Laura Stevens

Last updated
Laura Stevens
BornCape Town, South Africa
GenresFilm score, contemporary classical, ballet music
Occupation(s)Composer, arranger, producer
Instrument(s)Piano, cello, keyboards

Laura Stevens is a South African and British composer [1] of music for concert hall, film and media, stage and dance. [2]

Contents

Stevens composed the original score for the documentary Elephant Refugees [3] (2022, dir. Louise Hogarth) , narrated by Jerome Flynn  ; and various ballet music works for the English National Ballet. [4] [5]

She is also known for collaborating with living poets on musical settings of their work, among them Katharine Towers [6] and Hollie McNish [7]

Music

Stevens created the original score for documentary Elephant Refugees [8] [9] [10] in 2022, directed by Louise Hogarth, an account of elephants fleeing drought in Botswana

In 2016 the English National Ballet commissioned Stevens to compose the music for Unsilenced , the youth ballet accompaniment to their She Said triple bill project. [11] [12] The work was danced at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London and the Britten Theatre.

Previously, she had worked with the company on their Choreographics showcase at Sadler’s Wells , collaborating with choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple on her work Give my Love to the Sunrise [13] [14]

Stevens has written in cross-disciplinary genres, having also collaborated with poets Katharine Towers on a musical setting of her poem “the way we go”, [15] for Soprano and Piano, with a subsequent choral arrangement for  Swedish choir Linköping Studentssangerer  ; [16] [17] and Hollie McNish on her debut music and poetry album album Versus [18] recorded at Abbey Road.

In 2015, her orchestral work Long Walk [19] an homage to late president Nelson Mandela was performed in South Africa by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra [20] [21] under Tokyo Philharmonic conductor and LA philharmonic assistant-conductor Yasuo Shinozaki.

In 2012 Stevens created music for animations produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company , and Central St Martins. These were broadcast on BBC Arts Channel and at the Edinburgh Festival. [22]

Stevens worked with Swiss director Christina Ruloff and artist Beat Toniolo, creating the original music for their TV film Z Kiev redt mer Mundaart, [23] [24] about the life and exploits of Swiss dialect poet Albert Baechtold. It was distributed and broadcast on Swiss Channel SRF1 and featured Swiss actor Andrea Zogg. [25]

A frequent musical partner is Turkish composer Nazım Çınar . In 2023 she played and arranged cello on his score for theatre work Imparator [26] [27] by Turkish thespian and activist Genco Erkal. [28]

Early life

Stevens was born in Cape Town, South Africa , lives London , United Kingdom . [29]

She attended the Royal College of Music and the South African College of Music , at the University of Cape Town. [30]

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References

  1. ↑ "Laura Stevens". Alliance for Women Film Composers. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  2. ↑ "STEVENS, Laura". Donne, Women in Music. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  3. ↑ "Elephant Refugees - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  4. ↑ "Theatre review: Choreographics at Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells". British Theatre Guide. 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  5. ↑ Marriott, Bruce (2015-06-22). "English National Ballet – Choreographics 2015 – London". DanceTabs. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  6. ↑ "Flower power - Katharine Towers, the Hathersage-based poet". Great British Life. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  7. ↑ "Hollie Poetry: woman versus world – one poem at a time | Hollie McNish | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  8. ↑ "Elephant Refugees - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  9. ↑ "Elephant Refugees (2022)". Radio Times. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  10. ↑ "Elephant Refugees | Film Threat". 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  11. ↑ "She Said review – three steps forward for women | Ballet | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  12. ↑ "She Said review, Sadler's Wells, London, 2016". The Stage. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  13. ↑ "Sailors and sunrise: Choreographics by English National Ballet – in pictures". the Guardian. 2015-06-23. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  14. ↑ Marriott, Bruce (2015-06-22). "English National Ballet – Choreographics 2015 – London". DanceTabs. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  15. ↑ "Flower power - Katharine Towers, the Hathersage-based poet". Great British Life. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  16. ↑ Tanalys (2019-07-01). "Linköpings Studentsångare hyllar kvinnliga kompositörer | Tanalys". Tanalys | Teknisk analys på aktier, valuta, index och råvaror (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  17. ↑ "Linköpings Studentsångare på Spotify". liu.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  18. ↑ "Hollie Poetry: woman versus world – one poem at a time | Hollie McNish | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  19. ↑ FMR, Andy Wilding (2015-06-07). "Laura Stevens Long Walk". #ClassicalReview. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  20. ↑ Andy Wilding FMR. "Laura Stevens Long Walk". #ClassicalReview. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  21. ↑ "Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra's winter season honours SA's Klatzow". Bizcommunity. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  22. ↑ Prospero & Ariel by Maxim Northover | Central Saint Martins | Royal Shakespeare Company , retrieved 2023-05-12
  23. ↑ "Zürich Schaffhausen - Filmische Hommage an einen Mundartdichter". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  24. ↑ "Z Kiew redt me Mundaart - Albert Bächtolds phantastische Reise". swissfilms (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  25. ↑ "Literatur - Albert Bächtold – Mundartautor wider Willen". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  26. ↑ "Genco Erkal ve 'İmparator'". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  27. ↑ "Genco Erkal'dan 'İmparator': Olay Etiyopya'da geçiyor!". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  28. ↑ DEMİR (2023-01-31). "Genco Erkal: İktidar huzursuz, korkuyor, sonunun geldiğini de görüyor - Kültür-Sanat haberleri". Sözcü (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  29. ↑ "Laura Stevens". Alliance for Women Film Composers. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  30. ↑ "Laura Stevens". Alliance for Women Film Composers. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
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