Phoenix Rousiamanis

Biography

Phoenix Rousiamanis (they/them) is a composer of instrumental and electronic music, a songwriter and a violinist/performer. They usually compose around themes of folklore, queerness, nostalgia and magic and they’re interested in creating genre-defying music that always has beauty no matter how dark, violent or uncomfortable it might be.

They recently finished their Masters's degree in composition at the Royal Northern College of Music for which they had been awarded scholarships by the Countess of Munster Trust, George Henry Peters and the Ralph Vaughn Williams Foundation. During their time at the RNCM they have been taught by Laura Bowler, Larry Goves, Emily Howard, David Horne and Adam Gorb. They also completed a composition undergraduate at the same institution, with their final portfolio receiving the highest mark on record.

Their works have been performed by performers and ensembles such as Juliet Fraser, the Greek National Radio Orchestra (ERT), Elias String Quartet, Riot Ensemble and Psappha Ensemble. Their music has been distributed by NMC Recordings and performed as part of the Darmstadt Zeitströme Festival. Phoenix is the 2022 winner of the RNCM Gold Medal competition, they where shortlisted for the finals of the Royal Musical Association’s ‘Tippett Medal’, they have been awarded for original soundtrack at the MSA Film Festival, they received the Right to Music Award by the Athens State Orchestra and won first prize at the Larissa Panhellenic Piano Competition. They where chosen for the Psappha’s 2021Composing for violin and cimbalom scheme and Brighter Sound's 2023 ‘Trans_formation' residency, the first ever UK residency for non-binary and trans musicians..

They are a songwriter, performer and artistic co-director of the art-rock band Sylvette. The band have headlined and sold-out major UK venues and received Multiple BBC Radio 6 air-plays. Sylvette have worked with booking agencies such as SJM and producers such as Phil Cunningham from New Order and have recently released their third album ‘Single Thread’ through Velveteen Records. Apart from Sylvette, Phoenix also releases experimental pop music under the name sexwithmdonna and writes and performs with emo-folk band That Old Quiet Lighthouse (TOQL).

As a performer they have premiered over thirty new works, played in a variety of orchestras and ensembles and were the second violin of the Lux String Quartet. The quartet was chosen for the 'Wigmore Hall Learning scheme' in 2016 and 2017 and received coaching from quartets such as the Allegri, Carducci, Solem and Chilingirian. Phoenix owes their well-rounded musicianship to their early music education in their native country, Greece. There, they studied violin, piano, saz (folk instrument), higher music academics and Byzantine music.