Laura Rossi is a composer for film, television and concert music. Her music has been described as ‘hauntingly atmospheric with emotional depth and beauty’ and ‘truly breathtaking, on par with those of the great Hollywood composers’.
She has written extensively for film and television, including scores for Paul Andrew Williams' critically acclaimed features: London to Brighton (BAFTA nominated), The Cottage (Starring Andy Serkis and Reece Shearsmith), BBC The Eichmann Show (starring Martin Freeman and Anthony La Paglia) and Song For Marion (starring Vanessa Redgrave, Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton and Christopher Ecclestone). Other scores include The Firm directed by Nick Love, Broken Lines by Sallie Aprahamian (starring Paul Bettany and Olivia Williams), The Man Inside by Dan Turner (starring Peter Mullan), BBC1 Drama Prisoners Wives (series 2) directed by Harry Bradbeer, and Hurricane by David Blair (starring Iwan Rheon).
The British Film Institute has commissioned Laura to write many new scores for re-releases of early silent movies. These include the best-selling Silent Shakespeare (seven short films) which she has toured extensively, performing live with film at The Globe, the Barbican and London, Madeira, Belfast, and Sao Paulo film festivals. Other BFI films include Twilight of a Woman’s Soul by Evgenii Bauer, C.O.D. by Desmond Dickinson, Tusalava by Len Lye, and the first British epic silent film by Ealing Studios' founder Will Barker - Jane Shore, which her ensemble performed live with film across the UK including at the National Film Theatre and Leicester Cathedral at the British Silent Film Festival.
The Imperial War Museum commissioned Laura to write an orchestral score for the iconic 1916 film The Battle of the Somme. The score premiered at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, was recorded and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and released on CD and DVD to worldwide critical acclaim. In 2016/17 Laura was artistic director for Somme100 FILM, an international project coordinating 100 live orchestral performances of Laura’s score. The live screenings were attended by an audience of over 37,000 people, involved over 4,200 musicians, was featured on BBC's The One Show and The Andrew Marr Show, and The BBC Symphony Orchestra performance at Thiepval, France was televised live on BBC1. Laura’s score for the Somme sequel, The Battle of the Ancre premiered at the London Film Festival, was released on DVD in November 2017 and toured the UK in 2018.
Laura has been commissioned to write numerous concert works including Voices of Remembrance, a choral/ orchestral work, commissioned to mark the Centenary of the First World War, which features war poems read by Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave. This was released on CD and has been performed multiple times to critical acclaim, including at Manchester Cathedral, Jersey Opera House, Worthing Assembly Hall and Dartington Hall with Vanessa Redgrave narrating. The American premiere was in 2018 performed by Coro Lux and New Mexico Philharmonic.
Other works include Under the Rainbow (a choral/ orchestral work featuring Er-hu, Sitar, Koto, African drums, saxophone and children's choir), The River (performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall by the Solaris String Quartet), Remember Them commissioned by Jersey and Chetham's School of Music, jazz orchestra works performed at the London Jazz Festival and music for animation, dance and music theatre. Laura has composed education music for the London College of Music jazz piano syllabus and LCM Percussion grades published by Stainer & Bell. She has also written and recorded albums for EMI and Imagem, including Under the Stars, Italian Cinema, Dreamscapes and has her own ensemble that performs both her film and concert music. She is currently working on a new album which will be released in 2021.
In 2017, Laura was given the prestigious accolade of being made an Academy Member for ‘exceptional accomplishment in the field of theatrical motion pictures.’ Her music has been recorded and performed worldwide by the Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Her works have been performed at the Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Laura has been on many judging panels including the Ivor Novello awards and the International festival of Cinema and Technology, she is lecturer for film music at the London Film Academy and regularly gives masterclasses at colleges and universities about composing for film.
‘Extremely accomplished music’
The Independent.
‘A terrific composer’
Simon Bates, Classic FM
'A new music score by Laura Rossi, brilliantly effective’
The Times.
‘a new music score by Laura Rossi, brilliantly effective’
The Times.
‘Laura Rossi very adeptly creates an emotional picture through impressive orchestral writing which is at once colourful, honourable, celebratory and moving.’
Michael Beek, Music from the Movies.
‘Her orchestrations are on par with those of the great Hollywood composers. This is a truly breathtaking score, incredibly well written and performed.’
Oscar Flores, Filmmusicsite.com.
