Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1980 in Essex, England

Period

:

Contemporary

 

Cheryl Frances-Hoad is a British classical music composer who was born on December 1980 in Essex, England. She grew up in a musical family, with her mother being a pianist and her father a jazz musician. Frances-Hoad started playing the piano at the age of four and began composing music at the age of nine. She attended the Purcell School of Music in London, where she studied composition with Simon Bainbridge and piano with Tessa Nicholson. Frances-Hoad went on to study music at the University of Cambridge, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 2002 and a Master of Arts degree in composition in 2003. During her time at Cambridge, she was awarded the prestigious Gibbs Prize for composition. She also studied composition with Robert Saxton at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she earned a Master of Music degree in composition in 2004. Frances-Hoad's music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Her works have been commissioned by organizations such as the Royal Opera House, the BBC Proms, and the Cheltenham Music Festival. One of Frances-Hoad's most notable works is her opera "The Madness of Mary Shelley," which premiered at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio Theatre in London in 2018. The opera tells the story of Mary Shelley, the author of the novel "Frankenstein," and explores themes of creativity, love, and loss. The opera was praised for its innovative use of technology, including projections and virtual reality, to create a multi-sensory experience for the audience. Frances-Hoad's other notable works include her piano concerto "Rachmaninoff Recreated," which was commissioned by the Cheltenham Music Festival and premiered in 2013. The concerto is a reimagining of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, and features new material composed by Frances-Hoad. The work was praised for its inventive use of Rachmaninoff's themes and motifs, and for its virtuosic piano writing. Another notable work by Frances-Hoad is her song cycle "Love Bytes," which was commissioned by the BBC Proms and premiered in 2016. The cycle sets poems about love and relationships in the digital age to music, and features a range of musical styles, from classical to pop. The work was praised for its wit and humor, as well as its emotional depth. Frances-Hoad's music is characterized by its emotional intensity, its inventive use of musical materials, and its ability to connect with audiences on a deep level. She has been praised for her ability to create music that is both accessible and challenging, and for her commitment to exploring new musical ideas and techniques. In addition to her work as a composer, Frances-Hoad is also a respected music educator. She has taught composition at the University of Cambridge, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal Holloway, University of London. She has also worked with young composers through organizations such as the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Frances-Hoad has received numerous awards and honors for her work as a composer, including the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize, the BBC Young Composer of the Year Award, and the BASCA British Composer Award. She was also named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2018.

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