Work of the Week – Ryan Wigglesworth: For Laura, after Bach

A personal tribute in sound: With For Laura, after Bach, British composer and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth pays tribute to Laura Samuel, long-time leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who passed away in 2024. The piece will be premiered on 27 July 2025 at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms, conducted by the composer himself together with the orchestra’s string section – the very ensemble to which Laura Samuel was so closely connected.

Remembering through music

The inspiration came from a deeply intimate moment: during Laura Samuel’s memorial service, her own recording of Bach’s Partita in D minor for solo violin was played. That performance became the emotional foundation of Wigglesworth’s new work – a moving reflection on loss, memory, and musical companionship.

Stylistic echoes of Bach – reimagined today

For Laura, after Bach avoids drama and grand gestures. Instead, it unfolds as a quiet, concentrated musical meditation in which Bach’s spirit is delicately interwoven with modern harmonic language. Scored for string ensemble, the piece invites listeners into a space of intimacy and reflection – like a hushed dialogue between past and present.

Although shadows do pass across the music’s surface, my aim has been to try – with Bach’s help! – to write a piece more celebratory than mournful. For Laura, after Bach is a small token of my immense and everlasting gratitude for Laura’s friendship. (Ryan Wigglesworth)

Wigglesworth’s voice

Known as a conductor, composer, and pianist, Ryan Wigglesworth has created a diverse catalogue of works, including his opera The Winter’s Tale. Here, he reveals a different side of his artistry – one that embraces vulnerability and turns music into remembrance.

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Learn more

Ryan Wigglesworth: composer profile

For Laura, after Bach: work details and digital score

BBC Proms event page

_{photo Ryan Wigglesworth: Benjamin Ealovega}