Roxanna Panufnik

b. 1968

British

Summary

Roxanna Panufnik is one of the most versatile and beloved of British composers working today. She studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music and since then has written works for opera, ballet, music theatre, choral works, orchestral and chamber compositions, and music for film and television - which are performed all over the world. Thanks to her hybrid heritage, she has a great love of music from a variety of cultures and different faiths. 

Biography

Roxanna Panufnik is one of the most versatile and beloved British composers working today. She studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music and since then has written works for opera, ballet, music theatre, choral works, orchestral and chamber compositions as well as music for film and television that are seen and heard around the world.

Thanks to her hybrid heritage, she has a great love of music from a variety of cultures and different faiths. Her mission to build musical bridges between the three Abrahamic faiths has resulted in commissions from The World Orchestra for Peace in Jerusalem and the BBC for the 2018 Last Night on the Proms.

Roxanna's 50th Birthday year saw some exciting commissions and premieres. As well as the BBC Proms, the oratorio Faithful Journey- a Mass for Poland for City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Poland, marked Poland's centenary as an independent state.

Recent commissions include Across the Line of Dreams for two conductors, two choirs and symphony orchestra premiered by Marin Alsop and Valentina Peleggi with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Ever Us commissioned by the Rundfunkchor Berlin, for 10 choirs and symphony orchestra to premiere in 2024/2025. Her operas, Silver Birch and Dalia (winning an 'Excellence in Musical Theatre Award' ) commissioned by Garsington Opera received audience and critical acclaim.

Recent premieres include the reworking of her father Andrzej Panufnik's Five Polish Folk Songs for City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. She was commissioned by King Charles III to Coronation Sanctus for his Coronation in May 2023. Imminent premieres include a song cycle Gallery of Memories co-commissioned by the Oxford Lieder and Presteigne Festivals (for which she is 2023 composer in residence). Roxanna is Associate Composer with the London Mozart Players and Composer-in-Residence with VOCES8.

Roxanna's compositions are published by Peters Edition Ltd and recorded on many labels including Warner Classics, Signum, Chandos, and EMI Classics.

News

Performances

12th October 2024

PERFORMERS
Liberal Jewish Synagogue Choir
LOCATION
Liberal Jewish Synagogue, London, United Kingdom

7th March 2025

PERFORMERS
Ashland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Michael Repper
LOCATION
Archer Auditorium, Ashland, OH, United States of America

8th March 2025

PERFORMERS
Ashland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Michael Repper
LOCATION
Archer Auditorium, Ashland, OH, United States of America

29th March 2025

PERFORMERS
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus
CONDUCTOR
Warren Trevelyan-Jones
LOCATION
Arts Centre, Hamer Hall, Melbourne, Australia

3rd May 2025

SOLOISTS
Danielle Maddon (violin)
PERFORMERS
New England Philharmonic
CONDUCTOR
Tian Hui Ng
LOCATION
University (Tsai Auditorium), Boston, United States of America

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Discography