Thomas Simaku (b. 1958) graduated from the Albanian State Conservatoire in Tirana (1983), and received a PhD in Composition from the University of York in the UK. Simaku was the Leonard Bernstein Fellow in Composition at Tanglewood and a fellow at the Composers’ Workshop of the California State University. Thomas Simaku’s music has been awarded a host of accolades for its expressive qualities and its unique blend of intensity and modernism. His “Soliloquy V – Flauto Acerbo” received a British Composer Award in 2009, whereas his “Concerto for Orchestra” won the first prize of the 2013 International Competition for Lutosławski’s 100th Birthday. In 2018, Simaku received an award from the PRS Foundation. He has been published by the University of York Music Press. Thomas Simaku is a Reader in Composition at York University.