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A crucial part of developing talent is discovering it. At hcmf//, we’re constantly reminded that not everything starts with a plan. Some of the best discoveries are made outside of open calls and tailored programmes. Some of the best artists and ensembles build a relationship with us on the stage, in the very moment they perform.

Outside of our dedicated Fielding Talent platforms, we’re committed to identifying talent on its own terms. There are plenty of artists and ensembles who fall outside of our particular talent development brackets – at different stages in their career, with specific professional needs. There are also other ways we can engage with these artists, exemplified in the shorter-term programmes we’ve run through the years.

Building these relationships has been a historical part of the hcmf// DNA, seen in our ongoing work with James Dillon – winner of the inaugural edition of our historic Young Composer’s Award in 1978 – through to our current work with emerging artists. Over the years, we’ve made a point of signposting these musicians, whether through welcoming them back to the festival for a major project, pairing them with new collaborators or sending them to a showcase on the other side of the world.