Rockey Sun Keting

Sun Keting
Born1993 (age 32–33)
China
OccupationsComposer, creative director, researcher
Known forContemporary classical composition and interdisciplinary collaboration
AwardsComposer for the Britten-Pears Young Artist
Websiteketingsun.com

Sun Keting (Chinese: 孙柯亭; also known as Rockey Sun Keting) is a composer, sound artist, and artistic director originally from China and currently based in London. Her work spans various fields, including concert music, theater, dance, and interdisciplinary performance.[1] Keting's practice focuses on narrative-driven and movement-informed approaches, where sound serves as a key component in the structure of storytelling.[2][3]

Early life and education

Sun Keting obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music before relocating to the United Kingdom. In the UK, she completed a Master's degree and a Doctorate in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Her research focused on the influence of Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and embodiment on contemporary composition.[4][5]

Career

Sun Keting's music has been performed in various international venues, and she has composed works for ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, BBC Singers, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.[4][6] Her work has been presented at various venues and festivals, including the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, King's Place in London, Aldeburgh Festival, Cheltenham Festival, LSO St. Luke's, Britten Pears Arts, Tête-à-Tête Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Dublin.[7]

In 2023, Keting contributed as one of the composers for "Black Sabbath: The Ballet," produced by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2023.[8] Additionally, she co-created "Bound/Unbound," a music-dance theatre piece in collaboration with composer Alex Ho for the collective Tangram and the London Symphony Orchestra.[9][10][11]

Keting's works include "that which is unseen..." for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the dance piece "Ensō" and Now I Will DO Nothing but Listen for the London Symphony Orchestra, as well as collaborations with Lico Kehua Li on "Conduit" and "BLUESHIFT | Infinite Cycle." [12] In 2025, the London Sinfonietta performed "Conduit," which she directed and composed at the Southbank Centre.[13] Keting was designated as a Royal Philharmonic Society Composer for the 2023-24 season, during which she premiered a new work as part of the Society's Composer Programme. The commissioned piece was reviewed in Music Opinions Magazine, which described it as a synthesis of Eastern and Western sonorities and commented on her transnational musical style.[14]

Selected works

  • Steppe - flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (2018)[15]
  • Bound/Unbound - music theatre, with Alex Ho / Tangra, (2023)
  • that which is unseen... - orchestral, London Philharmonic Orchestra (2021)
  • Conduit - dance music collaboration, London Sinfonietta (2024)
  • BLUESHIFT | Infinite Cycle - dance theatre, Shanghai International Dance Centre (2024)
  • Black Sabbath: The Ballet - Birmingham Royal Ballet (2023)[16][17]
  • Mang Gu and thronged only with flowers - choral works, NMC Records (2023)

Awards

  • Britten-Pears Young Artist Award, Composer[2]

References

  1. ^ "Rockey Sun Keting". wisemusicclassical.com. Archived from the original on 2025-07-19. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  2. ^ a b "With Thee". Royal Academy of Music. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  3. ^ de Somogyi, Zygmund (2021-10-11). "Interview: Sun Keting". PRXLUDES | beyond genre. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  4. ^ a b "Sun Keting". Birmingham Royal Ballet. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  5. ^ "Rockey Sun Keting: Blood Moon". Choir and Organ. 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  6. ^ "Sun Keting: Open Fund for Music Creators". PRS for Music Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  7. ^ "Video of the Day: The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge perform Rockey Sun Keting's 'Blood Moon'". Gramophone. 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  8. ^ Hobson, Rich (2023-09-29). "The Black Sabbath ballet shows Sabbath are still pushing heavy metal into unchartered territories after half a century". Louder. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  9. ^ Hugill, Planet. "The encounter that never was: composers Alex Ho and Sun Keting on their collaboration on a new music theatre work interweaving the stories of two very different Chinese women". Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  10. ^ "Composer Alex Ho and the Chinese diaspora in Britain". Classical Music. 2025-12-19. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  11. ^ "Bound/Unbound". Tangram Music. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  12. ^ "Rockey Sun Keting: Tangram Composer in Residence". Royal Academy of Music. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  13. ^ "HUMANS: SUN KETING & PABLO MARTINEZ". London Sinfonietta. 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  14. ^ "Sun Keting - RPS Composer Premiere". Royal Philharmonic Society. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  15. ^ Martínez Ramos, Francisco. "Manson Ensemble: jóvenes virtuosos de la música contemporánea". bachtrack.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  16. ^ "Black Sabbath: The Ballet – Sadler's Wells Theatre, London". The Reviews Hub. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  17. ^ Crompton, Sarah (2023-10-01). "Birmingham Royal Ballet: Black Sabbath – The Ballet; English National Ballet: Our Voices – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.