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We are delighted to let you know about the involvement of two key people in this year’s festival.

Composer in Residence, Blasio Kavuma

Blasio Kavuma has been appointed as Deal Music and Art’s second Composer in Residence for 2025’s festival. Blasio is a composer, producer and DJ working at the intersection of classical and Afro-diasporic music. He has worked with the label nonclassical for a number of years as composer-in-residence, and now as a label artist with his upcoming release Soundclash for cello and electronics. His most recent work, The Separating Line for AMC gospel choir and Manchester Camerata, was commissioned as part of the Royal Philharmonic Society composer scheme. Blasio is currently a doctoral student at Guildhall School with composer Julian Phillips, researching a new methodology of composition merging western classical and Afro-diasporic music.

Blasio is writing two exciting new pieces for the festival: the first for Fantasia Orchestra’s concert with Lucy Crowe on 11 July and the second for DMA’s community saxophone group Saxophone Saturdays’ appearance at the Captain’s Garden on 13 July. Alongside these exciting new works, there will also be performances of a number of his works in concerts including a lunchtime concert by Italian pianist Filippo Tenisci on 8 July and a classical DJ set with Blasio at the festival launch on 4 July.

Young Artist in Association, Hoda Jahanpour

We are also thrilled to be working with Hoda Jahanpour as our second Young Artist in Association at this year’s festival. Her role is generously supported by the Royal Academy of Music. Hoda is an Iranian-Slovak cellist, songwriter, and composer interested in musical experiences that generate energy and bring people together. Coming from a background in Western classical music, she has recently performed solo at the UK Parliament and Regents Hall as well as with notable orchestras such as the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, and Manchester Camerata. Hoda loves to explore how the cello can express various musical languages. She has performed jazz and Middle Eastern fusion music at Manchester Jazz Festival, with Abel Selaocoe at the Stauffer Music Festival, and worked with saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia at a collaborative music-making residency. Most recently she took part in a residency with Senegalese percussionist Dudù Kouate and Nomad collective, exploring the coming together of West African and Scottish folk music.

At this year’s Deal Festival, Hoda will play at the launch event on 4 July, at a salon morning at the Dover home of renowned artist Joanna Jones on 5 July, in a piano and cello recital on 9 July and in a podcast Sonic Postcard around local environmental themes made with Deal Radio. She is also performing in a spring concert with her quartet, the Woolf Quartet on 27 April at Trinity Church in Deal (see What’s On).