Nico Muhly

The music of New Yorkbased composer Nico Muhly has been performed by such ensembles as eighth blackbird, the Britten Sinfonia, the Chicago Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic, and sung by soloists including David Daniels, Mark Padmore, and Jessica Rivera. In addition to numerous recordings of his own music (available on Decca and Bedroom Community Records), he has collaborated on projects with Antony and the Johnsons, Bjrk, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Grizzly Bear, Jnsi of Sigur Rs and Teitur Lassen. His first opera, Two Boys, premiered at the English National Opera in June 2011. Recent and upcoming premieres include Two Hearts, a new collaboration with choreographer Benjamin Millepied, and Gait composed for the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Great Britain.

The Wunderkind Composer Finds Inspiration in Digital Intrigue for His New Opera

Heralded as the heir to Philip Glass, 29-year-old New York composer Nico Muhly makes his opera debut with the genre-busting thriller Two Boys at the English National Opera. Directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher and featuring a libretto by Craig Lucas, the production is held together by its magnetic score, previewed above with an excerpt from the production's second chorus, remixed for NOWNESS by the composer himself. "It moves between standard operatic arias and very stylized, severe choral textures," Muhly says. The narrative focuses on a bizarre incident based on a true story, in which an online chatroom exchange between two teenagers leads to murder. "What I wanted was an episode of Prime Suspect," the composer reveals, tongue-in-cheek. "A grand opera that functions like a real quality evening's entertainment." Muhlys magpie-like habits have won him a cult following not just in the concert hall but in indie music circles (where he's collaborated with the likes of Bjrk and Antony Hegarty), Hollywood (he scored The Reader), and online, courtesy of his riotous blog which sees him riff on anything from medieval psalmody to porcini mushrooms.

ENOs Two boys opened at The London Coliseum and runs to July 8, 2013.