SHIRLEY J. THOMPSON Composer, Artistic Director, Conductor, Film-Maker, Historian, Cultural Activist The multi-award-winning English composer, Shirley J. Thompson, is known globally as a visionary and influential change-maker in the music world (The Guardian, 2018) bringing vast new audiences to classical music with her 'New Classicism' style. As well as Thompson's monumental innovations in symphonic & operatic works, she has composed extensively for TV, film, dance, ensembles, choirs, instrumentalists & singers. 'New Nation Rising: A 21st Century Symphony' tells the story of London from 1066 to the present day & formed the conceptual framework for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, while originally commissioned to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. Her music for the ballet, PUSH, toured to 40 of the world's leading opera houses, including La Scala, The Royal Opera & Sydney Opera House. Her opera series, featuring historical heroines, for solo singer/speaker, film & orchestra, entitled 'Heroines of Opera,' has created mesmerising new roles for women & especially those of African heritage. Thompson is one of 12 British composers personally commissioned by HM King Charles III to compose orchestral music for The Coronation, gaining her a prominent place in a 900-year legacy of iconic ‘Coronation Composers.’ The music of Thompson is claimed as ‘the present and future’ of British classical music (The Gramophone, May 2023).