Charlotte Bray facts for kids
Charlotte Bray (born in 1982) is a talented British composer. A composer is someone who writes music. Her music has been played by famous groups like The Royal Opera and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Contents
About Charlotte Bray
Charlotte Bray was born in 1982. She grew up in a place called High Wycombe. She loved music from a young age. She studied two main things: playing the cello and writing music, which is called composition. She went to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for her studies. She did very well there, graduating with top honors. Her teachers included Andrew Downes and Joe Cutler.
After that, Charlotte continued her studies. She earned a Master's degree in composition. This was at the Royal College of Music. There, she studied with Mark-Anthony Turnage. She also took part in special music courses. These included the Britten–Pears Contemporary Composition Course in 2007. She also studied at Tanglewood Music Center in 2008.
In 2011, Charlotte became an honorary member of Birmingham Conservatoire. In 2014, they named her Alumni of the Year. This was for her amazing work in the arts. She also won the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize in 2010. This prize led to her writing a piano quartet called Replay. It was for the Cheltenham Music Festival. She also won the Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund Prize in 2014.
Early Compositions
Charlotte Bray was an Apprentice Composer-in-Residence. This was with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and Sound and Music. During this time (2009-2010), her violin concerto Caught in Treetops was first performed. The violinist Alexandra Wood played it. The BCMG performed it with conductor Oliver Knussen.
Her orchestral piece Beyond a Fallen Tree was also performed. The London Symphony Orchestra played it in 2010. Daniel Harding conducted the performance. Charlotte also wrote a song cycle called Verre de Venise. A song cycle is a group of songs meant to be performed together. This piece was for a tenor singer, piano, and string quartet. It was commissioned by several festivals in 2010.
In 2011, the London Philharmonic Orchestra asked Charlotte to write a piece. This piece was called Scenes from Wonderland. It was for soloist Jennifer Pike and violinists from London Music Masters. Charlotte was also the first Composer-in-Residence at the Oxford International Song Festival in 2011. For this, she wrote a song cycle for baritone singer Roderick Williams.
Later Works
In July 2012, Charlotte's piece At the Speed of Stillness was first performed. This was a special commission for the BBC Proms. Mark Elder conducted the Aldeburgh World Orchestra. In the same year, she wrote Invisible Cities. This piece was for viola and piano. It was performed by Lawrence Power and Julien Quentin. She also wrote a chamber opera called Making Arrangements. This was for the Tête à Tête Opera Festival.
In 2015, Charlotte's chamber opera Entanglement was first performed. She worked with writer Amy Rosenthal on this opera. Also in 2015, Out of the Ruins was premiered. This was commissioned by The Royal Opera for their youth company. Come Away was also premiered for the Chester Cathedral Choir. Her piece Falling in the Fire was first performed in 2016. She wrote it for cellist Guy Johnston.
Charlotte Bray has written music for many famous groups and musicians. These include the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. Her music has been played at major festivals. These include the BBC Proms, Aldeburgh Festival, and Cheltenham Music Festival. Her work has been conducted by famous conductors like Mark Elder and Oliver Knussen.
Selected Works
Orchestra or large ensemble
- A Dark Doorway (2024)
- Stone Dancer (2016), orchestra
- Falling in the Fire (2015), solo cello and orchestra
- Fanfare for Birmingham (2014), ensemble of 8 players
- Black Rainbow (2013), orchestra
- At the Speed of Stillness (2012), orchestra
- Scenes from Wonderland (2011), solo violin and orchestra
- Caught in Treetops (2010), solo violin and large ensemble
Chamber Music
- Renga Miniatures (2007), flute, clarinet, horn, piano, violin, cello
- Trail of Light (2008), flute and viola/cello
- Three Rhapsodies (2009), clarinet quintet
- Throw Back (2009), saxophone quartet
- Midnight Interludes (2010), clarinet and cello
- Invisible Cities (2011), viola and piano
- Replay (2011), piano, violin, viola, cello
- The Sun Was Chasing Venus (2012), string quintet
- Secret (2012), flute duet
- The Barred Owl (2013), piano duet
- Circling Point (2014), alto saxophone and piano
- Those Secret Eyes (2014), piano trio
- That Crazed Smile (2014), piano trio
- Here Everything Shines (2015), flute and guitar
- Perseus (2015), cello and piano
Solo Pieces
- On the Other Shore (2014), cello
- Beyond (2013), violin
- Oneiroi (2013), piano
- Suya Dalmak (2013), cello and tape
- Off the Rails (2006), piano
- All at Sea (2012), piano
- Chapter One (2012), piano
- Passing Shadows (2012), guitar
- Late Snow (2009), oboe
- Elegy for George (2006), viola
Vocal Music
- Midnight Closes (2010), soprano, piano, clarinet, cello
- Verre de Venise (2010), tenor, piano, string quartet
- Sonnets and Love Songs (2011), baritone, piano
- Yellow Leaves (2012), soprano, piano
- Fire Burning in Snow (2013) mezzo-soprano, oboe/English horn, B-flat clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello
- Crossing Faultlines (2021)
Opera and Stage Works
- The Fox and the Crow (2011), soprano, baritone, harp, cello
- Making Arrangements (2012), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, flute, English horn, harp, violin, cello, double bass
- Out of the Ruins (2014), youth chorus, mezzo-soprano, orchestra
- Entanglement (2015), soprano, tenor, baritone, flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion, violin, cello, double bass
- American Mother (2025), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus, orchestra
Choral Music
- Walking with my Iguana (2007), choir and piano
- On the Green (2013), two-part choir and piano
- John, Tom, and James (2013), two-part choir and piano
- Come Away (2014), a cappella SATB choir
- Agnus Dei (2014), a cappella SSATTB choir
