Joel Järventausta (b. 1995) is a young composer studying towards a PhD in Composition under the supervision of Sir Prof. George Benjamin at King's College London, supported by the Arts & Humanities Scholarship.

Joel’s music is often influenced by nature, books, paintings, art and poems. These inspirations manifest themselves in the titles of Joel’s works, such as ‘Suns extinguished’ (taken from a quote by a French Enlightenment philosopher Paul-Henri Thiry), ‘the sighing of the winds is softer than ever’ (taken from the writings of Scottish-American naturalist John Muir) and 'Ripped Tapestry' (inspired by the concept of a destroyed - and therefore - abstracted medieval tapestry).

Despite the external influences, Joel explains; ‘Carefully crafted sounds-worlds and textures are always a priority. These for me, are like the detailed use of colour and light in painting. What the listener hears after all, is all they will know. I find most pleasure in delving into the possibilities and combinations of sounds whenever writing a new piece. To be able share this joy of creation and musical curiosity with audiences, listeners and performers is a privilege, and ultimately what propels me to keep writing more music.’

In 2016, Joel was accepted as the youngest member of the Society of Finnish Composers (Suomen Säveltäjät ry.) In 2019, Joel received the 1st Prize in the Île de Créations Composition Competition, with his piece Ripped Tapestry, which was subsequently performed several times by Orchestre national d'Île de France, conducted by Antony Hermus including at the Philharmonie de Paris. Currently Joel is writing a new commission for London Symphony Orchestra, to be premiered at the Barbican, London in 2021.