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Contemporary British

WALLEN, Errollyn

Errollyn Wallen
Photo by Azzurra Primavera; courtesy of The Guardian

Born in Belize, 10 April 1958

  • Errollyn Wallen CBE is a prolific British composer whose works have been performed at the BBC Proms, the 2012 Paralympic Games, and the jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • As an emerging composer in the 1980s, Wallen struggled with breaking down barriers to women in the field, especially women of color. Consequently, she co-founded, along with other female composers, musicians and administrators, the organization, “Women in Music,” promoting works by underrepresented voices in the field.2
  • In August 2024, Wallen was appointed Master of the King’s Music (the first Black woman to do so).
  • As a composer, Wallen has written over 20 operas and a large catalogue of orchestral, chamber, and vocal works.3

Learn More
Composer’s website

Sources

  1. “Biography,” Errollyn Wallen (2025), accessed February 26, 2025, https://www.errollynwallen.com/biography.
  2. Rachael Healy and Richard Palmer, “Belize-born composer is first Black woman to be Master of the King’s Music,” The Guardian (2024), accessed February 26, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/25/belize-born-composer-first-black-woman-master-of-the-king-music-errollyn-wallen.
  3. “Biography,” Errollyn Wallen.

Pieces