THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Michael Betteridge
Biography
Michael Betteridge is a British-Canadian composer and conductor based in Manchester. He studied at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, where his teachers included Gary Carpenter and Adam Gorb. His work spans opera, instrumental music, choral writing and participatory projects, frequently drawing on storytelling, place and the experiences of communities.
Betteridge is particularly active in co-creative music-making, bringing professional musicians together with young people, amateur performers and groups whose voices are less often represented in concert life. His digital opera Opera-tic was developed with people living with Tourette syndrome and was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Impact Award. He has worked with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the BBC Philharmonic and community choirs, and is founder and artistic director of the Manchester-based LGBTQ+ low-voice choir The Sunday Boys. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4.
Why this music interests us
Betteridge's work brings together instrumental imagination, storytelling and participation. His chamber piece last dance (2025), for bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass, explores a distinctive seven-player palette. Projects including Opera-tic and Docks Unlocked show how his wider compositional practice engages with communities, places and experiences beyond conventional concert programming.
Selected works & listening
last dance (2025; bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass); Opera-tic; Do you hear?; Docks Unlocked
Further information