Meet the Composer: Anna Clyne

BACKGROUND

Anna Clyne was born in London, England in 1980. As a child, she had a strong interest in music and composed her first piece of music at age 7. Growing up, she listened to many kinds of music, including pop, rock, and jazz. She learned to play piano, and then cello. The experience of playing cello in an orchestra helped her learn more about music. She studied music at many different places and learned how to incorporate electronics into her music. This means some of her compositions combine live musicians playing together with pre-recorded sounds.   

Anna Clyne has said that she uses music to process strong feelings and that music creates connections with other people and helps her deal with life’s challenges. She enjoys working together with other artists, like dancers and painters. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and her dog.

MUSIC

Anna Clyne has written a lot of music for many different types of ensembles. Here are three pieces that introduce you to her compositional style.  

1. Abstractions is a piece made up of five movements, or separate sections. Each movement is based on a painting in the Baltimore Museum of Art. Each movement is named after the painting that inspired it.  As you listen to the first movement, called “Marble Moon”, imagine what the painting that inspired this piece might look like.  

2. The next piece is a cello concerto, which means it is a piece that features a solo cellist playing together with an orchestra. Remember that Anna Clyne is also a cellist, so that probably helped her write this piece.  

3. This Midnight Hour was composed for a full orchestra. It was based on two different poems, but Anna Clyne said that she hoped the audience would imagine pictures and images as they listen to this piece. As you listen, think about what pictures or images come to mind. Do you think this music tells a story? What kind of story? 

CREATE, CONNECT & RESPOND

1. Anna Clyne wrote Abstractions based on a work of art. Learn more about what music shares with art in the lesson Music & Art: A Trip to the Museum.  

2. We learned about several things that inspire Anna Clyne to write music, like poetry and art. Journal or discuss your own sources of inspiration. What inspires you?

3. This Midnight Hour tells a musical story of some kind. Try creating your own musical story with the Music & Literacy: Create a Musical Story lesson.