Composer and songwriter Gareth Williams creates opera, music theatre, and song that transforms existing texts and stories into new musical works. His practice is rooted in adaptation and collaboration, working with writers, artists, and participants to develop pieces that are often deeply personal, whilst taking their roots from stories and ideas that are firmly embedded in the public consciousness. 

Williams’ work often draws from literature, history, and lived experience. Songs from the Last Page reimagines the final lines of novels as songs, exploring the connection between literature and music, while Breath Cycle II transformed the experiences of people with respiratory conditions into participatory song and opera. His process seeks to “seduce” words into song—discovering the musicality within text and shaping it into something new.

In this seminar, Williams will discuss his creative approach, the challenges of adaptation, and how collaboration brings fresh perspectives to musical storytelling.