Lucy Armstrong is a London based composer who writes boldly theatrical music for the stage and concert hall. Her work has been performed across the world including in Norway, Japan, Colombia, the US and across Europe and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

In 2022, Lucy was one of five composers who collaboratively scored Gods of the Game, an opera about football and corruption commissioned by Sky Arts. Gods of the Game was produced by Grange Park Opera and Factory Films, and broadcast live on Sky Arts. In 2017-2018, Lucy wrote a chamber opera, A Risk of Lobsters, in association with the Royal Opera House. Lucy wrote a chamber opera for Bergen National Opera and this work was subsequently performed at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival (London) and at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) in 2015. She’s currently resident composer at Glyndebourne and recently wrote a children’s Christmas song with writer Helen Arney which was sung by over 2000 local primary school children across 8 performances. She also developed an opera for care homes with Glyndebourne which premiered in 2024 and was toured to 15 care homes across the Sussex area. 

In 2021-2022, Lucy and Rebecca Hurst were commissioned by Salford Choral society to write a 25 minute work for choir and orchestra for Salford Choral Society and Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra. Following the success of the premiere in 2022, the pair were then commissioned by Cambridge Philharmonic to write another large scale work for symphony orchestra and chorus which premiered in 2023. They were then commissioned by Glyndebourne to write “The Stone Flower” for mezzo soprano and ensemble and this piece was premiered by Jade Moffat in 2024.

In 2024 she collaborated with BCMG, Haroon Mirza, Juliet Fraser and David Spittle on “Waking from Time” a collaborative, cross genre, multi-disciplinary performance. After working with Psappha on their “Composing For” scheme, Lucy was awarded their inaugural Peter Maxwell Davies commission in 2018, to write a 15-minute chamber work. She has also been commissioned by FontanaMix, one of Italy’s leading new music ensembles. In 2021-22 she won a place on the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Composers’ Scheme where she wrote a chamber work for French horn and piano which premiered at the Wigmore Hall. She was commissioned by The Arch Sinfonia and Chloé van Soeterstède to write a 20 minute saxophone concerto which was premiered in 2023 by Gillian Blair.

Using composition as a creative tool for outreach and education is an important part of Lucy’s practice. She regularly leads participation and learning projects with the London Sinfonietta and recently conducted “We need to have a conversation” written in collaboration with secondary school students in London Sinfonietta’s 50th Anniversary concert. Lucy was commissioned by London Sinfonietta as part of their Sound Out concert series to write “Patterns and Mirrors” for Sinfonietta and youth ensemble, which was conducted by Armstrong to a full Royal Festival Hall of school children. She has also worked with Glyndebourne youth opera, Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra and RNCM Engage. Lucy’s collaborative project with Kate Pearson and RNCM Engage was nominated for a Times Higher Education Award in 2018. She has taught at the University of West London and regularly deputises at Trinity Juniors, City Young Musicians (Junior Guildhall) and Morley College. 

Lucy studied at the RNCM with Gary Carpenter and Adam Gorb and then with Julian Philips at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she went on to be a Fellow in Composition (2018-19).

For more information visit: www.lucyarmstrong.net

The New London Chamber Ensemble is a wind quintet with a difference. For over a decade the NLCE has challenged traditional ideas of chamber music.

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North Winds are based in Manchester and specialise in repertoire with narration for the young, and young at heart!

Please get in touch to find out more about our concerts. We take bookings for a huge range of events, big and small. 

north.winds@outlook.com


Anna Appleby (1993-) is a Manchester-based composer. www.annaappleby.com

linktr.ee/itsreubenjames

Fast-emerging British singer, songwriter and pianist Reuben James’ virtuoso jazz techniques and soulful, evocative voice have led him to be widely regarded as one the most exciting and creatively assured artists to have emerged in recent years.

Although perhaps best known for his ongoing collaborations with Sam Smith, which have included co-writing songs for Smith’s 4 million-selling album The Thrill of It All, James has written for and performed with an array of international star acts including the likes of Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, Tori Kelly, Little Mix, Disclosure and Liam Payne amongst many others.

Reuben has been working on his own material, exploring the boundaries between jazz and pop. His debut EP Adore landed to critical acclaim in 2019 and his new EP Slow Down is due for release in June 2020.

The Borealis Saxophone Quartet are an award winning ensemble based in Manchester and are all currently studying at or graduates of the Royal Northern College of Music.
Their debut recital took place at the Bridgewater Hall in December 2011 and they have since performed regularly around the UK. In Summer 2012 they gave a performance of Per Norgard's 'Dancers Around Jupiter' at the BBC proms festival, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. 2012 also saw them reach the finals of the prestigious RNCM Concerto Competition, which led to a performance of Graham Fitkin's 'Plan B' for saxophone quartet and string orchestra, as well as the premiere of their first commission; 'Borealis (into blue)' by Lucy Pankhurst. 
In 2013 they won the  inaugural Apollo Saxophone Quartet/RNCM Saxophone Ensemble prize which was sponsored by Vandoren and Selmer Saxophones, and the Trevor Wye Memorial Prize for Woodwind Chamber Music at the RNCM.  Following this success, they competed with other prize winning RNCM Ensembles in the Christopher Rowland Chamber Music Prize and were named 'RNCM Ensemble of the Year 2013'.
Future performances include recitals at King's Place and St John's Smith Square.
For more information see www.borealissaxophonequartet.com

Radio 3 Essay

Authored essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week. Each episode is full of insight, opinion and intellectual surprise from one expert voice. We aim to include as many episodes of The Essay in the download as we can but you'll find that some aren't included for rights reasons.

Alexander Proudlock is a composer and orchestrator based in the UK, and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile composers, orchestrators of his generation.

Described as an “exciting voice in new music today” The Choir & Organ Magazine and “packed with incessant energy” UK Theatre Network.

He has work with companies such as BBC television, BBC radio and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH). After years of orchestrating and writing for clients, he is working on a debut album with a message and intent of pushing the limitations in orchestral music to express his story and connect through the consideration of non-conventional writing merged with the infinite aural potential. Alexander’s music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all streaming platforms.

CHROMA is an acclaimed London-based chamber ensemble dedicated both to new music and to revisiting classic repertoire in fresh and exciting contexts; mentoring the next generation of composers, and involving audiences in compelling, inspirational experiences.

--- CHROMA MEMBERS ---
Artistic Director - Stuart King
Producer - Claire Shovelton
Violin - Marcus Barcham-Stevens, David Le Page
Violin/viola - Charlotte Bonneton
Viola  - David Aspin
Cello - Zoe Martlew
Double Bass - Elena Hull
Flute - Sarah O'Flynn
Oboe - Emma Feilding
Clarinet - Stuart King
Horn - Richard Bayliss
Trumpet - Heidi Bennett
Trombone - Ryan Hume
Tuba - Edd Leech
Piano - Roderick Chadwick, Martin Cousin
Percussion - Steve Gibson
Harp - Helen Sharp
Accordion - Ian Watson
Guitar - Stewart French

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