Shiva Feshareki

"I set myself no boundaries, unless they're there to break. At age 22, I aim to write music which is accessible to my generation, as well as intelligent and thought-provoking. I write music cos I want to and need to, where I want and when I want, because it's honest and from the heart - simple as that. Fitting into a genre, and being a certain type of person is completely unimportant to me."In 2004, aged 17, Shiva won the BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer of the Year, with the 1st piece she ever wrote, titled 'in the attic', for 3 violins, 2 pianos and vibrator. “It all started when I put my electric toothbrush on the piano strings, but later realized that a vibrator was far more effective”. This resulted in a performance at the BBC Chamber Proms, and her 1st broadcast on Radio 3.During her time as Principal Composer in Residence of the National Youth Orchestra in '06, she had chamber pieces performed at The Barbican and Birmingham Symphony Hall.In June 07, her piece 'dancefloor distortions' was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. "I am living in an exciting and challenging moment of my life. I am young, unsubtle and proud of it. All the music I am writing during my student life is linked together in a set, and provoked by experiences that have moved me or have been significant to me in my life in the Capital: I am living in my own concept album." In June 2009, Shiva completed this highly personal set of pieces after 5 years in the making, and constructed her album. Only the final piece remains unperformed; 'TTKonzert' - a Concerto for 4 Turntables and Orchestra. This is her largest-scale piece and in her mind, the most assured. "I spent my overdraft on pressing my own dubplates for this concerto, trekked 'round London to find the only place that did this, and bought 2 extra decks that cost a bomb. It's worth it. This piece is explosive and I CAN'T WAIT to unleash it on audiences."Shiva is currently studying Composition under Mark-Anthony Turnage as a scholar, at the Royal College of Music. In June 2008, she won the prestigious RCM Cobbett & Hurlstone Prize; the top prize for a Composer at the RCM, for outstanding creative achievement. More recently, the RCM commissioned Shiva to write a solo piano piece for their ‘Rising Stars Series’ at Cadogan Hall.Her piece 'critical distortions' for Solo Cello and Turntables, is one of many pieces she has written for turntables with acoustic instruments. The ‘Critical Distortions’ tour featuring works by Shiva, Simon Fisher-Turner, performed by Natalie Clein and managed by Matt Fretton commenced in June 08, touring all different types of venues across the UK. This included Kings Place, and the Bath International and Cambridge Festivals. Shiva stripped-down and reconstructed the Art of Turntabling to create her own notation and methods, to suit the demands of the music she writes. "As a composer, I come towards the turntables from a completely different angle to a DJ so naturally, the music I create for them is very different ".In July 2009, her piece ‘insistent distortions’ for orchestra, was performed at the Cheltenham Festival. 'One could feel a gripping narrative taking shape' - The Telegragh.Shiva's latest achievement is winning the RPS Composition Prize, resulting in a £3000 commission for the Philharmonia.In July 2009, Shiva graduated, achieving the highest mark in the whole of RCM for her principal study, this being her set of pieces, titled 'The Set'. This resulted in her receiving The Elgar Memorial Prize.