Arthur Keegan

Arthur Keegan often draws on text to inspire the music he writes, from poetry and literature to twitter feeds and graffiti. He writes instrumental chamber and orchestral music (occassionally with electronics) which has been performed across the UK, the US and Canada and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has worked with orchestras such as the Philharmonia and the London Symphony Orchestra and written chamber music with performers such as the Ligeti Quartet, Lotte Betts-Dean, Joby Burgess, and Ensemble Musikfabrik. Only first experiencing Classical concert at the age of 16, coming from a non-musical family, Arthur is passionate about inspiring musicians from less advantaged backgrounds to pursue artistic careers and engage with classical music.
Alongside composing Arthur is active as a sound engineer and teaches composition at Middlesex University. He may also be found making chess sets or playing cricket.

Music
Current projects include a collaboration with Lotte Betts-Dean exploring art-song settings of poetry by Thomas Hardy and a spin-off project with the Ligeti Quartet which responds to Hardy's poem 'Afterwards'. He is writing for the Philharmonia Orchestra as part of their Music of Today Composer Academy scheme and is developing a dance and visual art project exploring the tale of Dorian Gray. In 2021 he wrote a song cycle commissioned by Wild Plum Arts and the Estate of T.S. Eliot as well as an overture for the University of Bristol Symphony Orchestra. He is a recipient of the Paul Hamlyn 2020 Award for Artists.

Manager for Arthur Keegan

"We were so impressed, (after a single commission for Arthur)... that we have expanded the commission to a three-song cycle" - Wild Plum Arts

"the electronic spangles of Keegan-Bole’s accompaniment were especially apt... As with all the best settings of poetry, the words were liberated by music" - Gramophone

Live

Online

LSO Soundhub