Anna Clyne facts for kids

Anna Clyne (born March 9, 1980) is a talented composer from England. She now lives in the United States. Anna writes many different kinds of music. She creates pieces for orchestras and smaller groups. She also uses electronic sounds in her music.

About Anna Clyne

Anna Clyne started writing music when she was very young. She was only 7 years old when she finished her first song. When she was 11, one of her pieces was played for the public. This happened at the Oxford Youth Prom.

Anna studied music formally at the University of Edinburgh. She earned a special degree there. Later, she continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music. She received a Master's degree in music. Some of her teachers were Marina Adamia, Marjan Mozetich, and Julia Wolfe.

Working with Orchestras

From 2008 to 2010, Anna helped young composers. She directed a program called "Making Score" for the New York Youth Symphony. In 2009, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) chose Anna and Mason Bates as their composers-in-residence. This means they worked closely with the orchestra. Their first contract started in 2010 and lasted for three years. The CSO liked their work so much that they extended it until 2015.

Anna has also been a composer-in-residence for other orchestras. These include the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France (2014–2016) and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (2015–2016). She also worked with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (2017–2019). More recently, she has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra (2022–2023) and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (2023–2024). She is currently the Associate Composer with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (2019–2022).

Famous Works and Collaborations

Many important places have asked Anna to create music. These include Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. In 2013, BBC Radio 3 asked her to write a special piece. This piece was called Masquerade. It was played at the Last Night of the Proms.

Anna was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015. This was for her piece Prince of Clouds. It is a concerto for two violins. She also wrote The Seamstress (2015). This violin concerto includes a poem whispered during the music. Another important piece is Dance (2019). This is a cello concerto that was recorded by Inbal Segev.

Anna enjoys working with other artists. She has collaborated with famous musicians like Yo-Yo Ma and Pekka Kuusisto. She also explores her interest in visual arts. For example, her piece Abstractions (2016) was inspired by five artworks. Color Field (2020) was inspired by the art of Mark Rothko. She also made a film with Jyll Bradley called Woman Holding a Balance (2021).

Anna is married to Jody Elff, who is a sound engineer. They live in New York state. They have even worked together on a special electronic music tool. It is called the Augmented Orchestra.

Anna Clyne's Music

Anna Clyne has written many different types of musical pieces. Here are some of the main categories of her compositions.

Orchestra Music

These are pieces written for a full orchestra.

• Night Ferry (2012)
• Masquerade (2013)
• This Midnight Hour (2015)
• Color Field (2020)
• This Moment (2022)

Chamber Orchestra Music

These pieces are for a smaller group of musicians, like a chamber orchestra.

• Within Her Arms for string orchestra (2008–2009)
• Sound and Fury for chamber orchestra (2019)
• Shorthand for solo cello and string orchestra (2020)

Chamber Music

This music is for small groups of instruments, often just a few players.

• Paint Box for cello and other sounds (2006)
• Roulette for string quartet (2007)
• The Violin – Complete works (7 short pieces for violins) (2009)
• A Thousand Mornings for piano trio (2020)
• Woman Holding a Balance for string quartet (2020)

Soloist and Orchestra Music

These pieces feature one main instrument playing with an orchestra.

• Prince of Clouds for two violins and orchestra (2012)
• The Seamstress for violin and orchestra (2014–2015)
• DANCE for cello and orchestra (2019)
• ATLAS for piano and orchestra (2023)

Solo and Duet Music

These are pieces for one or two instruments.

• Rapture for clarinet and tape (2005)
• Rest These Hands for violin (2009)
• Snake & Ladder for soprano saxophone and live processing (2019)
• Red Nines for solo piano (2021)

Music with Voices

Anna has also written music that includes singers.

• This Lunar Beauty for soprano, mixed ensemble and pre-recorded audio (2015)
• The Gorgeous Nothings for amplified voices and orchestra (2024)

Choral Music

These are pieces written for a choir.

• Pocket Book VIII for 8 voices (2015)
• Body Compass for children's chorus and string quintet (2017)
• The Heart of Night for choir (2020)

Recordings

Anna Clyne's music has been released on many albums. Here are some of them:

• I Am Not (2010)
• Two × Four (2014)
• The Violin (2017)
• DANCE (2020)
• Mythologies (2020)