“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.
//
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
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Louise McMonagle 