About

Felix Penna is a Franco-British composer whose music frequently explores the interaction between the familiar and the unfamiliar. He has drawn upon the unique imagery of surrealist poetry in his song cycle La Nuit Constellée, based on French poet Guillaume Apollinaire's poems; and has recently completed a piece for flute and electronics, Liminal Lights, that explores the disconcerting yet somewhat comforting nature of liminal spaces. His music also occasionally draws inspiration from different folk traditions, shedding a new light on them by intertwining them with other genres - with Klezmer and neo-romanticism fusing in Khazer - or presenting them in new contexts - with his piece Lou Farandoulaire Trufareù inspired by the provençal ‘Galoubet and Tambourin’ instruments.

Having won the Commonwealth International Competition's Young Adjudicator's prize, Felix was commissioned to write a piece for flute, percussion, cello and violin, Sdrijn, which was premiered in London at the Royal Overseas League. Other notable recent performances include his first string quartet Calluno, performed by the Waldstein Quartet at Greenwich Theatre and at Burgh House, Hampstead; his second string quartet Lycaena, performed by the Starling Quartet at the Royal Academy of Music; his solo piano piece Eintracht performed at Norden Farm Centre of the Arts; and his song cycle La Nuit Constellée commissioned and performed by Sophie Patterson at the Leatherhead Methodist Church, Raffles London hotel and Burgh House. 

Alongside his compositional work, Felix attaches great importance to the social and educational role of music and is actively involved in outreach and community projects. As a tutor and workshop assistant, he has supported young students in composing and performing their own music through initiatives such as the Lights, Camera, Score project with Little People Big Noise and the Royal Academy of Music Composer’s Club. 

Felix is currently in his fourth year at the Royal Academy of Music, where he has a scholarship to study composition with Helen Grime and Dr. Gareth Moorcraft.