Errollyn Wallen has been described as ‘the renaissance woman of contemporary British music’ (The Observer).

Recent works include: All the People of the World (text by Jackie Kay) for chorus, soloists and orchestra, performed by the Hallè Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall, 2008; the oratorio Carbon 12 - A Choral Symphony commissioned by Welsh National Opera, premiered at Cardiff’s Millennium Centre, 2008 and touring in June 2009; English Folk Songs: From Eleanor to Sweet William (text by Wesley Stace) for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group; original music and sound design for Hampstead Theatre’s production of Private Lives (directed by Lucy Bailey); Cello Concerto and Concerto Grosso commissioned by Orchestra of the Swan, 2008, with whom Errollyn is Composer in Association; The Silent Twins (librettist April de Angelis) for Almeida Opera, premiered in 2007; Mighty River premiered by the Philharmonia Orchestra, 2007; Spirit Symphony commissioned by the BBC (winner of the BBC Radio 3 Listeners/ British Composer Award, 2005); Another America: Earth commissioned by The Royal Opera House (broadcast on BBC television). Her music also featured in the opening festival for the new London venue Kings Place in autumn 2008. With her brother Byron, Errollyn has made the new show WALLEN which will run for two nights at this year’s Tete-a-Tete festival. Errollyn Wallen has just returned from a tour of USA where she was featured at two festivals in July - the Zeltsman Marimba Festival in Appleton, Wisconsin and the Monadnock Festival as well as a live radio performance on WNYC and hailed performances at Le Poisson Rouge and The Stone in New York.

Her film Falling (made with Dan Farberoff and choreographer Henri Oguike) has been shown on Australian ABC television and was a Christmas Special on Channel 4’s 4Dance in 2008. This film was shortlisted for the VideoDansa Barcelona International Prize 2009 and featured her live musical performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall in March 2009 as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Henri Oguike Dance Company.

Posts include: Composer-in-Residence at Dartington International Music Festival, Huddersfield Festival and Trinity College of Music, Visiting Composer-in-Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire and Research Associate at Middlesex University’s ResCen, contributing to the book Navigating the Unknown: The creative process in contemporary performing arts, published in 2006.

Recordings include two albums of songs: Errollyn (Avie 0049) and Meet Me at Harold Moores, both featuring her vocal/piano performance; and the classical solo album The Girl in My Alphabet (Avie 0006). Errollyn also appears on the Brodsky Quartet’s album Moodswings alongside Bjork, Elvis Costello and Sting, and has recently contributed to the NMC Songbook CD released in 2009. The Errollyn Wallen Songbook published by Peters Edition comprises twelve of her celebrated songs for voice with piano accompaniment.

Errollyn Wallen was awarded an MBE in the 2007 Queen’s Honours List for services to music.