Leon Haxby is a young composer from London. He began composition lessons with Darren Bloom at Forest School and was awarded a scholarship to the Birmingham Conservatoire, where he graduated with a BMus in Composition in 2015. Leon has been accepted to a Masters course in Composition at The Hague, starting in September 2017. Leon has studied under Richard Causton, Edwin Roxburgh, Ed Bennett, Joe Cutler and Howard Skempton. He has also taken part in masterclasses with Mario Garuti, Colin Matthews and Richard Ayres. Leon was the winner of the Orchestre Nouvelle Generation Composers Competition 2016/17, and the Birmingham Conservatoire Orchestral Composition Prize 2014. His scores are held in the Royal Academy of Music and American Viola Society libraries, and his pieces have been performed in various locations throughout Europe, the USA and South Africa. In addition to classical composition, Leon has also completed a number of scores for short films, and composed the soundtrack for Marianna Jungman's show at London Fashion Week in 2014. Other collaborators include Jeff Leyshon, Andrew Delaney, Zena Holloway and New York-based photographer Graeme Montgomery. Leon has been hired to write soundtracks for Japanese Vogue, Nowness and Cent Magazine. Leon is also a bassoonist, having studied with Adam Mackenzie (New London Chamber Ensemble) and John Orford (London Sinfonietta). Leon was also a member of Essex Youth Orchestra for four years. He has written new repertoire for the instrument, including a number of Concert Studies and also a Bassoon Quartet. Leon is currently giving music lessons around his local area as well as devoting as much time a possible to composition.
Very delicate, reminiscent of the great Morton Feldman's music, though on a very much smaller and more manageable timescale, and held the audience's attention raptly.
'Fragility' by Leon Haxby is a quiet, introspective piece, featuring atonal motifs which are repeated in different registers and devel-oped. Rita Schindler’s clear, sparkling sound suited the piece perfectly, lending it the image of a delicate crystal.
