Bio:

Thomas O'Donnell is a freelance experimental composer based in Leeds, England. His principal research interests and key compositional influences center on the expansive potential of graphic notation and other experimental notations in music, as well as their subsequent applications. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Popular Music & Recording from the University of Salford in 2018. He received his Master's Degree in Critical and Experimental Composition from the University of Leeds in 2021. His postgraduate research focused on how the development of graphic notation has been utilised in the compositional process of experimental works, as well as on the use of literary works in experimental compositional practice. He began his Ph.D. research in October 2024, focusing on the potential of graphic notation as a pedagogical intervention for new musicians. As a composer, he has had his compositions workshopped by acclaimed practitioners such as Katie Middleton, Helen Whitaker, Anton Lukoszevieze (Apartment House), and Kathryn Williams. His work has been performed and broadcast in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. His composition 'Where Light Divides The Labyrinth' is scheduled for premiere in April 2026 by the Marsyas Trio. Another composition, 'Reckless Abandon', is scheduled for premiere in May 2026 by LsTwo.