London Sinfonietta receives grant for commissioning new music

Contemporary music ensemble London Sinfonietta has received a £100,000 grant from grant-giving foundation Cockayne Grants for the Arts. The sum has been awarded to support the creation of new works for the ensemble in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

The grant, which is one of 10 ‘exceptional anniversary awards’ marks 10 years of grant giving by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a donor advised fund held at The London Community Foundation. It is welcome support for the ensemble which saw the funding it receives from the Arts Council decrease by 41% in November 2022.

London Sinfonietta CEO and artistic director Andrew Burke said: ‘This award confirms the faith that other funders, and audiences, have in us – and particularly in contemporary classical music - which, by exploring contemporary sound worlds and amplifying themes in society, can be as relevant to schools, young people and communities as any other art form. The compositions that we have commissioned over the years have since influenced other music creators and artists from across contemporary society and inspired ever increasing audiences who discover and are moved by these innovative approaches to sound. We are pleased and proud – with Cockayne’s extraordinary support – to be able to plan a longer-term future of this tradition.’

The grant will fund a series of eight commissions for the London Sinfonietta which will be built into its future programmes and will aim to enter the repertoire of ensembles around the world. These new works will join London Sinfonietta’s rich commissioning legacy; over its 56 year history, the ensemble has commissioned over 470 new works. With this funding, London Sinfonietta also aims to encourage further organisations to help fund commissions, offering vital work for the composers of the future.

Across the next two years, London Sinfonietta will undertake a ‘period of evolution’ supported by Arts Council England’s ‘Transform’ programme, which aims to help organisations change their business model following funding cuts.

Cockayne executive director Jo Hedley said: ‘Staying at the cutting edge of musical creation and performance in this manner takes courage and demands resources, especially in the current economic and funding climate. At a moment when art is needed all the more to comment on and make sense of the rapidly changing world around us, Cockayne is delighted in this, its 10th Anniversary year, to support London Sinfonietta forge into the future’.