A former Isle of Wight student heard his composition performed by a full orchestra over the weekend.
Josef Krista, who studies BSc (Hons) Music Composition and Sound for Film and Games, joined Alfie Loxdale in hearing their music played in public by the de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra (dPHO) on Sunday 10th May 2026.
Josef, 22, who grew up in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, said,
“It’s amazing to hear a piece that started as a solo project suddenly become a collaboration between so many talented musicians.
“There are parts that sound far better than I’d ever imagined because of the way players bring their own experience, interpretation and instinct to the written music.”
Birdsong brought to life
Josef’s The Last Day for a Flock of Birds (Movement I) depicts the awakening of birds in a meadow at sunrise. The opening of his short piece mimicked conversational birdsong, first between bassoon and piccolo, then joined by other wind instruments.
This was the first movement from a larger work, featuring an upbeat tempo, a merry time signature, and uplifting pastoral themes.
A surreal feeling for student composers
Alfie, also 22, who comes from Peterborough, described the feeling of hearing his composition played by a full orchestra as “breathtaking”, adding,
“For most composers having their work played by a large ensemble like this is a life-long goal so having the opportunity now, as a student at Herts, is a surreal feeling.”
Their works formed part of a range of concerts presented by UH Arts + Culture, a public-facing part of the University’s School of Creative Arts that encompasses live music and cultural events for both the University and wider community.
A distinctive course with industry reach
Herts BSc (Hons) Music Composition and Sound for Film and Games is one of the few such courses in the UK, with students’ employment prospects enhanced by course recognition from accredited industry bodies.
Herts alumni work in organisations like Netflix, the BBC and professional music studios.
Josef added,
“It was great to be able to hear things that only came to light when listening to the live rehearsals.
“Additionally, getting such valuable feedback from the players was useful in helping me to bring my piece to a professional standard.”
Josef said the course at Herts had been his ideal choice.
“I grew up on the Isle of Wight, I studied music there until Sixth Form, when I applied for a few music courses at different universities.
“Herts was my first choice because of the campus and the course material. I haven’t regretted it for a second!”
Three years of orchestral collaboration
Rob Wright, Head of Music at Herts, said,
“We’ve run this workshop initiative — an exciting collaboration between our University’s resident orchestra, and its Music Department in the School of Creative Arts — for three years.
“It is very special, giving some of our final year music students an opportunity to not only compose for orchestra, but also to have their work rehearsed and critiqued by the musicians and the conductor.
“The course is very distinctive because of its unique blend of compositional work and technical aspects, unusually leading to a BSc (Hons) award. Students may be learning orchestration techniques in one class and in the next, computer programming principles in order to design and control adaptive soundtracks for games and sound installations.”
Herts pioneered one of the UK’s first technologically-centred music courses in the early 1990s (“BSc Electronic Music”).
News shared by Mark on behalf of University of Hertfordshire. Ed
