Damien Collis is a composer based in York, writing for a range of solo instruments and ensembles across multiple genres. Working closely with performers, his work is rooted in collaboration, treating composition as a shared process of exploration and refinement, finding emotional meaning and narrative through sharing and articulating ideas either other creatives.

He is particularly inspired by the idea that performers and audiences alike bring their own memories, emotions, and experiences to his music, shaping its emotional meaning within their own lives and revealing the unspoken connective power of human stories. In this way, the work also has the potential to create dialogue that bridges difference and fosters connection.