Josephine Stephenson

PREST0 @ Nonclassical 20th Anniversary

28/10/2024

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of performing my movement from the collaborative Concerto for Drum Machine & Orchestra – originally commissioned by Nonclassical in 2017 – again. I rebaptised it as PREST0 for the occasion, and was lucky enough to be accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra conudcted by Darren Bloom.

It was a wonderful evening showcasing the range of music Nonclassical has had its hands on over the past twenty years.. including a world premiere by Beatrice Dillon.

"The highlight of the evening [...] is the Concerto for Drum Machine and Orchestra [...]: best of all might be Josephine Stephenson's final section, where he drumbox's rolling tom-tom riffs and beepy claves are set against drowsy, legato strings." - The Guardian

(photo © Dimitri Djuric for Nonclassical)

Les astres - Laura Cahen

25/09/2024

Laura Cahen's newest single Les astres, which we composed together and produced with Mike Lindsay in Margate, is out today.

Accompanied by a video starring Garance Marillier:

Publishing deal with Campbell Connelly

16/09/2024

Happy to have signed a publishing deal with Wise Music's Campbell-Connelly for all things non-classical.

You can read more about it in Music Week's article.

photo © Thomas Révay

Quitter la ville - Laura Cahen

19/06/2024

Today marks the release of Laura Cahen's new single Quitter la ville, which we made together with Mike Lindsay last summer.

It comes with a video! I hope you enjoy it :)

Rest(e) on France Musique

03/04/2024

Tonight France Musique will broadcast I Giardini's concert at Festival Présences on 11th February, which featured my piece for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano Rest(e), performed with Fiona McGown.  

You can listen to it here.

NARCISSE @ Opéra de Rennes

27/03/2024

NARCISSE is being performed at the Opéra de Rennes this Friday & Saturday!

They even made new posters for it (see below)

All info here

Into the Wreck on BBC Radio 3

08/03/2024

The BBC Singers recorded my piece Into the Wreck for a special broadcast to set up International Women's Day on BBC Radio 3 last night. 

You can hear their beautiful rendition in the interval of BBC in Concert here.

In Time Like Air on YouTube

19/02/2024

You can now watch the video of In Time Like Air, captured by Arte Concert during the opening concert of the Festival Présences, below:

Carrefour de la Création with Héloïse Werner

14/02/2024

Last Sunday evening saw the broadcast of a special edition of 'Carrefour de la Création' on France Musique: named "À deux voix", it's an hour-long episode in which my dear friend and colleague Héloïse Werner and I go back in ping-pong over our composing careers and outputs. It was such a joy to make! 

You can listen to the podcast (in French) here.

Rest(e) @ Présences Festival

12/02/2024

Yesterday I Giardini and Fiona McGown gave the premiere of Rest(e), a new song cycle in two parts about death and grief, on poems by Christina Rossetti and Renée Vivien, as part of the Festival Présences. 

I was happy to share the programme with two composers I admire: Philippe Hersant and Caroline Shaw.

The concert will be broadcast on France Musique on 3 April 2024.

In Time Like Air @ Présences Festival

07/02/2024

Last night Ensemble Intercontemporain gave the premiere of In Time Like Air, a new 15min piece inspired by the poetry of May Sarton which opened the Festival Présences.

This year's edition is dedicated to the work of Steve Reich and it's an honour to have my music presented in my home country in this context.. Second premiere on Sunday!

"The beautiful discovery of this opening night" - Transfuge

Matinale de France Musique with Fiona Monbet

05/02/2024

I was on France Musique's Matinale programme this morning to talk about the work I'm presenting at Présences Festival at Radio France this week. 

It was an added bonus that I was joined by my old friend and colleague Fiona Monbet, who herself will conduct a show at the festival over the weekend.

Listen again (in French) here.

KAGUYA in Tokyo

29/01/2024

I recently came back from Tokyo where we presented the world premiere of a collaboration project, 'KAGUYA - The Daughter Tree', at Bunnka Kaikan.

KAGUYA is a sort of song cycle/music theatre piece with a libretto by Ben Osborn and choreography by Kaiji Moriyama. It's scored for voice, string quartet and koto and is an adaptation of the ancient Japanese folk tale 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' with a feminist, eco-conscious modern lens. 

The show was well received and we hope it will tour to Europe next year - stay tuned!

Interview for Ensemble Intercontemporain

16/01/2024

I was interviewed by Suzanne Gervais for Ensemble Intercontemporain regarding my new piece for the opening night of the Présences Festival in Paris this year.

You can read it (in French) at this link