Toby Young is a composer and singer from London. He studied composition with Robin Holloway at Cambridge whilst also being a choral scholar in the prestigious King's College Chapel Choir. Since winning numerous competitions, most notably the International ABRSM Composition Competition (2009) and the Guardian/BBC Proms Young Composer of the Year (2006 and 2008), Toby has been much in demand, both in the UK and abroad, with works being performed at numerous prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Sadlers Wells, and the Cadogan Hall, by renowned ensembles and orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, Fretwork, Britten Sinfonia and Endymion Ensemble, and many choirs including the choirs of King's, and Sidney Sussex Colleges in Cambridge and Voce chamber choir in London. Commissions have included orchestral and ensemble works for the St. Petersburg British Music Festival, the City of Oxford Sinfonia, the London School of Economics, and the Royal Academy of Music, Opera Up Close, the Tete-a-Tete festival, as well as solo pieces for the 2007 Brighton Festival, the Birmingham Conservatoire, the Cheltenham Ladies' College, the Chetham's School of Music, and the Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts (who commissioned a collaborative project with the artist Jeremy Millar RA). Many works have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Toby has had a close relationship with LSO, in 2010 as a Panufnik scholar, and in 2012 on the Soundhub Scheme. He is now an associate member of the scheme, and is regularly called to advise on the future development of this and other schemes.
As a composer for media, Toby's portfolio is wide. He has written the music for jingles including Yazoo milkshake (Merceica & co.) and LighterLife (freelance), contributed to the recent Bollywood film Neethaane en Povansantham, and has produced orchestral and choral arrangements and additional material for international tours of musicians including the Rolling Stones and Indian musician Illyaraaja. He has also written material for D&B and hip-hop artists such as Tinie Tempah, Plan B and Labrinth, and is co-writing a new album with Chase & Status for release in 2013.
Toby was commissioned by Cantata Dramatica to write Act 2 of Cantata Eliensis in 2013..
Toby is published by Faber Music Ltd.
