BAFTA and Emmy-winning film composer John Altman visited Ealing’s University of West London last month to take part in a Composition Festival celebrating student work at the London College of Music.
The event, held on 29 January 2026, opened with performances of piano pieces written by Level 4 composition students as part of their Designing the Music module, led by lecturer and pianist Emanuele Mollica.
Mr Altman later gave a talk and workshop for MMus Composition for Film and Television students, discussing his career and showing clips from films he has scored including GoldenEye and Titanic, as well as collaborations with Björk and film director Ridley Scott. Students presented eight scored movie clips, spanning animations, action scenes and title sequences, and received feedback.
The festival ended with a screening of the 1926 silent film Faust – A German Folktale, re-scored by film composition students.
Simone Spagnolo, head of composition, said: “It was a joy to welcome John Altman. Hearing about his iconic works and career journey was an inspiring experience for our students. His visit, along with our wider festival activities, places our composition department at the forefront of music education.”
