PRESS RELEASE

Pictured composer Errollyn Wallen and pianist Rebeca Omordia

Commissioned especially for her by Julian Lloyd Webber, with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Symphony Orchestra at Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire November 4th 2022 conducted by Michael Seal.

“One of my last acts as Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire was to devise a concert which emphasised the rich diversity that exists in classical music when you look beyond the surface. I also wanted to celebrate two wonderful talents closely associated with the conservatoire; the pianist and RBC alumna, Rebeca Omordia and the composer and RBC professor, Errollyn Wallen. The result was RBC’s first-ever commission and a new Piano Concerto by Errollyn composed especially for Rebeca. Sadly, Covid put paid to the planned premiere in June 2020 but this has only heightened the sense of anticipation as we finally reach the Concerto’s first performance on November 4th!” Julian Lloyd Webber

Award-winning pianist Rebeca Omordia will premiere the piano concerto by Belize born British composer Errollyn Wallen, who has been hailed as the 'renaissance woman of contemporary British music' by The Observer. 

Rebeca Omordia, of Nigerian and Romanian heritage was described by Classical Music Magazine as ‘Classical Music Game Changer’. She is internationally celebrated as a virtuoso award-winning pianist as well as for her ground-breaking work founding The African Concert Series now an established part of the London music scene. For a number of years she was also the duo partner of Julian Lloyd Webber and now enjoys a busy career as a soloist, recording artist and Artistic Director.

Errollyn Wallen is as respected a singer-songwriter of pop influenced songs as she is a composer of contemporary new music. Communication is at the centre of both worlds: engaging the audience and speaking directly to hearts and minds. She was recently featured on BBC’s ‘Composer of the Week’. She was the first Black woman to have her work featured in the Proms and she composed for the opening of the Paralympic Games and Queen Elizabeth’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, for which she has been awarded the MBE and the CBE.

The concerto will also be recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra under conductor John Andrews for the Resonus Label due to be released in 2023.

 Press release from Antony Barlow