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Errollyn Wallen

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Errollyn Wallen
CBE
Wallen on a chair, leaning to look towards the camera, at a piano
Wallen at Snape Maltings
Born (1958-04-10) 10 April 1958 (age 66)
Belize
Alma materGoldsmiths, University of London; King's College London; King's College, Cambridge
Years active1976–present errollynwallen.com
RelativesByron Wallen (brother)
22nd Master of the King's Music
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 July 2024
MonarchCharles III
Preceded byJudith Weir
Websitewww.errollynwallen.com

Errollyn Wallen CBE (born 10 April 1958)[1] is a Belize-born British composer and musician, who moved as a child with her family to London, England.

Wallen was the first black woman to have a work featured in the Proms.[2] She is serving as Master of the King's Music, the first black woman to serve in that position,[3] appointed in 2024 by King Charles III in his first appointment to the post.[4]

Life

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Errollyn Wallen moved to London, England, from Belize with her family when she was two years old.[5] While her parents moved to New York in the United States, she and her three siblings (one of whom is the trumpeter Byron Wallen) were brought up by an aunt and uncle and she was educated at a boarding school.[6] She credits her interest in poetry and music to her uncle, whom she described in an interview as "Victorian" and responsible for her taking lessons in piano.[7]

Before studying music, she trained as a dancer at the Maureen Lyons School of Dance and the Urdang Academy, both in London.[8] She moved to New York City to train further at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (1976–78) but later abandoned her training, turned to music composition and returned to the United Kingdom.[1] She studied music at Goldsmiths (1981) and composition at King's College London (1983), and earned an MPhil at King's College, Cambridge.[6][9] Wallen has stated that she had begun composing professionally before her studies at Cambridge University.[7]

Her memoir Becoming a Composer was published in November 2023.[10][11] Leah Broad concluded in a review by saying: "Becoming A Composer is a generous, warm-hearted book that all aspiring musicians should read. Her message that very real difficulties can be best faced with kindness, consideration, and collaboration feels important at the present moment, giving a blueprint for an optimistic future for classical music. ‘I am glad that I eventually gave myself the permission to do this thing’, she writes, ‘there is endless treasure if we can but dare to walk the path that opens up for each of us."[12]

Wallen is currently serving as Master of the King's Music, the first black woman to serve in that position,[3] appointed in 2024 by King Charles III in his first appointment to the role.[13][14]

Compositions

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Wallen's music draws on a wide range of influences, including avant-garde classical music, as well as popular songwriting. Her work has been performed in leading concert halls and theatres around the world.

Her first orchestral commission was a concerto for percussion and orchestra, written for percussionist Colin Currie and premiered by him during the finals of the BBC Young Musician competition in 1994.[15][16] This piece was subsequently performed at the 1998 BBC Proms, making Wallen the first black female composer to receive a performance at that festival.[17]

Her compositions include the "multi-media song cycle" Jordan Town (2001), Dervish for cello and piano (2001), La Luga for guitar quintet (2002), the opera Another America: Earth (2003), and All the Blues I See for flute and string quartet (2004).

In 2006, she co-wrote a song with the astronaut Steve MacLean while he was aboard the space shuttle STS-115.

In 2007, Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Leipzig Ballet performed Wallen's work The Tempest, with choreography by James McMenemy. Her opera The Silent Twins, with a libretto by April De Angelis, was first performed by the Almeida Opera in 2007.

In June 2008, Wallen had a world premiere of Carbon 12- A Choral Symphony with the Welsh National Opera.

In 2010, her piano quintet Music for Tigers was performed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as part of the Summergarden concert series.[18]

In 2012, her song "Daedalus" from the album Errollyn served as the opening and closing theme for the BBC drama One Night, and her "Principia", which has lyrics about science, was featured in the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony.

In 2014, Melodia Women's Choir of New York City commissioned and performed the World Premiere of Full Fathom Five.[19]

In 2017, her work, Mighty River, which marks the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in England, was performed at the Southbank New Music Biennial.[20]

The premiere of her Piano Concerto, which was commissioned by Julian Lloyd-Webber, then outgoing principal of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, was planned for June 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The work was ultimately first performed on 4 November 2022 by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Seal, at the conservatoire's Bradshaw Hall, with soloist Rebeca Omordia.[21]

Recordings and publication

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In 2004, Wallen recorded an album of her own songs and solo piano music, entitled Errollyn. Her CDs include: The Girl In My Alphabet, Meet Me at Harold Moores, featured on the Brodsky Quartet Mood Swings alongside Björk, Sting and Elvis Costello.

Wallen's music is published by Peters Edition.[22]

Recognition

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Wallen was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours,[23] and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours,[24] both for services to music. She has also received an Ivor Novello Award,[25] making her the first woman to receive an Ivor Novello Award for classical music.[26]

In 2018, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.[25]

Wallen was the recipient of the 2020 Incorporated Society of Musicians Distinguished Musician Award.[27]

On 3 January 2022, Wallen was chosen by presenter Donald Macleod to be BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week.[28] In July 2024, Wallen featured on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs; she chose the second movement of Bach's "Double Violin Concerto", performed by Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta as her favourite track, a collection of Bach sheet music as her favourite book, and Wigmore Hall as her luxury item.[29][30]

Academic appointments

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In October 2020, Wallen was appointed visiting professor of composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.[31]

References

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  1. ^ a b Sadie, Stanley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited. p. 38. ISBN 1-56159-239-0.
  2. ^ "Composer Errollyn Wallen reveals abuse she received after reimagining Jerusalem". The Herald. 14 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b London, King's College (30 August 2024). "King's alumna Errollyn Wallen appointed Master of the King's Music". King's College London. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Errollyn Wallen appointed as Master of the King's Music". BBC. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  5. ^ Fuller, Sophie (1994). The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States 1629–present. Pandora. pp. 319–20. ISBN 978-0-04-440897-0.
  6. ^ a b Duchen, Jessica (21 July 2014). "Errollyn Wallen's 'Anon': Manon Lescaut for the 21st century". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Errollyn Wallen Interview | Identity & Aesthetic: Five British-Caribbean Composers". YouTube. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  8. ^ McGowan, Kathleen L. (19 June 2024). "Listening Guide: Errollyn Wallen". Women's Philharmonic Advocacy. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  9. ^ Duchen, Jessica (16 March 2016). "10 Questions for Composer Errollyn Wallen". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  10. ^ Errollyn Wallen. Becoming a Composer, Faber (2023, ISBN 9780571370139).
  11. ^ Wallen, Errollyn (30 October 2023). "From mini Mars bars to matters of life or death: Errollyn Wallen on becoming a composer". The Guardian.
  12. ^ Broad, Leah (5 February 2024). "Becoming a Composer by Errollyn Wallen | Book Review". gramophone.co.uk/opera-now. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. ^ "2012 Paralympic Games composer appointed as Master of the King's Music". The Independent. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Errollyn Wallen appointed first Master of the King's Music of new reign". Classic FM. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Review". Gramophone. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  16. ^ Miller, Mara (3 April 2020). "Inclusive Views: 6 Questions with Composer Errollyn Wallen". unCLASSIFIED. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  17. ^ Wallen, Errollyn (4 March 2016). "Every day involves thinking, dreaming, playing and singing". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  18. ^ Kozinn, Allen (26 July 2010). "Bringing Garden Sounds Indoors". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  19. ^ Smolenski, Nicholas (3 May 2014). "World Premier of Errollyn Wallen's "Full Fathom Five"". Women Composers Festival Hartford. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Mighty River". Southbank Centre. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  21. ^ Hugill, Robert (14 October 2022). "Rebeca Omordia to premiere Errollyn Wallen's Piano Concerto at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire". Planet Hugill. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Edition Peters". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  23. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 58358". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 15 June 2007. p. 23.
  24. ^ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N10.
  25. ^ a b "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Errollyn Wallen appointed as Master of the King's Music". www.bbc.com.
  27. ^ "Highest accolade for composer Errollyn Wallen CBE". 4barsrest.com. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Monday 3 January 2022 Schedule". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  29. ^ "Desert Island Discs | Errollyn Wallen, composer". Radio 4. BBC. 14 July 2024.
  30. ^ Clarke, Naomi (14 July 2024). "Composer Errollyn Wallen reveals abuse she received after reimagining Jerusalem". Evening Standard.
  31. ^ "Royal Conservatoire of Scotland appoints Composer Errollyn Wallen CBE as Visiting Professor of Composition". Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
[edit]
Court offices
Preceded by Master of the King's Music
2024–present 		Incumbent
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