Making Music announces 2025 Adopt a Music Creator pairings

Making Music is delighted to announce the 2025 pairings for Adopt a Music Creator, our flagship project that brings together emerging music creators and leisure-time music groups to collaborate and create inspiring new music.

Over the course of a year, each music creator will work closely with their paired group, culminating in a premiere performance, professional recording, and a possible radio broadcast. Since its inception in 2000, Adopt a Music Creator has supported artistic development, fostered creative partnerships, and celebrated the diversity of the UK’s vibrant leisure-time music scene. 

Introducing the 2025 Adopt a Music Creator pairings:

• Barnet Choral Society with Au Arias (mentored by composer Jenni Pinnock)
• Funded by Creative Scotland: Linlithgow String Orchestra with Deborah Shaw (mentored by composer Ailie Robertson)
• Southend Vox Chamber Choir with Aran O’Grady (mentored by composer Fraser Trainer)
• Redland Wind Band with Katrine Aziz (mentored by composer Lynne Plowman)

This year, we are proud to welcome Composers Edition as a new project partner, alongside continued support from the PRS Foundation, Creative Scotland, and the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust.

Barbara Eifler, Chief Executive of Making Music, said: 

'This project every year offers a small group of leisure-time music groups and music creators the funded and mentor-supported opportunity to work out the nitty-gritty of creating a new piece of music in a collaborative way. It is not ‘just’ four groups and creators who benefit – the groups usually, having built their confidence, go on to commission again; and the creators build their careers knowing how leisure-time music groups work and what the opportunities are for them in this area.'

Read about the 2025 project pairings as well as past collaborations at the Adopt a Music Creator opportunities page. 

New Adopt a Music Creator legacy event

For the first time, we are introducing an Adopt a Music Creator legacy event, bringing together participants from the 2024 project – including musical directors, composers, and mentors – to reflect on their experiences, share insights on collaboration, and discuss the impact of the initiative on their musical journeys. Join us on Tuesday 28 January – Commissioning new music (online event)

For more information, contact Harriet Laidler, Making Music Projects Manager, at harriet@makingmusic.org.uk  

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Notes to editors

Since 1935, Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We now represent over 4,000 groups made up of around 228,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their groups so they can get on with making music! makingmusic.org.uk 

Partner organisations:

PRS Foundation is the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development – offering composer residencies and commissions to a network of talent development partners and showcases in the UK and overseas. Since 2,000 PRS Foundation has given more than £35m to over 7,300 music initiatives. prsfoundation.com   

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com 

The Philip and Dorothy Green Trust was established by film and television composer and conductor Philip Green (1911-1982) and his wife, Dorothy, to help young musicians and composers. The Trust has co-funded the Adopt a Music Creator project (previously Adopt a Composer) since 2015.

Founded by Dan Goren and launched in 2013, Composers Edition is a unique publishing enterprise, which works to bring composers and performers together, and facilitates and celebrates music making involving contemporary repertoire. composersedition.com

2025 participants:

- Barnet Choral Society with Au Arias (mentored by composer Jenni Pinnock)

Barnet Choral Society was founded in 1940 and currently has around 80 members. They provide an opportunity to learn and enjoy choral music in a relaxed and positive atmosphere with occasional workshops that are usually open to all interested singers. They are a non-audition adult choir and welcome singers of all abilities with a mix of material which they hope will suit everybody. barnetchoralsociety.org

Au Arias, an Argentinian-born composer and conductor living in Glasgow, has created works such as a bandoneon concerto and the opera 'Gruta de Ninfas'. A highlight of his career was the 2024 premiere of 'Tango Mass' by The Mackintosh Choir. Au has performed in Turkey, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. He currently conducts orchestras and choirs around Scotland and the North of England. newmusicscotland.co.uk/profile/au-arias/ 

- Linlithgow String Orchestra with Deborah Shaw (mentored by composer Ailie Robertson)

The Linlithgow String Orchestra was formed in May 2016 by a group of local amateur musicians keen to establish a community orchestra for the Linlithgow area. In March 2023, the orchestra performed 'Zadok The Priest' as part of a massed group of musicians and choristers from other Linlithgow based music groups. For the last two consecutive years, the orchestra have accompanied the Church Choir at St. Michael's Parish Church in their annual Christmas Carol Service. ​​​​linlithgowstringorchestra.uk

Deborah Shaw is a composer, instrumentalist (piano, harp, voice), and sonic artist who fuses live instruments, collected sounds, voice, and progressive electronica to create immersive sonic landscapes. Her work explores themes of community, empathy, space and place, addressing personal and social issues such as mental health, women's rights, and exploring the voices of mothers and carers. shawmusic.co.uk

- Southend Vox Chamber Choir with Aran O’Grady (mentored by composer Fraser Trainer)

Southend Vox Chamber Choir is a women's, auditioned choir based in Southend-on-Sea and is sister choir to Southend Vox. Their repertoire covers a wide range of music, from challenging and intricate choral pieces, to swing, soul and pop tunes. They love performing at weddings, civil ceremonies, and local concerts and also take part in choral competitions. southendvox.com/chamber-choir

Aran O’Grady is an Irish composer and arranger, living in London. His musical is evocative and narrative-driven, with a focus on catchy melodies and dance rhythms. In 2022 he was one of five composers selected to compose a collaborative opera for Sky Arts and Grange Park Opera. Aran is composer-in-residence with the acclaimed Dublin-based group, Glasshouse Ensemble. aranogrady.com 

- Redland Wind Band with Katrine Aziz (mentored by composer Lynne Plowman) 

Redland Wind Band is a community ensemble of over 40 members from across Bristol and its surrounding areas. The band rehearses throughout the year and performs high-quality concerts in a range of indoor and outdoor locations, having a lot of fun in the process. They play the full range of wind band repertoire including original wind band compositions as well classical and popular music. redlandwindband.com

Katrine Aziz is a composer, musician and sound artist whose work ranges from short film scores to contemporary concert music. She recently completed a master’s in composition at London College of Music and has written for Ealing Wind Orchestra and violinist Timothy Schwarz, among others. Katrine’s work explores mythology and the creation of immersive spaces through music. Kartrine on Soundcloud