Phoenix Rousiamanis is a composer of instrumental and electronic music, a songwriter and a performer. She usually composes around themes of folklore, queerness, nostalgia and magic and she is interested in creating genre-defying music that finds beauty in dark, violent and uncomfortable contexts.
She studied composition at the Royal Northern College of Music for which she was awarded scholarships by the Countess of Munster Trust, George Henry Peters and the Ralph Vaughn Williams Foundation. During her time at the RNCM, they have been taught by Laura Bowler, Larry Goves, Emily Howard, David Horne and Adam Gorb, and received the highest final portfolio mark on record.
Her works have been performed by performers and ensembles such as Juliet Fraser, the Greek National Radio Orchestra (ERT), Elias String Quartet, Riot Ensemble and Psappha Ensemble. Her music has been distributed by NMC Recordings supported by PRS foundation, Vaughan Williams and Marchus trusts and performed as part of Darmstadt Zeitströme Festival, Leicester International Music Festival and Tête-à-tête Opera Festival. Phoenix was the 2022 winner of the RNCM ‘Gold Medal Competition’, she was shortlisted for the finals of the Royal Musical Association’s ‘Tippett Medal’, received the ‘Right to Music Award’ by the Athens State Orchestra and won first prize at the Larissa Panhellenic Piano Competition. She was chosen for Psappha’s 2021 ‘Composing for’ scheme, Brighter Sound's 2023 ‘Trans_formation' residency (the first-ever UK residency for non-binary and trans musicians) and the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s ‘Young Composer scheme’ 2023/24.
She is the composer of the project ‘Knowing the Oak Tree’, which is a collaboration with Zurich-based saxophonist Grace Macdonald. This project takes the form of a 45-minute electroacoustic hybrid performance/album which has toured in Switzerland, Germany and the UK with support from Stiftung Erna und Curt Burgauer and Stadt Zürich. The duo has received the ‘Francis Chagrin Award’ and the ZHdK ‘Music Förderpreis 2023’. Furthermore, she writes and performs with art-rock band Sylvette which has released three studio albums, headlined and sold out major UK venues, received Multiple BBC Radio 6 air-plays and worked with producers such as Phil Cunningham from New Order.
As a performer, she has premiered over thirty new works, played in a variety of orchestras and ensembles and was the second violin of the Lux String Quartet. The quartet was chosen for the 'Wigmore Hall Learning Scheme' in 2016 and 2017 and received coaching from quartets such as the Allegri, Carducci, Solem and Chilingirian. Phoenix owes her well-rounded musicianship to her early music education in her native country, Greece. There, she studied violin, piano, saz (folk instrument), higher music academics and Byzantine music.
Future projects include a commission for Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s Ensemble 10:10 and an artist residency with the Onassis Foundation in Athens.
Works
art: Chrysanthi Tsichti
Songs of descent
Songs of Descent is a 43-minute monodrama for singer and sinfonietta ensemble. It retells the myth of Persephone as an allegory to psychological descent and specifically struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s a surreal gothic tale about compassion, shame, sexuality, cancel-culture and finding beauty in the darkest of situations. It is genre defying piece, with elements of baroque, pop, cabaret and contemporary classical high drama all fused in a highly dissonant yet beautiful sound world
Song for a sleepless wolf child
Piano trio originally composed for the RNCM Gold Medal Competition. It is a mischievous yet melancholy piece that with sounds of lullabies, music boxes and detuned strings.
THE SUN, THE MOON AND THEIR LOBSTER CHILDREN
A collection of four miniatures for violin and cimbalom composed for the Psappha ‘Composing for’ scheme.
The Sun and the Moon are parents to two lobsters children. The Moon takes care of one while the Sun takes care of the other. On the rare occasion of them meeting (during an eclipse, when the two celestial bodies are in conjunction) they are filled with excitement for the few moments they have to play and reminisce. After a few moments of play they part and dream of the time when they can be together again. Their separation is bittersweet and never ending yet they understand it is a part of the mystical cycle of life and nature.
DAMNOMENEIA
Originally, released as single as sexwithmdonna and then rereleased through NMC recordings as part of the Big Lockdown Survey.
FIVE PUNK MINIATURES
Five miniature punk-ethos pieces for symphony orchestra.
SPINE (SIGIL 3. ATHANASIA)
A piece for piano and electronics written for composer, pianist and beautiful friend Athanasia Kontou.
EMAK BAKIA
Written as a soundtrack to the surreal silent film of the same name by Man Ray for amplified string quartet and electronics.
juliet the moon
A eighty-minute long sound installation for the reading room of Manchester Central Library’s reading room for four sopranos, singing glasses and five cellos. Commissioned by the Hallé and Manchester After-hours Festival and composed in collaboration with composer Deane Smith, Juliet the Moon is a heartbreaking and immersive piece based on the letters sent between Frank Merrick, pianist and tutor at the RNCM, and his wife Hope Squires throughout Merrick’s imprisonment during WWI for being an opponent to the war.
Collaborations
ARRanger and recording artist
Phoenix is a highly experienced arranger and recording artist. They have a portfolio of over 50 arrangements for various bands, ensembles and projects with Sony Music and Music For Youth.
String arrangements for Sea Fever
String quartet Arrangement of Björk’s Hyper-ballad.
News & upcoming events
19/01/2024: ‘I know a place’ conference
Phoenix will be talking at the live-streamed panel discussion about LGBTQIA+ music.
LONDON Philharmonic orchestra: Young Composers scheme 2023/2024
Onassis AiR fellowship
“An intoxicating listen from the get-go with sparkling musicality and raw emotion that captivates your attention”
“Dramatic, sophisticated and stylish”
“This piece humorously and beautifully presents the ‘found’ dialogue of one side of three phone conversations and presents them in three different contexts”
“The groups fusion of indie songwriting and electronic elements makes for something fresh”
“A very dreamy and lullabaic piece with lots of wonderful sounds”
“Rousiamanis’ exceptional violin skills which are scattered throughout the song, often adding a hint of tension or piercing through the rest of the layers to demand the attention of the listener.”