Debut Sounds is an annual celebration of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s new talent programmes: LPO Young Composers and Foyle Future Firsts. Our five Young Composers were each invited to compose a short chamber work inspired by an excerpt of Beethoven’s music on the occasion of his 250th anniversary year. Expertly guided by Sir James MacMillan, in his third and final year as the programme’s Composer Mentor, the composers have used Beethoven’s ideas as a springboard to create imaginative new pieces. These works are performed by an ensemble comprising members of the LPO and participants on the 2019/20 Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme. The performance was originally scheduled to take its usual form of a live concert at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in July 2020; we are very grateful to the composers, musicians and production team for their hard work and flexibility in adapting the format to facilitate a socially-distanced recording session in September and the subsequent online broadcast. The performances were recorded on 12 September 2020 at Blackheath Halls, London. Programme Notes – issuu.com/londonphilharmonic/... The 2019/20 Young Composers Programme is supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polska Music Programme, the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation and the RVW Trust. lpo.org.uk/youngcomposers The 2019/20 Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme is funded by the Foyle Foundation with additional support from the Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust, the Fidelio Charitable Trust, the Idlewild Trust and the Thriplow Charitable Trust. lpo.org.uk/futurefirsts #DebutSounds2020