Kate Whitley

Kate Whitley (born 1989) is an English composer and pianist.

Career

She is classically trained and studied music at Kings College, Cambridge.[1] Her music is recorded by NMC Recordings and her debut release, I am, I say was released in 2017.[2] It was described as "unpretentious and appealingly vigorous music"[3] and "an excellent introduction to her sonic world".[4] She won a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Special Award in 2014. Her music has been broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and performed as part of the BBC Proms.[5]

In 2017, Whitley was commissioned by Radio 3 to compose a piece for International Women's Day, setting the words of Malala Yousafzai's 2013 speech to the UN.[6] The piece, called Speak Out, was premiered on 8 March 2017 in the Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus of Wales alongside the children's choir Cor y Cwm, conducted by Xian Zhang.[6]

Multi-Story Orchestra

Whitley co-founded the Multi-Story Orchestra with conductor Christopher Stark in 2011.[7] The orchestra's first performance was of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in a car park in Peckham, London. The project won the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Audiences and Engagement.[1] The orchestra also works with school children and local community groups.[8]

List of works

Solo/chamber works
  • Duo for violin and viola
  • 3 pieces for violin and piano
  • Five piano pieces
  • Two songs for clarinet and piano
  • Lines for string quartet

Orchestral
  • Autumn Songs for 12 solo strings (7 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, bass)
  • Viola Concerto
  • Split for solo clarinet, solo percussion and strings
  • The Animals
  • Sky Dances

Choral
  • I am I say (words by Sabrina Mahfouz) for soprano, bass, children's choir orchestra
  • Speak Out (words by Malala Yousafzai, written in support of the campaign for girls’ right to education) for children's choir, SATB chorus and orchestra
  • Alive (words by Holly McNish) for children's choir and orchestra
  • The Cruel Cut (words by Sabrina Mahfouz, written in support of the campaign to stop FGM in the UK) for 4 sopranos, community choir including solo untrained voice, piano

Opera
  • Paws and Padlocks (children's opera, libretto by Sabrina Mahfouz)
  • Unknown Position (libretto by Emma Hogan)

References
  1. "King's alumna wins RPS Music Award". www.kings.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  2. Whitehouse, Richard (2017-04-20). "WHITLEY I Am I Say". www.gramophone.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  3. Molleson, Kate (2017-03-30). "Kate Whitley: I Am I Say CD review – unpretentious and appealingly vigorous music". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  4. Morrison, Richard (2017-04-14). "Classical: Multi-Story Orchestra/Stark/Whitley: I Am I Say/ Howard Skempton: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  5. "KATE WHITLEY | About". katewhitley.net. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  6. "Musical premiere of Malala speech". BBC News. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  7. Willson, Flora (2017-08-27). "Multi-Story Orchestra review – concrete commitment brings car park chorus of approval". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  8. "Bold Tendencies | Multi Story Orchestra". boldtendencies.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
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