Anna Appleby
Professor of Composition
BA (Oxford), MMus (RNCM), PhD, ARNCM
Email: [email protected]
Anna Appleby (born in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Manchester-based composer and songwriter. Her contemporary classical and electronic music has been performed around the world and she continues to compose for orchestras, opera companies, choreographers, new music ensembles, soloists and choirs. She also has a performance alter-ego called Norrisette. Her works include a radio opera, Drought, for the BBC Philharmonic and an award-winning collaborative youth opera for Glyndebourne, Pay the Piper. She has also been a Music Fellow with Rambert Dance Company.
Anna has a PhD and MMus in Composition from RNCM, and a BA in Music from Oxford with First-Class Honours. She has wide educational experience as a university lecturer, private tutor, performing arts specialist in primary schools, teacher at international summer schools, workshop leader and mentor. The organisations she has worked with in this context include The University of Sheffield, Streetwise Opera, Red Note Ensemble, The Sunday Boys, English Touring Opera, Glyndebourne Youth Opera, The BBC Philharmonic, and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
Professional Activity
Anna’s work has been commissioned by numerous ensembles including Ensemble Klang, The BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, the CBSO, the Piatti Quartet, Riot Ensemble, the Laefer Quartet, The Hermes Experiment, The Sunday Boys, Glyndebourne Youth Opera, and The Royal Northern Sinfonia, working with conductors who champion new music such as Jack Sheen, Helen Harrison, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, Michael Betteridge and Clark Rundell. Soloists who have premiered her work include mezzo-soprano Stephanie Wake-Edwards, saxophonist Amy Green, harpist Eira Lynn Jones, and pianists Jonathan Powell and Clélia Iruzun.
Anna has an alter-ego called Norrisette: the moniker under which she writes, records, performs and produces electronic music and contemporary songs. Norrisette was born in 2020 and has since performed a solo set on the Nebula stage at Bluedot Festival and numerous headline shows in Manchester, as well as supporting Anna Meredith with the RNCM Festival Orchestra at Manchester International Festival, being featured on BBC 6 Music, and starting a regular music night in collaboration with Industries called FLUFF which is a platform for queer electronic artists. FLUFF was featured in the Guardian for its role in the underground music scene in Manchester.
