Hudson’s large-scale works reflect a composer drawn to breadth and narrative ambition. Among his recent works is the 42-minute composition Wild Earth Blazing, written for internationally acclaimed tenor Mark Padmore CBE, horn soloist Ben Goldscheider (BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016) and the London Mozart Players. His orchestral writing includes Beyond the Silence, a percussion concerto praised as “an absolutely wonderful new work deserving of full international exposure,” and the extended meditation Epitaphs of War, later revised for performance in Nancy, France, described as “multifaceted” and “marked by striking imagination,” revealing a composer attentive to text and long-range musical form. Further works include Vita Nuova, a dramatic choral setting of Oscar Wilde for choir and orchestra, in which surging orchestral textures and resonant gongs evoke crashing waves, intensifying Hudson’s exploration of colour and theatrical momentum.
His choral writing has been heard on international stages, including at ACDA and the World Choral Games, the largest global choral festival, in Auckland, New Zealand, where I Sing the Body Electric was performed by the Delaware Choral Scholars, who were then crowned Choir of the World. His dramatic setting of I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain won Best World Premiere at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany, followed by ten subsequent performances across the country, including at the renowned Oberammergau Passion Play Theatre.
His work has featured in major national ceremonial contexts, including the Scottish Coronation Service for Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, where he created a new arrangement of All in the April Evening for international mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 3, and he has written and performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle in celebration of her as the longest reigning monarch, as well as for King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, at a private event in Buckingham Palace marking the tenth anniversary of Dumfries House.
Alongside composition, Hudson maintains an active international performing career. As a pianist, he premiered Paul Mealor’s Piano Concerto with the London Mozart Players, a performance described by the Financial Times as “a glittering conclusion, played with flair by John Frederick Hudson.” Critics have praised his playing for its “lucidness and unaffected eloquence” and “cool virtuosity” (Seen and Heard International).
He has appeared on major stages in London and New York, including the BBC Proms collaborating with Simon Halsey, and répétiteur preparation for Daniel Barenboim at Carnegie Hall. As a conductor, Hudson led the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for Classic FM’s 30th Anniversary Concert in the presence of HM King Charles III, broadcast to an audience of over 12 million listeners, and later made his debut with Britten Sinfonia, praised for his “masterful control of the orchestra … a conductor at ease with himself and the music.”
Driven by his work as a composer and performer, Hudson shapes the cultural and artistic framework through curatorial leadership, composer residencies that empower the next generation and his work as a writer and advocate for compositional craft. As Artistic Director of JAM (John Armitage Memorial Trust), he leads a London-based arts organisation recognised for its bold commissioning and presentation of contemporary music. Under his direction, the JAM Festival has brought internationally renowned artists and ensembles to the stage, including the BBC Singers, Britten Sinfonia, The King’s Singers, VOCES8 and the London Mozart Players. Its impact was recognised in 2026 with a shortlisting for the Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Series & Events category.
Alongside the Festival, Hudson directs the JAM Composer Residency, an intensive development programme designed to support the next generation of composers. The Residency has fostered collaborations with leading ensembles including VOCES8 and the Sacconi Quartet, and partnerships with the Royal College of Music, London, offering emerging composers fully funded dedicated compositional time, expert artistic mentorship, public performance with professional musicians and professionally produced recordings.Drawing directly on his work with professional musicians and ensembles, Hudson has written and presented 56 free online tutorials on writing for brass quintet, organ, choir and string quartet, reaching more than 100,000 viewers worldwide. He is also a published author with James Jordan through GIA Publications.
Hudson studied piano performance before completing master’s degrees in composition and conducting. He holds a PhD in Composition from the University of Aberdeen, where he studied with Professor Paul Mealor LVO. Across his work, whether in in London, New York, Auckland and beyond, Hudson brings together composition, performance and artistic direction with a singular ambition: to shape the artistic ecosystems in which contemporary classical music continues to evolve.
