Katie Chatburn: Biography

After four years of intensive training, Katie graduated in 2003 from the Royal Academy of Music with a BMus in Composition. She has since been working as professional composer and ‘cellist, specialising in the fields of Film, TV, instrumental concert commissions and rock and pop string arranging.

Katie has worked with established acts such as Marillion, Essie Jain and Parka and has undertaken composing and performing projects for the BBC, C4 and Boosey and Hawkes as well as a range of up and coming bands, solo artists and film makers. Her music has been played at major venues including the Royal Festival Hall and has been performed by a range of ensembles such as the Locrian Ensemble, the Acapella Singers, Hull Sinfonietta and The Pennine Spring Music Orchestra. Katie has album credits for string arrangements undertaken for Rough Trade and Jeepster Records.

Recent projects include work in collaboration with California State University LA/The British Council scoring music for 13 animations as part of John Siddique’s 13 Moons Project, original music commission for film ‘Lustre’ as part of Manchester Literary Festival, string arrangements for Marc Carrolls ‘Dust of Rumour’ album and composing and performing the solo ‘cello score for short film ‘Shrapnel‘ by Robert March (Chapel Allerton film festival winner, awarded the ‘Golden Cinerail‘ prize for fiction at Cinerail Film Festival, Paris, screened at Bay Street Film Festival, Canada and nominated for Best Composer at Underwire Film Festival, London.)

Katie is currently working as a composer and consultant for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, writing and recording library music for advertising in association with Northstar Music Publishing and writing, producing and arranging recordings for Faber Music as part of the government led Sing Up project.

As an editor and writer, Katie has written a leading music publication for key publishers AC and Black ‘The Musicians and Songwriters Yearbook’ which was published in July 2008 and has contributed articles to various publications and organisations, including the SPNM (now Sound and Music).

Katie lectures in Composition, Musicianship, Popular Culture Studies and Music Business at the Royal Northern College of Music and Leeds College of Music. She was recently selected to be part of the Opera North 'Artist Excellence' programme for Music Educators.