Dame Evelyn Glennie, a renowned British music figure, was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2007 New Year Honours List, recognizing her immense contributions to the world of classical music. As an extraordinary virtuosic percussionist, she has been a subject of considerable media interest for her captivating personality and impressive skills.
As the world's first full-time classical percussion soloist, Glennie has toured internationally with her vast array of instruments, performing with all major orchestras and consistently receiving massive critical acclaim. Her extensive solo album discography, comprising sixteen albums, including twelve on the RCA/BMG label, has reached a remarkably diverse public, as have her numerous collaborations with musicians from the non-classical world.
Glennie has had the privilege of performing with traditional musicians from India, Indonesia, and South America, and has co-written and recorded songs with the Icelandic singer Björk, including the hit single "My Spine." Her 2000 solo album "Shadow Behind the Iron Sun," produced by acclaimed rock music producer Michael Brauer, features entirely studio improvisations by Evelyn.
In addition to her life as a performer and recording artist, Glennie has established herself as a talented composer for film and television. Her credits include music for a series of Tony Kaye-directed TV commercials for Mazda Cars in the mid-'90s, which spawned a host of imitations. She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for her music for the first series of Lynda La Plante's groundbreaking crime drama "Trial & Retribution" and has gone on to record many subsequent series of the show.
Glennie's documentary credits include a 4-part study of the history of terrorism, "The Age of Terror," produced by Oscar-winning producer Jon Blair and transmitted on the Discovery Channel to coincide with the first anniversary of the September 11th outrage. She also composed the title music for two series of the BBC's "Soundbites," which she herself presented.
In 1999, Glennie scored her first feature film, "The Trench," a First World War drama written and directed by the novelist William Boyd. In 2004, she collaborated with the film-maker Thomas Riedelsheimer on his film "Touch the Sound," a film that explores the phenomenon of sound as Evelyn experiences it, in her life and work, and contains much original music by Evelyn, some co-written with the renowned guitarist Fred Frith. The soundtrack has been released by Normal Records.
Glennie has also created a number of tracks for the library music company Audio Network PLC, solidifying her reputation as a versatile and accomplished musician.
