{"id":47761,"date":"2024-09-18T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/c043a59b-9236-47bf-a33b-c2646a60d506"},"modified":"2024-09-18T16:07:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:07:13","slug":"ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayanna Witter-Johnson: composer, singer and cellist who combines classical, hip-hop, soul and reggae"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 18 September 2024 at 13:30 PM<\/p>

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Read on to discover more about the multi-talented composer, singer, pianist and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson…<\/strong><\/p>

Who is Ayanna Witter-Johnson?<\/h2>
London-born Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a MOBO award-nominated composer, singer, pianist<\/a><\/strong> and cellist<\/a><\/strong>. She combines classical influences, dance rhythms and eclectic soul in her passionate personal songs about race and history, as heard on her latest EP Colour War<\/em>. <\/p>
<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ayanna Witter-Johnson performs Colour War<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>Witter-Johnson has toured with artists including\u00a0Anoushka Shankar,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/andrea-bocelli\">Andrea Bocelli<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Jools Holland. She also presents a weekly show on <a href=\"https:\/\/hellorayo.co.uk\/magic-classical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scala Radio\/Magic Classical<\/a><\/strong>, and has composed for the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/the-london-symphony-orchestra-five-famous-conductors\">London Symphony Orchestra<\/a><\/strong>, Ligeti Quartet and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/kronos-quartet\">Kronos Quartet<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/s\/shankar-ravi\">Ravi Shankar: West\/East synthesist, sitar maestro<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>Her tracks have featured on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BBC Radio<\/a><\/strong> 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, Jazz FM and Scala Radio. Her TV credits include BBC One, London Live and Channel 4.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where was Ayanna Witter-Johnson born?<\/h2>Ayanna Witter-Johnson was born in\u00a0London and is of\u00a0Jamaican heritage.\u00a0<\/p>‘There was always music in our house growing up,’ she told BBC Music Magazine<\/em>. ‘My father is an actor\/DJ and my mother is a teacher with a great musical ear, and used to perform with the Ghanaian dance troupe Aguje. <\/p>‘I started learning the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/piano-parts\">piano<\/a><\/strong> at three-and-a-half, and the teacher I spent most time with was pianist David Smith. He instilled in me a real passion for playing the piano, and the intimacy of the relationship between practising and performing for others.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/best-piano-child-prodigies\">Best child piano prodigies of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>‘As well as learning piano and listening to pop music, as a child I took dance classes and toured with mum\u2019s Ghanaian troupe. So my music is also infused with those songs and rhythms. “Forever”, the final track on my collaborative album <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hyperion-records.co.uk\/dc.asp?dc=D_LSO5122-D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ocean Floor<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, with the LSO Percussion Ensemble (Hyperion), is a tribute to my mum, to celebrate those seeds that were\u00a0sown in the early years in\u00a0the dance\u00a0troupe.’<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How old is Ayanna Witter-Johnson?<\/h2>Witter-Johnson was born in 1985.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where did Ayanna Witter-Johnson study?<\/h2>Witter-Johnson studied at the\u00a0Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in the UK and won the Trinity Laban Silver Award in 2008. She subsequently studied for a master’s degree in composition at the\u00a0Manhattan School of Music\u00a0in the USA.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/which-are-the-best-colleges-to-study-music-in-the-uk\">These are the best colleges and universities to study music in the UK<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>She participated in the London Symphony Orchestra\u2019s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme and was also an Emerging Artist in Residence at London\u2019s Southbank Centre.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"'Roxanne' | Ayanna Witter Johnson | live at MOBO Awards Pre-Show | 2016\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zZY6mMfqpW4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ayanna Witter-Johnson performs ‘Roxanne’ at the MOBO Awards Pre-Show 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What music has influenced Ayanna Witter-Johnson?<\/h2>‘<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/maurice-ravel\">Ravel<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s String Quartet, especially the second movement, holds the essence of so much of the music that I create,’ she told BBC Music Magazine<\/em>. ‘The pizzicato, the syncopated rhythms, the melodies, how it moves, the energy, the groove that\u2019s in it. My own guitar-and-bass approach to the cello, the plucked introductions to some of my songs, really draws people in and tunes their ears. I think the kind of music I make is listening music, for the heart, the mind and the soul.’<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/gaspard-de-la-nuit\">Gaspard de la Nuit: a guide to Ravel’s haunting cycle and its best recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>She continued: ‘There\u2019s a piece that I put on before every show. Like a mantra, it puts me in a meditative, calming space. <a href=\"https:\/\/take6.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Take\u00a06<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s song “Come Unto Me” is incredible harmonically. I just love what this a cappella group from America do with their voices. I have such positive memories of listening to it in the car and singing along with my mum. And I play it in the dressing room, usually when I\u2019m doing my make-up and having something to eat before shows.’<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/best-jazz-singers-ever\">The greatest jazz singers of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Composer Errollyn Wallen is a big inspiration…<\/h2>‘<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/errollyn-wallen\">Errollyn Wallen<\/a><\/strong> was one of my composition teachers at Trinity Laban,’ Ayanna Witter-Johnson tells us. ‘In the opening movement of her Concerto Grosso I love how she\u2019s playing with an old form. She has the piano, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/violin-history\">violin<\/a><\/strong> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/double-bass-guide\">double bass<\/a><\/strong> all in conversation. There\u2019s a richness of texture and harmony, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/jazz\/jazz-music-what-it-is-and-how-it-evolved\">jazz<\/a><\/strong> elements infused into a more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/baroque-music-guide\">Baroque<\/a><\/strong> context. With all her music there\u2019s an inventiveness and a playfulness, and she herself\u00a0has been one of my big inspirations and mentors… <\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/errollyn-wallen-master-of-kings-music\">Errollyn Wallen is the new Master of the King’s Music<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>‘And she\u2019s written at least 20 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-musical-and-an-opera\">opera<\/a><\/strong>s! I\u2019m actually doing an operatic writing workshop next week \u2013 I like theatre and I like where music meets drama, but I\u2019m not 100 per cent sure I\u2019m an opera composer yet\u2026 perhaps because I haven\u2019t defined what opera means to me personally. That\u00a0could\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0whole\u00a0other\u00a0chapter!’<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/the-greatest-opera-composers-of-all-time\">The greatest opera composers of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Published: Wednesday, 18 September 2024 at 13:30 PM Read on to discover more about the multi-talented composer, singer, pianist and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson… Who is Ayanna Witter-Johnson? London-born Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a MOBO award-nominated composer, singer, pianist and cellist. She combines classical influences, dance rhythms and eclectic soul in her passionate personal songs about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":47762,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/ayanna-witter-johnson-composer-singer-and-cellist-who-combines-classical-hip-hop-soul-and-reggae.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Wednesday, 18 September 2024 at 13:30 PM Read on to discover more about the multi-talented composer, singer, pianist and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson… Who is Ayanna Witter-Johnson? London-born Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a MOBO award-nominated composer, singer, pianist and cellist. She combines classical influences, dance rhythms and eclectic soul in her passionate personal songs about…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/47761"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}