Composer Cyrus Meurant talks collaboration, choreography and being part of a collective.

In working with choreographers and theatre directors I have been inspired to compose music I would otherwise never have imagined. It is also through this collaboration that artists can create rich and dynamic works, with the potential of engaging an audience in a fundamental way.

In performing my score for Klash – composed for the National College of Dance in 2012 – three musicians were on mobile platforms and were moved around the stage throughout the work. The various instrumental configurations were integral to the structure and drama of the work. We were able to explore the physicality of the musician’s movements in performance and how various approaches to spatial and instrumental layout can influence the form and content of a composition. The dancers were also able to physically interact with and respond to the musicians.

For another recent dance collaboration, Wild Life, I performed solo violin from the Juliet balcony in the Civic Theatre. During the development of the work I was also able to compose on the violin in the dance studio and often during rehearsals. This process of development yielded a far more integrated...