About

Simon Knighton is an Ivor Novello nominated and Royal Music Association Tippet Medal winning composer based in Manchester. He regularly works with the Nonclassical label and has recently completed a PhD at the Royal Northern College of Music.  

Simon's ongoing Sound Sculpture series investigates the evolving meaning of the term “sound sculpture,” integrating spatialisation, material physicality, and system-based emergent processes. He enjoys working in close collaboration with performers (inviting them into the composition process wherever possible) and often creates bespoke collaborative methods for each project he undertakes.  

He has extensive experience of composing for ensembles across Europe, including the Southbank Sinfonia and Nieuw Ensemble, and has had several pieces broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6.  

Simon is also a keen educator and has delivered workshops for organisations such as Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Riot Ensemble. 

Since the COVID lockdowns, Simon has also worked as a care assistant for a young gentleman with autism as part of L’Arche - a community charity that supports 20 people with learning disabilities across six houses in Manchester, as well as countless more in other locations around the world.