“Cellist Louise McMonagle’s playing was especially vivid, with its powerful combination of precision and intensity.” Jonathan Russell – Bachtrack

Louise McMonagle is a versatile performer who

enjoys making music in many environments.

Recent solo & chamber music

performances include Wigmore

Hall (London), Wien Modern (Austria),

Dark Music Days (Iceland), Nordic Music

Days (Sweden), and Darmstadt Festival

of New Music (Germany).

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Louise loves playing music by living

composers, and has found a musical

home in the Riot Ensemble where she

works as performer, curator,

commissioner and collaborator;

creating and producing a diverse array

of projects around Europe. Described as

volcanically creative” (The

New Yorker), and “the supergroup of

top soloists playing new music” (The

Guardian) Riot Ensemble have given

around 250 World and UK Premieres by

composers from more than 30 countries.

Their discography includes releases on

HCR/NMC Recordings and Coviello

Classics, and in 2020 they were awarded

the Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize.

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In 2022 Louise premiered Laura

Bowler’s new chamber opera The Blue

Woman scored for four singers, cello

quartet and percussion at the Royal

Opera House and Snape Maltings. She

collaborated with experimental

mezzo soprano Rosie Middleton in a

specially curated selection of music for

voice and cello, including a world

premiere of Philip Cashian’s new work

Madrigali, written specially for the pair.

In 2023 she will release new material

created together with jazz saxophonist

and composer Trish Clowes.

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Also busy in the orchestral world Louise

has enjoyed working as principal cello

with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra,

Opera North, Ulster Orchestra, Royal

Northern Sinfonia, and freelances

regularly with the Royal Opera House,

Philharmonia Orchestra, English

National Opera, BBC Symphony

Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra,

Aurora Orchestra, many other groups,

and records regularly for film and TV.

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Louise McMonagle studied at the Royal

Academy of Music, London, with cellists

David Strange, Philip Sheppard, and

Colin Carr. She was awarded the

prestigious “dipRAM” for outstanding

final recital and was a strings finalist in

the ROSL Arts competition. She went on

to gain a Konzertdiplom with distinction

at Music Academy Basel, Switzerland,

where she studied with Thomas

Demenga. Her studies were generously

supported by the Caird Travelling

Scholarship and the Dewar Arts Awards.

Featured video:

Luciano Berio – Sequenza XIV

https://youtu.be/yEMQ4jSPDOc


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