ROB HUGHES
Opus 1 composer
Rob is one of six Opus 1 composers selected for 2025
Rob Hughes is a composer, arranger, and cellist based in Manchester. After studying music at the University of Manchester and graduating in 2023, he went on to pursue a master’s degree in composition at the Royal Northern College of Music, receiving tuition from David Horne and Gary Carpenter.
Rob’s musical output is diverse and eclectic, spanning delicate contemporary classical, energetic jazz, and ambient electronic soundscapes. He was recently selected for Manchester Mid-Day Concert’s Society’s New Music in the North West 2025 scheme, where he workshopped a new piece with the Victoria String Quartet. His big-band piece Highway has been recorded and published by New Vibe Records.
In addition to writing concert music, Rob has collaborated with filmmakers and game designers across the country to compose original soundtracks for their projects, including an upcoming documentary for Channel 4.
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Getting to know Rob
What’s the first thing you do when starting a new piece?
I listen to as much music as I can! In the early stages of working on a piece, I often spend a lot of time away from my desk with headphones on, exploring unfamiliar works and revisiting music I know well. Thinking about why I like (or dislike) what I’m listening to helps me start forming initial ideas for my own piece, providing a useful starting point for when I begin putting pencil to paper.
Where do you find inspiration for your music?
I often find inspiration from experiencing the arts in person. Whether it’s hearing a new piece being workshopped, going to a gig with my friends, seeing a film at the cinema, or going to the theatre, these kinds of experiences always have the biggest impact on me and get me thinking about what I can do with my own creative practice.
Was there a particular moment when you knew you wanted to be a composer?
After a call for scores at the University of Manchester in 2023, I had my first concert premiere of a short piece for piano trio called Scorch Marks, performed by the UoM New Music Ensemble. It was programmed alongside music by Sadie Harrison, and hearing her feedback as well as listening to her talk about her own music and how it related to her personal experiences was incredibly eye-opening. The mixture of excitement and nerves from hearing my music come to life for the first time was totally addicting, and I knew I wanted to pursue composing as a career.
What are you hoping to explore or challenge in your work during Opus 1?
I’m really looking forward to exploring different ways of writing for harp. It’s an instrument that I have limited experience writing for, so I’m excited to use the instrument demonstration sessions and workshops to learn how to write for it idiomatically.
What 3 pieces of music would be on your desert island disc?
· Maurice Ravel - String Quartet in F Major
· Radiohead – In Rainbows
· Phronesis – The Behemoth
Tea or Coffee?
Tea (tiny bit of milk, and sugar if I’m treating myself)
Early bird or night owl?
Night owl
Pencil or software?
Software