THE MUSICIANS
Andrew Hugill (b. 1957) is a composer and academic. He was diagnosed autistic in 2018 at the age of 60, an event that has led to a substantial re-evaluation of his life experience. He also has Meniere's Disease, diagnosed in 2009, a balance disorder that has caused severe hearing loss, tinnitus and diplacusis (in which the two ears hear different pitches). His compositions have always reflected his autistic listening. In 2019, he launched the Aural Diversity project for and by people with a wide range of hearing differences. Hugill's academic career has included a period as Professor of Music and then as Professor of Creative Computing. He is Deputy Director of the Institute for Digital Culture at the University of Leicester. His publications include: 'Aural Diversity' (Routledge) and 'The Digital Musician' (Routledge), now in its third edition. In 2004 he created the influential website 'The Orchestra: A User's Manual'.
Anya Ustaszewski is a composer/sonic artist and musician. Her previous work has included: Lead Artist for Collaborations!, working with groups of young people in the UK and internationally; Associate Musician / Composer on the Connecting Across Difference project; and Disability Access Officer at an internationally respected art gallery. Anya is autistic (and proud!) and an active member of the autistic pride movement. As part of her autism, she experiences hyperacusis in which the volume of noises can be magnified and surrounding sounds distorted and muddled. On the positive side, it means that she can notice sounds that others may not hear at all.
Cellist Elisabeth Wiklander is a member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and has taught orchestral performance at conservatories in Amsterdam, London and New York. She is autistic and a Neurodiversity Advocate, appointed Cultural Ambassador for the National Autistic Society. She engages in Neurodiversity projects worldwide as a speaker and advisor with appearances including Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, a TEDx talk, The Daily Politics Show (BBC live) and documentaries for Swedish Television.
Simon Allen is an experimental composer, intermedia artist and percussionist who has 50% hearing loss. Recently returned to London from two-years living in Aotearoa New Zealand, his works from that period include: Silent Player a live performance for film and 6 improvisors; Interleaf (phonic transfer) for multitracked film, improvisation and drawing; Speak (video) for moving images, projected text, environmental sound and music; and a solo album Te Henga Weather for self-made instruments and piano. Much of Simon's work finds focus in overcoming issues of access for neurodiverse performers and audience members alike. He also takes particular interest in facilitating artists who have no experience in sound or music, to create and incorporate audio materials into their practice. During the recent pandemic this work was developed into Attention Framed/Unframed - a handbook of listening; collected materials designed to overcome the difficulties of teaching online with student groups at the RCA (London) and UniArts (Helsinki). His multimedia opera Resonance at the Still Point of Change was an 'Unlimited' commission from Arts Council England for the Cultural Olympiad as part of the 2012 London Olympics. Variously as producer, performer, composer, or arranger he has recorded for Another Timbre, Sibarecords, Naim Audio, Matchless Records, KPM (EMI), Mock Turtle, Tall Guy Records - and takes particular pleasure in having recorded Morton Feldman's 5-hour trio For Philip Guston with John Tilbury and Carla Rees on ATOPOS label.