An interview with Helen Wanders (2020 Composer Development Program participant)

Recently we spoke with FQ 2020 Composer Development Program participant, Helen Wanders, on what the experience means for here and what she is hoping to gain from it.

How did you feel when you found out you had been selected for the 2020 FQ Composer Development Program?

Stunned. This was followed by total elation. I felt stunned because even though I knew I had managed to do some nifty writing in a few places, I wasn't sure if the style of my quartet was what the Flinders Quartet was looking for, or if it matched a level of compositional competency with the other contestants. I also felt relieved to finally have one of my pieces performed and recorded by competent players, who I didn't have to ask and who are happy and willing to do so.

What are you hoping to get out of being involved in the program?

I hope I will be encouraged to continue writing string quartets, which so far is my favourite genre to compose for, and to gain the skills and compositional craftsmanship to do so. I hope also to enjoy the sounds made by real instruments played by real players, not the virtual type.

How do you hope this experience might help to shape you as a composer?

I hope this experience will help me be more confident in my ability to compose, that the skills gained will also be carried over when challenged to write for other groups of instruments and genres.

Flinders Quartet will perform Helen Wanders’s piece “The Hedberg” in a free live streamed concert - Saturday 14 November, 6pm to 7pm AEDT (view here)