20 works of five minutes or less, meant to kickstart new repertoire for PBO and other ensembles.

PBO and O’Regan will also aim to launch a composition competition, where the winner will be commissioned by PBO; a live workshopping program for composers; and a dedicated ensemble for contemporary music within the company.

“I’m thrilled to build upon the flourishing work already underway at PBO,” says O’Regan on his appointment. “The organization feels like an instantly natural and welcoming home in which to house these various ideas about integrating composition with performance, programming, education, and storytelling. In Richard, I’ve found not just a phenomenal artist in his own right, but a wonderful forward-thinking partner with whom to explore how history and the present day are always in conversation. Ultimately our interest in nuancing definitions of ‘old’ and ‘new’ is driven by our love of live  music in all its varied guises, and our desire to share it with, and to  discover more from, our broadest possible community.”