Kate Whitley

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Kate Whitley
Born1989 (age 34–35)
Occupation(s)Composer
Instrument(s)Piano

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

Career[edit]

She is classically trained and studied music at King's 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]

Her concert piece Sky Dances, was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and performed in the summer of 2018 at Trafalgar Square. Sir Simon Rattle conducted the LSO and 70 young musicians from East London. The ballet Ignite, written for Birmingham Royal Ballet, toured the same year.[7] In July 2022 a new oratorio, Our Future In Your Hands was performed at the Buxton Festival, with an orchestra of young musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music and a choir drawn from local schools. The text, by Laura Attridge, voices climate change concerns from the point of view of young people.[8]

Multi-Story Orchestra[edit]

Whitley co-founded the Multi-Story Orchestra with conductor Christopher Stark in 2011.[9] 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.[10]

Personal Life[edit]

As of 2023, Whitley lives in Deptford, with fellow comedian and musician Sam Griffin, as well as former professional bassoonist and cycling champion Joe Qiu.

List of works[edit]

Solo/chamber works[edit]

  • 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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

  • 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
  • * Our Future In Your Hands, oratorio, words by Laura Attridge, Buxton Festival, fp 10 July 2022

Dramatic[edit]

  • Paws and Padlocks (children's opera, libretto by Sabrina Mahfouz)
  • Unknown Position (libretto by Emma Hogan)
  • Ignite, ballet (2018)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "King's alumna wins RPS Music Award". King's College, Cambridge. 15 May 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018.
  2. ^ Whitehouse, Richard (20 April 2017). "Whitley I Am I Say". www.gramophone.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  3. ^ Molleson, Kate (30 March 2017). "Kate Whitley: I Am I Say CD review – unpretentious and appealingly vigorous music". the Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  4. ^ Morrison, Richard (14 April 2017). "Classical: Multi-Story Orchestra/Stark/Whitley: I Am I Say/ Howard Skempton: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Kate Whitley | About". katewhitley.net. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Musical premiere of Malala speech". BBC News. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  7. ^ Sarah Kirkup. 'Kate Whitley: igniting dance with her music', in Gramophone, October 19, 2018
  8. ^ Buxton Festival: Our Future in Your Hands
  9. ^ Willson, Flora (27 August 2017). "Multi-Story Orchestra review – concrete commitment brings car park chorus of approval". the Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Bold Tendencies | Multi Story Orchestra". boldtendencies.com. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
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