Laura Stevens

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

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

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]

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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