Composer, cellist and singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson has been described as a ‘huge talent’ (Jazzwise) and has won acclaim for her ‘honey-sweet vocal delivery’ and ‘bewitching cello-playing’ (Time Out). In this vibrant, jazz-infused performance, she appears alongside the virtuoso LSO Percussion Ensemble, with which she regularly collaborates.
At the heart of the concert are several of Witter-Johnson’s own compositions. Her music crosses the boundaries of classical, jazz, reggae, soul and R&B, and, in her own words, represents, celebrates and ‘[pays] homage to my ancestral heritage, culture and identity’. The concert includes two works commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, originally given their world premieres in 2022.
The programme will also feature lively compositions by jazz star Gwilym Simcock, a bravura percussion work by Makoto Ozone and a haunting number by Joe Locke.
