Luke Faulkner

What does music mean to you personally?

It gives me a sense of purpose.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

Music alone is abstract. It can suggest something - such as water in Ravel’s Jeux d’eau - but cannot represent a concept with the specificity of words. However, when listening to concert music we try to understand it, or at least try to connect with it in some way. Here imagination steps in. In this sense music can be a sort of fantasy.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

Rather lost, but maybe a farmer (my family are all farmers!)

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

I fear any future in which Classical music has no value, but there are many in my generation for whom it means something.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

The transformation is already under way. Until recently we used to purchase individual CDs from physical stores, now whole stores are in our pockets and much more besides. The result, as we are witnessing, is the ubiquity of music.

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

I often come across phenomenal young musicians through YouTube etc. Most recently, I was overwhelmed by Yunchan Lim’s performance of Rach 3 in this year’s Van Cliburn competition. There’s certainly no lack of great musicians in the younger generation, and I’m encouraged by the recent success of various Classical meme accounts which suggests that the younger generation is already actively engaging with Classical music.

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favourite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

I improvise until I come across an idea with potential, then I develop it into a composition. I cannot say which is my favourite composition, but its genesis was most probably this.

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

Find a playlist that covers a wide range of Classical music. Listen through, taking note of each track you like. Once done, research the composers of those tracks, their works, and their contemporaries’ works. I did this with Russian music when I was younger and found a multitude of works that continue to enchant me.

Do you think about the audience when composing?

Not so much when composing, but certainly when publishing. I compose for my own enjoyment, and publish for what I hope will be the enjoyment of others.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

I’ve recently collaborated on a 6 track EP and film series with Vesislava Todorova who is an exceptional cellist. She plays with soul and gets to the heart of the music. I’m really excited for this release which comprises compositions by the both of us. The individual releases will take place throughout October on our YouTube channels, and the main EP launch on all streaming platforms is scheduled for 21st October.


Vesi’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/vesislavaofficial

My channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LukeFaulkner