Bushra El-Turk

Born in London, Bushra El-Turk’s music forebears the influence of her Lebanese roots and rides the continuum between Eastern and Western idioms in sound and ideology. Selected by the BBC as one of the most inspiring 100 Women of today, Bushra has written various works for the concert hall, dance, theatre and multimedia, both performed and broadcast on radio and television worldwide. Her pieces have been performed by ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Panufnik Scheme 2012), BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Opera House, London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), Manchester Camerata, Opera Holland Park, OrchestUtopica (Portugal), Athelas Sinfonietta (Denmark) Hermes Ensemble (Belgium), Orchestre National de Lorraine (France), Latvian Radio Choir, Ensemble Saraband (Germany), Atlas Ensemble, Ensemble Zerafin, Orkest de ereprijs (Holland), Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Lunatics at Large (USA) and Wissam Boustany. Performances have been at venues including the Lincoln Centre (New York), Deutsche Oper Haus (Berlin), Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Birmingham Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, the Southbank and the Barbican (London).

Seeing art as a means for social change, Bushra’s works never shy away from highlighting important sociocultural issues that need to be voiced.

She has completed an AHRC funded PhD in Musical Composition at the University of Birmingham under the supervision of Michael Zev Gordon, where she explored the integration of Middle-Eastern and Western art music.

2018 witnessed Bushra’s BBC Proms-commissioned debut, a piece for the soprano Carly Owen at National Opera Studio and two pieces for Berlin’s Babylon Orchestra performed at Deutsche Oper Haus.

2019 saw the world premiere of Tmesis for Symphony Orchestra, performed by the BBCSO at the Dubai Opera House at the BBC Proms Opening night and Bushra is excited to be commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra again to perform Tuqus for multi-ability orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. 

During 2020, Bushra had contributed to the curation of biennial All Arias festival with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, DeSingel Antwerp, LOD muziektheater, Concertgebouw Brugge and Muziektheater Transparent where she will be Guest Artist and face of the festival (postponed to Spring 2023). She also completed Woman at Point Zero Opera (commissioned by LOD muziektheater), now postponed to 2022, as well as a Concertgebouw Brugge commission based on their Angel Series. Additionally, Bushra has been co-commissioned by Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier to write a concertino for Taegum and orchestra, performed by Hyelim Kim which will now premiere in the 2021/2022 Season in Montpellier and Paris.

Bushra’s current projects for 2021 include a commission by YCAT (Young Concert Artists Trust) to write for string quartet and an orchestral piece.