Ruth Morley, a flautist and lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, has been nominated in the Best Small-Scale Composition category at this year’s Ivors Composer Awards for her work, Reef.
The composition, commissioned by Red Note Ensemble, premiered at Aberdeen’s Sound Festival in 2025 and was subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s New Music Show. It was performed by Morley alongside soprano Laura Bowler and fellow RCS lecturers, percussionist Tom Hunter and double bassist Iain Crawford.
The Ivors Composer Awards celebrate excellence in contemporary composition across various disciplines. The ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster Petroc Trelawny at Grosvenor House in London on Tuesday 17 November.
“"I’m amazed and delighted to be nominated for an Ivors Composer Award. I’ve had so many lovely messages from people since the announcement. It is a huge honour."
Reef was inspired by research into coral reef conservation and the role sound plays in restoring damaged marine ecosystems. Morley explained her fascination with the discovery that damaged reefs recover faster when recordings of healthy reef systems are played, noting the importance of reef sounds in attracting fish and coral larvae.
