In tribute: Asteryth Sloane

We are deeply saddened to hear the news that composer and RNCM alum Asteryth Sloane has died at the age of 26.

Asteryth completed both a Bachelor of Music in Composition, graduating with First Class honours, and a Master’s degree in Composition and Musicology, graduating with Distinction, at the RNCM, studying with Professor Emily Howard. In 2025, they were awarded RNCM Associate Membership in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the music profession.

Their unique compositional methods and creativity led to a number of accolades, including winning the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year Competition in 2016, the senior category of the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers’ Competition in 2018 for their piece Elegy for Aylan, and a commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society to mark Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations.

Performed by ensembles including VOCES8, Paraorchestra, and the BBC Singers, Asteryth’s music is known for its responses to the beauty and fragility of the living Earth, as well as themes of identity and spirituality. Their musicological work explores the power of listening to bring us into more intimate and ethical relationships with sound, as well as the rights of sound and sound sources.

More recently, Asteryth trained as a therapist, focusing on interpersonal and healing contexts.

We send our sincere condolences to Asteryth’s family and friends.

23 July 2026