sound is delighted to announce this year's soundcurators for soundfestival 2026. The initiative supports early-career composers and performers to curate performances during this year's festival, which runs from 22–31 October 2026.
The soundcurator programme provides a platform for emerging artists to develop and present their own creative vision within the festival. Audiences can look forward to two distinctive events that showcase the breadth of talent and creativity being developed by a new generation of composers and performers in Scotland.
Tom Macfadyen
Tom Macfadyen is an electroacoustic composer, audiovisual artist, improviser and sound designer from Dunfermline, Scotland. His practice uses recorded sounds from a range of instruments and non-musical objects, re-shaped through digital processing to produce surreal, sometimes uncanny, highly detailed and immersive textures that transport listeners into ever transforming soundscapes that are nevertheless deeply rooted in a sense of the ‘real’. He is interested in producing reflective and playful work that tells a story about an affecting sonic encounter, and is particularly interested by sounds personal to him, his friends, and his home in Scotland.
“I am really excited to be collaborating with such a inspiring group of composers, and look forward to presenting our new works in a way that is both exciting and immersive but also accessible and welcoming to new audiences who may be discovering electroacoustic music for the first time.”
Hadrian Gray
Hadrian is a recent graduate at the University of Aberdeen. Where he studied performance and composition specializing in contemporary and classical music styles. Hadrian has been part of a range of ensembles across Aberdeen with him being the president of UoA Concert Band and vice president of the new music ensemble Spectrum. Hadrian has been involved with organisations such as Glasgow Barrons being orchestral manager for their Govan music festival and Concert Assistant at the University of Aberdeen helping with the running of their concert series.
“I am very excited to work with the line up of Aberdeen musicians and photographers to create picture perfect performance.”
Further details about both performances will be announced as part of the full soundfestival 2026 programme.
This opportunity is funded by the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
It is part of sound’s soundcreators programme focusing on nurturing creative talent.
soundcreators is currently funded by Creative Scotland, Aberdeen City Council, the Hinrichsen Foundation, the William Syson Foundation and through the PRS Foundation’s Development Network fund supported by PPL.
