ABOUT

Aran is an Irish composer and arranger based between Dublin and London. He specialises in the creation of large-scale collaborative opera as well as chamber works featuring non-traditional instruments and creating reimagined versions of well-known works. His music has been performed in France, Singapore, the Netherlands, Michigan (US), and across the UK and Ireland. His music has been described as ‘entertaining and entrancing’ (Golden Plec) and ‘edgy and stylistically confident’ (PlanetHugill).

Aran was one of five composers commissioned to work on a new opera about football which was commissioned by Sky Arts. The 90-minute opera was produced by Factory Films and Grange Park Opera. It was performed at the Theatre in the Woods in October 2022 and has been broadcast on Sky Arts and Sky Originals since November 2022. Glasshouse Ensemble have commissioned Aran to compose a number of works including a collaboration with the electronic artist RKitt and three pieces for Theremin and ensemble which were premiered by Gregoire Blanc in March 2023. He is currently working on a full-length opera with Tasteinyourmouth, with the support of Arts Council Ireland, which will be performed by Glasshouse in late 2024.

In 2014, Aran was announced as a finalist in the International Alkema Composition Competition. His piece for saxophone quartet and piano was performed by the Aurelia Quartet and Henry Kelder at the Tivoli Vrendenberg in Utrecht. Aran was the recipient of the Irish Heritage Music Bursary for Composition in 2020 for his piece “Zeitgeist” for flute, cello and double bass.

His first opera, Eintanzer was performed at the Silk Street Theatre, London, in Summer 2021 and subsequently was given its US premier by the opera school at the University of Michigan in December 2022. In 2021, Aran was a winner of the New Music Dublin call for scores for Brass Quintet, which led to a commission for a new work for brass band which was performed at NMD 2022 by the Roughan Silver Band. The resulting piece “The Golden Stone” is currently being expanded into a longer piece for professional publication in 2025.

A prolific arranger, Aran has reimagined the works of countless artists for orchestra and chamber ensembles. Including David Bowie, LCD Soundsystem, Kate Bush, Bon Iver, Joni Mitchell, Aphex Twin and most recently, Ryuichi Sakamoto. These sets have been performed at Ireland’s leading music festival and to sold out shows at many of the country’s top venues including the National Concert Hall and the Pavilion Theatre.

Aran studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with Kevin O’Connell and Jonathan Nangle and then with Julian Philips and Stephen McNeff at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.