{{Short description|British composer (born 1958)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox composer |name = Errollyn Wallen |image = ErrollynWallenSnapeMaltings.jpg |caption = Wallen at Snape Maltings |alt = Wallen on a chair, leaning to look towards the camera, at a piano |birth_place = Belize |honorific_suffix = CBE |years_active = 1976–present [https://www.errollynwallen.com/works#:~:text=The%20Long%20War,T.%20S.%20Eliot) errollynwallen.com] |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|4|10|df=y}} |alma_mater = Goldsmiths, University of London; King's College London; King's College, Cambridge |relatives = Byron Wallen (brother) |website = {{URL|errollynwallen.com}} | module = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | order = 22nd | office = Master of the King's Music | monarch = Charles III | term_start = 22 July 2024 | term_end = | predecessor = Judith Weir | successor = }} }} '''Errollyn Wallen''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 10 April 1958)<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Sadie|first=Stanley |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians |publisher=Macmillan Publishers Limited |year=2001 |isbn=1-56159-239-0 |location=London |pages=38}}</ref> is a Belize-born British composer and musician, who moved as a child with her family to London, England.
Wallen was appointed Master of the King's Music in 2024 by King Charles III, in his first appointment to the post.<ref name="BBC Comerford">{{Cite web |title=Errollyn Wallen made Master of the King's Music |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gl758g7zgo|date=25 August 2024|first=Ruth |last=Comerford |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=BBC }}</ref> She is the first Black person to serve in the position,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=London |first=King's College |date=30 August 2024 |title=King's alumna Errollyn Wallen appointed Master of the King's Music |url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-alumna-errollyn-wallen-appointed-master-of-the-kings-music#:~:text=Errollyn%20Wallen%20CBE,%20who%20studied,Master%20of%20the%20King's%20Music.&text=On%2024%20August,%20His%20Majesty,this%20role%20of%20his%20reign |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=King's College London }}</ref> having in 1998 been the first Black woman to have a work featured in the Proms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24450477.composer-errollyn-wallen-reveals-abuse-received-reimagining-jerusalem/|title=Composer Errollyn Wallen reveals abuse she received after reimagining Jerusalem|newspaper=The Herald|date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
==Life==
Errollyn Wallen moved to London, England, from Belize with her family when she was two years old.<ref name="Fuller1994">{{cite book |first=Sophie |last=Fuller |title=The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States 1629–present |url=https://archive.org/details/pandoraguidetowo00full |url-access=registration |year=1994 |publisher=Pandora |isbn=978-0-04-440897-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/pandoraguidetowo00full/page/319 319–20]}}</ref> While her parents moved to New York in the United States, she and her three siblings (one of whom is the trumpeter Byron Wallen) were brought up by an aunt and uncle and she was educated at a boarding school.<ref name=DuchenIndependent>{{Cite web |first=Jessica |last=Duchen |author-link=Jessica Duchen |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/errollyn-wallens-anon-manon-lescaut-for-the-21st-century-9619708.html |title=Errollyn Wallen's 'Anon': Manon Lescaut for the 21st century |work=The Independent |date=21 July 2014 |access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref> She credits her interest in poetry and music to her uncle, whom she described in an interview as "Victorian" and responsible for her taking lessons in piano.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Errollyn Wallen Interview {{!}} Identity & Aesthetic: Five British-Caribbean Composers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoty_6llL_g |language=en |date=20 February 2019|access-date=2021-09-14 |website=YouTube}}</ref>
Before studying music, she trained as a dancer at the Maureen Lyons School of Dance and the Urdang Academy, both in London.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGowan |first1=Kathleen L. |title=Listening Guide: Errollyn Wallen |url=https://wophil.org/listening-guide-errollyn-wallen/ |website=Women's Philharmonic Advocacy |access-date=2 September 2024 |date=19 June 2024}}</ref> She moved to New York City to train further at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (1976–78) but later abandoned her training, turned to music composition and returned to the United Kingdom.<ref name=":1" /> She studied music at Goldsmiths' College (1981) and composition at King's College London (1983), and earned an MPhil degree at King's College, Cambridge.<ref name=DuchenIndependent /><ref>{{Cite web |first=Jessica |last=Duchen |url=http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/10-questions-composer-errollyn-wallen |title=10 Questions for Composer Errollyn Wallen |work=The Arts Desk |date=16 March 2016 |access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref> Wallen has stated that she had begun composing professionally before her studies at Cambridge.<ref name=":2" />
Her memoir ''Becoming a Composer'' was published in November 2023.<ref>{{cite book |first=Errollyn |last=Wallen |title=Becoming a Composer |publisher=Faber |date=2023 |isbn=9780571370139}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/30/errollyn-wallen-on-becoming-a-composer-extract-opera|title=From mini Mars bars to matters of life or death: Errollyn Wallen on becoming a composer|first=Errollyn|last=Wallen|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 October 2023}}</ref> Leah Broad concluded in a review by saying: "''Becoming A Composer'' is a generous, warm-hearted book that all aspiring musicians should read. Her message that very real difficulties can be best faced with kindness, consideration, and collaboration feels important at the present moment, giving a blueprint for an optimistic future for classical music. ‘I am glad that I eventually gave myself the permission to do this thing’, she writes, ‘there is endless treasure if we can but dare to walk the path that opens up for each of us."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/review/article/becoming-a-composer-by-errollyn-wallen-book-review|title=Becoming a Composer by Errollyn Wallen {{!}} Book Review|first=Leah|last=Broad|website=gramophone.co.uk/opera-now|date=5 February 2024|access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>
Wallen is currently serving as Master of the King's Music, the first Black woman to serve in that position,<ref name="auto"/> appointed in 2024 by King Charles III in his first appointment to the role.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-24 |title=2012 Paralympic Games composer appointed as Master of the King's Music |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/elizabeth-ii-belize-mbe-united-kingdom-goldsmiths-b2601425.html|first=Harry|last=Stedman |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Errollyn Wallen appointed first Master of the King's Music of new reign |url=https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/errollyn-wallen-master-of-the-kings-music/|date= 24 August 2024|access-date=2024-08-24 |website=Classic FM |language=en}}</ref> She lives in Orkney.<ref name="GuardianMar2025">{{cite web |last1=Maddocks |first1=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Maddocks|title=‘The palace called and I heard myself saying yes’: how Errollyn Wallen went from Top of the Pops to Master of the King’s Music |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/25/belize-born-composer-first-black-woman-master-of-the-king-music-errollyn-wallen |website=The Guardian |access-date=7 April 2025 |date=5 March 2025}}</ref>
==Compositions==
Wallen's music draws on a wide range of influences, including avant-garde classical music, as well as popular songwriting. Her work has been performed in leading concert halls and theatres around the world.
Her first orchestral commission was a concerto for percussion and orchestra, written for percussionist Colin Currie and premiered by him during the finals of the BBC Young Musician competition in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Review |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/reviews/review|access-date=2020-07-28 |website=Gramophone |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller|first=Mara |date=2020-04-03 |title=Inclusive Views: 6 Questions with Composer Errollyn Wallen |url=https://unclassified.com/inclusive-views-6-questions-with-composer-errollyn-wallen/ |access-date=2020-07-28 |website=unCLASSIFIED |language=en-US}}</ref> This piece was subsequently performed at the 1998 BBC Proms, making Wallen the first Black female composer to receive a performance at that festival.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallen|first=Errollyn |date=2016-03-04 |title=Every day involves thinking, dreaming, playing and singing |url=http://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2016/mar/04/errollyn-wallen-composer-women-music |access-date=2020-07-28 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
Her compositions include the "multi-media song cycle" ''Jordan Town'' (2001), ''Dervish'' for cello and piano (2001), ''La Luga'' for guitar quintet (2002), the opera ''Another America: Earth'' (2003), and ''All the Blues I See'' for flute and string quartet (2004).
In 2006, she co-wrote a song with the astronaut Steve MacLean while he was aboard the space shuttle STS-115.
In 2007, Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Leipzig Ballet performed Wallen's work ''The Tempest'', with choreography by James McMenemy. Her opera ''The Silent Twins'', with a libretto by April De Angelis, was first performed by the Almeida Opera in 2007.
In June 2008, Wallen had a world premiere of ''Carbon 12- A Choral Symphony'' with the Welsh National Opera.
In 2010, her piano quintet ''Music for Tigers'' was performed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as part of the Summergarden concert series.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kozinn|first1=Allen |title=Bringing Garden Sounds Indoors |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/arts/music/27garden.html |access-date=8 August 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=26 July 2010}}</ref>
In 2012, her song "Daedalus" from the album ''Errollyn'' served as the opening and closing theme for the BBC drama ''One Night'', and her "Principia", which has lyrics about science, was featured in the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony.
In 2014, Melodia Women's Choir of New York City commissioned and performed the World Premiere of ''Full Fathom Five''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smolenski|first1=Nicholas |title=World Premier of Errollyn Wallen's "Full Fathom Five" |url=http://www.womencomposersfestivalhartford.com/world-premier-of-errollyn-wallens-full-fathom-five/ |website=Women Composers Festival Hartford |date=3 May 2014 |access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref>
In 2017, her work, ''Mighty River'', which marks the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in England, was performed at the Southbank New Music Biennial.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mighty River |url=https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/121696-mighty-river-2017 |publisher=Southbank Centre |access-date=8 August 2017 |archive-date=19 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019134743/https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/121696-mighty-river-2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
The premiere of her ''Piano Concerto'', which was commissioned by Julian Lloyd-Webber, then outgoing principal of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, was planned for June 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The work was ultimately first performed on 4 November 2022 by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Seal, at the conservatoire's Bradshaw Hall, with soloist Rebeca Omordia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hugill|first1=Robert |publisher=Planet Hugill |title=Rebeca Omordia to premiere Errollyn Wallen's Piano Concerto at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire |url=https://www.planethugill.com/2022/10/rebeca-omordia-to-premiere-errollyn.html |date=14 October 2022 |access-date=23 July 2023}}</ref>
Wallen's choral work ''REIGN'', for organ and high voices, was commissioned by the WOW Foundation for the 2025 Women of the World Festival. It was premiered on International Women's Day 2025 at the Royal Albert Hall.<ref name="GuardianMar2025" />
Her orchestral work ''The Elements'', commissioned by BBC, was premiered at the first night of the 2025 BBC Proms. While the piece itself got mixed reviews from critics, Barry Millington of ''The Evening Standard'' considered its placement in the programme immediately prior to the performance of Vaughan Williams’ solemn choral work ''Sancta Civitas'' to be an unfortunate mismatch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Millington |first=Barry |date=2025-07-22 |title=First Night of the Proms review: 'who thought this was a good idea?' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/first-night-of-the-proms-review-b1239442.html |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashley |first=Tim |date=2025-07-19 |title=First night of the Proms review – Batiashvili’s magnificent Sibelius opens the festival |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/19/first-night-of-the-proms-review-batiashvili-magnificent-sibelius-opens-the-festival |access-date=2025-07-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacob |first=Jon |date=2025-07-17 |title=BBC Proms 2025: First Night of the Proms 2025 |url=https://blog.thoroughlygood.me/2025/07/17/bbc-proms-2025-first-night-of-the-proms-2025/ |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Thoroughly Good Classical Music |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Recordings and publication==
In 2004, Wallen recorded an album of her own songs and solo piano music, entitled ''Errollyn''. Her CDs include: ''The Girl In My Alphabet'', ''Meet Me at Harold Moores'', featured on the Brodsky Quartet ''Mood Swings'' alongside Björk, Sting and Elvis Costello.
Wallen's music is published by Peters Edition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/publishers/edition-peters/ |title=Edition Peters |work=www.wisemusicclassical.com |date= |access-date=8 September 2023}}</ref>
==Awards and recognition== Wallen was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours,<ref>United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |date=15 June 2007 |issue=58358 |pages=23 |supp=1}}</ref> and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=62866 |supp=y|page=N10 |date=28 December 2019}}</ref> both for services to music. She has also received an Ivor Novello Award,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46225037 |title=BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?|date=19 November 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref> making her the first woman to receive an Ivor Novello Award for classical music.<ref name="BBC Comerford" />
In 2018, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.<ref name=":0" />
Wallen was the recipient of the 2020 Incorporated Society of Musicians Distinguished Musician Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.4barsrest.com/news/46601/highest-accolade-for-composer-errollyn-wallen-cbe|title=Highest accolade for composer Errollyn Wallen CBE|website=4barsrest.com|date=3 May 2021|access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref>
On 3 January 2022, Wallen was chosen by presenter Donald Macleod to be BBC Radio 3's ''Composer of the Week''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl8t/2022/01/03 |title=Monday 3 January 2022 Schedule |work=www.bbc.co.uk |date= |access-date=8 September 2023}}</ref> In July 2024, Wallen featured on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''; she chose the second movement of Bach's "Double Violin Concerto", performed by Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta as her favourite track, a collection of Bach sheet music as her favourite book, and Wigmore Hall as her luxury item.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00213d9|title=Desert Island Discs {{!}} Errollyn Wallen, composer|website=Radio 4|publisher=BBC|date=14 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/jerusalem-commonwealth-belize-british-windrush-b1170572.html|title=Composer Errollyn Wallen reveals abuse she received after reimagining Jerusalem|newspaper=Evening Standard|first=Naomi|last=Clarke|date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
Wallen was inducted into Fellowship of The Ivors Academy on 12 November 2024 at The Ivors Classical Awards, the organisation's annual presentation of Ivor Novello Awards celebrating classical composition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Anna |date=2024-11-12 |title=The Ivors Classical Awards 2024 winners announced |url=https://ivorsacademy.com/news/the-ivors-classical-awards-2024-winners-announced/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=The Ivors Academy |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Errollyn Wallen to receive Ivors Academy Fellowship |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/news/article/errollyn-wallen-to-receive-ivors-academy-fellowship |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=Gramophone |language=en|first=Holly|last=Baker|date=30 October 2024}}</ref>
==Academic appointments== In October 2020, Wallen was appointed visiting professor of composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Conservatoire of Scotland appoints Composer Errollyn Wallen CBE as Visiting Professor of Composition |url=https://www.rcs.ac.uk/news-stories/errolyn-wallen/ |access-date=14 September 2021 |website=Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |date=23 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Wallen is a professor of composition at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-27 |title=Errollyn Wallen CBE appointed Master of the King's Music |url=https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/blog/errollyn-wallen-cbe-appointed-master-of-the-kings-music/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Trinity Laban |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.errollynwallen.com}} * Laura Barnett, [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jul/29/classicalmusicandopera1 "Portrait of the artist: Errollyn Wallen, composer"], ''The Guardian'', 29 July 2008. * Errollyn Wallen, [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/30/errollyn-wallen-on-becoming-a-composer-extract-opera "From mini Mars bars to matters of life or death: Errollyn Wallen on becoming a composer"], ''The Guardian'', 30 October 2023. {{s-start}} {{s-court}} {{s-bef|before=Judith Weir}} {{s-ttl|title=Master of the King's Music|years=2024–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}} {{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Classical Music}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallen, Errollyn}} Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Black British musicians Category:20th-century British classical composers Category:20th-century British classical musicians Category:20th-century British women composers Category:20th-century British women pianists Category:20th-century English composers Category:20th-century English women musicians Category:21st-century British classical pianists Category:21st-century British women composers Category:21st-century British women pianists Category:21st-century English classical composers Category:21st-century English women musicians Category:Academics of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of the Urdang Academy Category:Belizean composers Category:Belizean emigrants to England Category:Belizean pianists Category:Black British classical musicians Category:British women classical composers Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Composers from London Category:Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers Category:English classical pianists Category:English opera composers Category:English women pianists Category:Masters of the King's Music