Roxanna Panufnik facts for kids

Roxanna Panufnik, born on April 24, 1968, is a British composer. She has Polish family roots. Her father was Sir Andrzej Panufnik, a famous Polish composer and conductor.

Roxanna was born in London, England. She went to Bedales School and then studied music at the Royal Academy of Music. She writes many different kinds of music. These include operas, ballets, and music for choirs. She also writes for films and TV shows. Her music is played all over the world.

Famous Musical Works

Roxanna Panufnik has created many well-known pieces. These works are often performed and enjoyed by many people.

Westminster Mass

One of her most famous works is Westminster Mass. This piece was written for the Westminster Cathedral Choir. It was made for Cardinal Hume's 75th birthday in May 1998.

The Music Programme

Another important work is The Music Programme. This is an opera created for the Polish National Opera. It was part of their millennium celebration. It later had its first performance in the UK at the BOC Covent Garden Festival.

Beastly Tales

Roxanna also set Vikram Seth's Beastly Tales to music. These are stories for solo singers and an orchestra. The BBC asked her to write the first tale for Patricia Rozario and the City of London Sinfonia. You can find all three Beastly Tales on music albums.

World Music Influence

Roxanna Panufnik is very interested in music from different cultures. She often brings these sounds into her own compositions.

Abraham Concerto

A great example of this is her violin concerto called Abraham. The Savannah Music Festival asked her to write it for Daniel Hope. This piece combines Christian, Islamic, and Jewish music styles. Later, it was made into an overture. The World Orchestra for Peace played it first in Jerusalem. Valery Gergiev conducted the performance.

Dance of Life

Recently, her oratorio Dance of Life was performed. An oratorio is a large musical work for voices and orchestra. This piece uses both Latin and Estonian languages. It includes her fourth mass setting. Many choirs from Tallinn and the Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra performed it. This was to celebrate Tallinn being the European Capital of Culture in 2011.

Four World Seasons

Her piece Four World Seasons is for the violinist Tasmin Little. It was first played with the London Mozart Players. It was also broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 on March 2, 2012. This was part of BBC Radio 3's Music Nation. It celebrated the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis

The Exultate Singers from Bristol first performed Roxanna's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. This happened at the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music in 2012.

Inspiration for Magnificat

Roxanna shared her thoughts on the Magnificat:

"I talked to my good friend, Rev. Canon Michael Hampel. He suggested mixing the Ave Maria with the Magnificat. He thought that Mary must have been thinking of Archangel Gabriel's words about her carrying God's son. The Magnificat is her answer to that amazing news. She says these words when she visits her cousin Elizabeth. Putting the two texts together made sense. They are very closely connected. It felt like a natural thing to do. This piece is for the two choirs who asked for it: Exultate Singers and St Mark's Episcopal Church Choir in Philadelphia. I thank them for our happy work together."

Silver Birch Opera

Garsington Opera asked Roxanna Panufnik to create a community opera called Silver Birch. It was first performed on July 28, 2017. Jessica Duchen wrote the story for the opera.

A Community Project

This opera was a celebration of music, drama, poetry, and dance. It brought together 180 performers. These included people from local schools and the community. They worked with professional singers, Pinewood Group, and the Garsington Opera Orchestra. Karen Gillingham directed the show. Douglas Boyd conducted the music.

Themes of War

The opera was inspired by the lasting themes of war and how it affects relationships. It uses poems by Siegfried Sassoon. It also includes the story of a British soldier who served in Iraq. This helps show the sad human stories of conflicts from the past and present.

Other Roles and Awards

Roxanna Panufnik has held important positions in the music world. She has also received special recognition for her work.

Associate Composer

From 2012 to 2015, Panufnik was the first Associate Composer with the London Mozart Players. She is also a Vice-President of the Joyful Company of Singers.

Coronation Music

In 2023, Roxanna was one of twelve composers chosen to write new music for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. Her piece, Coronation Sanctus, was played during the church service.

Ivor Novello Award

In 2024, Panufnik won the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Works Collection. She received this at The Ivors Classical Awards.

Selected Compositions

Here are some of Roxanna Panufnik's important musical works:

• Westminster Mass (1997): For Cardinal Basil Hume's 75th birthday, performed in May 1998.
• Powers & Dominions (2001): A short concerto for harp and orchestra.
• Inkle and Yarico (1996): A new version of an old play against slavery.
• The Music Programme (1999): A small opera for Polish National Opera.
• Beastly Tales (2001/2): For a soprano singer and orchestra.
• I Dream'd: One of nine choir pieces in A Garland for Linda, honoring Linda McCartney.
• The Upside Down Sailor: A project with Richard Stilgoe.
• Spirit Moves: A piece for five instruments for the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble.
• Private Joe: For baritone singer Nigel Cliffe and the Schidlof String Quartet.
• Odi et Amo: A ballet for London Musici and the Rambert Dance Company.
• Olivia: A string quartet for the Maggini Quartet, with an option for a children's choir.
• Love Abide (2006): For choir, mezzo-soprano, organ, harp, and strings.
• Wild Ways (2008): For choir and shakuhachi (a Japanese flute).
• So Strong Is His Love (2008): For choir and a quartet of instruments.
• All Shall Be Well (2009): An Advent carol for the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
• The Call (2010): An Advent carol for St John's College, Cambridge.
• Magnificat (2012): A choir piece for Exultate Singers.
• Nunc Dimittis (2012): A choir piece for Exultate Singers.
• The Song of Names (2012): For choir and a small orchestra.
• Silver Birch (2017): A community opera for Garsington Opera.
• A Cradle Song (2017): For choir and organ.
• Faithful Journey, a Mass for Poland (2018).
• Across the Line of Dreams (2019): For two choirs and orchestra, about Harriet Tubman and Rani Lakshmibai.
• Coronation Sanctus (2023): For choir, performed at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

See also

In Spanish: Roxanna Panufnik para niños