ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
VOCES8's Artists in Residence bring artistic collaboration and innovation to the ensemble. They work closely with VOCES8, creating original pieces that align with the group's vision. These composers and arrangers, skilled in various styles, add fresh perspectives to VOCES8's performances, sparking inspiration for both musicians and audiences.
Meet our current artists - Composer, Ken Burton and Arranger, Jim Clements
Ken Burton Composer-in-residence
Ken Burton's compositions and arrangements are performed around the world by singers and musicians, and his music is featured on mainstream UK television nearly every week on BBC1's Songs Of Praise. With music ranging from a cappella to music for full symphony orchestra, his music has been performed by some of the world's leading professional choirs - including ORA, the Flemish Radio Choir, and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, and has even featured on the Glastonbury main stage; his instrumental music played by major orchestras including BBC orchestras, and CBSO. His music has been published by Edition Peters, Faber, OUP, RSCM, Walton and on his own Voquality label.
“I am honoured and thrilled to spend the next two seasons as Composer-in-Residence for the VOCES8 Foundation, which I hold in the highest regard, and am looking forward to working with all the amazing musicians and educators who do so much to inspire and thrill audiences and singers both young and old.”
@kenburtonmusic
Jim Clements
Arranger-in-Residence
Jim Clements is VOCES8’s long-standing arranger-in-residence and has written a huge number of arrangements for VOCES8 over the group’s 15 year history, including many fan favourites (Straighten Up and Fly Right, Underneath the Stars and Ain’t that a Kick in the Head to name but a few).
Jim’s music has been performed worldwide from the Sydney Opera House to the Royal Albert Hall with commissions from Tim Minchin, Tom Jones, and The King’s Singers, and orchestras including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. His myriad arrangements for VOCES8 have been recorded on ten award-winning albums, receiving three CARA awards.
Find Jim on Facebook and Instagram. Jim’s music is published with Edition Peters.
VOCES8 Publishing
VOCES8 Publishing is a our digital sheet music publishing house which will offer a carefully curated collection of new music from composers associated with the VOCES8 Foundation.
VOCES8 Records
VOCES8 Records is our recording arm and the label support recording by VOCES8, Apollo5, Lyyra as well as albums from other renowned artists.
Previous artists in residence include:
Roxanna Panufnik Composer-in-Residence 2020-2023
Roxanna Panufnik is VOCES8’s current Composer-in-Residence. she writes for a huge variety of genres including opera, ballet, music theatre, choral works, orchestral and chamber compositions, and music for film and television – which are performed all over the world.
Roxanna and VOCES8 continue an already strong relationship. The album Love Abide on Signum Classics includes 2 tracks sung by VOCES8 – Love Endureth and Zen Love Song (the latter of which inspired a beautifully animated video by Mischa Ying). During the residency Roxanna will write music for the ensemble as well as take part in workshop events, and the group will perform a piece of Roxanna’s at almost every concert performance in the season.
Find Roxanna on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Roxanna’s music is published with Edition Peters.
Jonathan Dove
Composer-in-Residence 2017-2019
Jonathan Dove’s music has filled opera houses with delighted audiences of all ages on five continents. Few, if any, contemporary composers have so successfully or consistently explored the potential of opera to communicate, to create wonder and to enrich people’s lives.
His work Vertue was written for and premiered by the group at the Salisbury and Lichfield Festivals in 2019.
Find Jonathan on Facebook, Instagram and Instagram
Jonathan’s music is published with Edition Peters.
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Ola Gjeilo
Composer-in-Residence
2015-2017
Ola Gjeilo was the group’s first Composer-in-Residence.
Ola was born in Norway in 1978 and moved to the United States in 2001 to begin his composition studies at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he currently lives and works as a composer and pianist.
Ola is an exclusive Decca Classics artist, and his Decca albums include Ola Gjeilo and Winter Songs, also featuring Tenebrae, VOCES8 and the Choir of Royal Holloway, and the solo piano album Night.
Find Ola on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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