Ellen Reid

b. 1983

American

Summary

Ellen Reid is one of the most innovative artists of her generation. A composer and sound artist whose breadth of work spans opera, sound design, film scoring, ensemble and choral writing, she was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her opera, p r i s m.

In collaboration with composer Missy Mazzoli, Ellen co-founded the Luna Composition Lab. Luna Lab is a mentorship program for young female, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming composers. During the 2022-2023 season, Reid served as Composer-in-Residence with New Mexico Philharmonic, and during the 2023-3024 season she was Composer-in-Residence with Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw concert hall and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Ellen is Contemporary Music Chair for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. 

In 2020, she created Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK, an ongoing work of public art that reimagines city parks as interactive soundscapes. SOUNDWALK premiered in New York’s Central Park, featuring the New York Philharmonic, and continues to expand to parks around the world, fostering collaborations with ensembles such as Kronos Quartet and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Ellen received her BFA from Columbia College, Columbia University and her MA from California Institute of the Arts. She is inspired by music from all over the globe, and she splits her time between her two favorite cities – Los Angeles and New York.

News

Performances

21st November 2024

PERFORMERS
International Contemporary Ensemble
CONDUCTOR
Steven Schick
LOCATION
Roulette Intermedium, New York, United States of America

22nd November 2024

PERFORMERS
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Klaus Mäkelä
LOCATION
Carnegie Hall, New York, United States of America

24th November 2024

PERFORMERS
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Klaus Mäkelä
LOCATION
Kennedy Center Washington, Washington D.C., United States of America

7th February 2025

PERFORMERS
Kansas City Symphony
CONDUCTOR
Daniel Candillari
LOCATION
Kauffman Performing Arts Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America

8th February 2025

PERFORMERS
Kansas City Symphony
CONDUCTOR
Daniel Candillari
LOCATION
Kauffman Performing Arts Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America

Features

  • New Opera Highlights from Wise Music Classical
    • New Opera Highlights from Wise Music Classical
    • Wise Music Classical invites you to explore new highlights from our opera catalogue. In these recent and upcoming premieres, new productions, and premiere recordings, our composers and their creative collaborators explore subjects ranging from the historical (Hadrian, X: The Life and Times of Malcom X, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) to the futuristic (Oryx and Crake), the fantastic (El Ultimo Sueño de Frida y Diego, Florencia en el Amazonas, Die Kinder des Sultans) to the thoroughly contemporary (Innocence, The Shell Trial). Threaded throughout these works are perennial themes of loss, longing, magic, art-making, and community.
  • 2024 Opera Highlights
    • 2024 Opera Highlights
    • Ahead of Opera America’s 2024 Opera Conference and the World Opera Forum, Wise Music Classical invites you to explore new highlights from our opera catalogue. Across major premieres, new productions, and first recordings, our composers and their collaborators explore both timely issues and the timeless themes of love, desire, and belonging.
  • Celebrating Women Composers
  • Independent Repertoire: American Cityscapes and Landscapes
    • Independent Repertoire: American Cityscapes and Landscapes
    • Numerous composers have drawn inspiration both from the United States’ natural beauty and the vibrant character of its cities. From iconic neighborhoods to breathtaking views, rural agrarian life to industrial skylines, the following works evoke this country’s distinctive landscapes through sound.

Photos

Discography