Roxanna Panufnik facts for kids

Roxanna Panufnik (born April 24, 1968) is a talented British composer. She comes from a musical family; her father was Sir Andrzej Panufnik, a famous Polish composer and conductor. Roxanna was born in London, England.

She studied music at the Royal Academy of Music, a well-known school for musicians. Roxanna has written many different kinds of music. Her works include operas, ballets, and pieces for choirs, orchestras, and films. Her music is performed all over the world.

Famous Musical Works

Roxanna Panufnik has created many popular pieces. One of her most famous is Westminster Mass. This piece was written for the Westminster Cathedral Choir in 1998. Another important work is The Music Programme, an opera that was first shown in Poland.

She also wrote music for solo singers and an orchestra based on Beastly Tales by Vikram Seth. The BBC asked her to write the first part of this work. All three parts of Beastly Tales are available to listen to on recordings.

Music Inspired by World Cultures

Roxanna is very interested in music from different cultures around the world. One example of this is her violin concerto called Abraham. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument and an orchestra. This work combines Christian, Islamic, and Jewish music styles.

Later, Abraham was turned into an overture, which is a shorter piece often played at the start of a performance. The World Orchestra for Peace performed it for the first time in Jerusalem.

Recent Compositions and Premieres

In 2011, Roxanna's oratorio Dance of Life was performed. An oratorio is a large musical work for voices and orchestra, usually telling a story. This piece was in Latin and Estonian. It was created for choirs and the Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra to celebrate Tallinn being the European Capital of Culture.

In 2012, her piece Four World Seasons was first performed. It was written for violinist Tasmin Little and the London Mozart Players. This performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of a celebration for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis

The Exultate Singers choir first performed Roxanna Panufnik's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in 2012. These are two traditional Christian songs. Roxanna explained that she combined the Magnificat with the Ave Maria. She felt these two prayers were closely connected, as the Magnificat is Mary's response to the news that she would have God's son.

Silver Birch Opera

In 2017, Garsington Opera asked Roxanna to create a special opera called Silver Birch. This opera was unique because it involved 180 performers from local schools and the community, working alongside professional singers and musicians.

The story of Silver Birch was inspired by themes of war and how it affects relationships. It used poems and stories from soldiers to show the human side of conflicts, both past and present.

Other Roles and Awards

Roxanna Panufnik was the first Associate Composer with the London Mozart Players from 2012 to 2015. This means she worked closely with them to create new music. She is also a Vice-President of the Joyful Company of Singers.

In 2023, Roxanna was one of twelve composers chosen to write a new piece for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. Her piece, Coronation Sanctus, was performed during the ceremony.

In 2024, Roxanna Panufnik received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Works Collection. This award celebrates her amazing collection of musical works.

Selected Works

• Westminster Mass (1997)
• Powers & Dominions (2001), a piece for harp and orchestra
• Inkle and Yarico (1996), a reconstruction of an 18th-century play
• The Music Programme (1999), an opera
• Beastly Tales (2001/2), for soprano and orchestra
• I Dream'd, a choral piece in memory of Linda McCartney
• The Upside Down Sailor, a collaboration with Richard Stilgoe
• Spirit Moves, a piece for five brass instruments
• Private Joe, a work for baritone and string quartet
• Odi et Amo, a ballet
• Olivia, a string quartet with an optional children's choir
• Love Abide (2006), a piece for choir, mezzo-soprano, organ, harp, and strings
• Wild Ways (2008), a piece for choir and shakuhachi (a Japanese flute)
• So Strong Is His Love (2008), a piece for choir and quartet
• All Shall Be Well (2009), an Advent carol
• The Call (2010), an Advent carol
• Magnificat (2012), a piece for choir
• Nunc Dimittis (2012), a piece for choir
• The Song of Names (2012), a piece for choir and orchestra for Remembrance Day
• Silver Birch (2017), an opera
• A Cradle Song (2017), a piece for choir and organ
• Faithful Journey, a Mass for Poland (2018)
• Across the Line of Dreams (2019), a piece for double chorus and orchestra about Harriet Tubman and Rani Lakshmibai
• Coronation Sanctus (2023), a piece for choir for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla

See also

In Spanish: Roxanna Panufnik para niños