Debbie Wiseman appointed Classic FM's new Composer in Residence

8 July 2015, 09:00 | Updated: 17 December 2018, 12:08

Britain's top female composer for film and TV will write 12-movement Musical Zodiac for Classic FM.

Classic FM has announced that the multi-award winning Debbie Wiseman MBE is its new Composer in Residence.

With more than 200 scores under her belt, Wiseman is one of the UK's most successful composers. Her film credits include Tom and Viv - which was nominated for two Academy Awards - Haunted and Wilde. She has also written a host of popular scores for television such as Warriors, Judge John Deed, A Poet in New York, Father Brown and, most recently, the soundtrack to Wolf Hall, which entered the Classic FM Chart at number one. 

Wiseman’s first commission for Classic FM will be a work titled The Musical Zodiac, a 12-movement suite. From Pisces to Aquarius, every piece will reflect the personality and unique quality of each sign. The work will be released on the Classic FM label in September 2016. Throughout the year, Wiseman will also be a regular guest on Charlotte Green’s Culture Club on Classic FM, as she takes the station’s 5.6 million listeners on the journey of the composition with her.

"I am thrilled to be Classic FM's new Composer in Residence, but also to be working on a new album project is especially exciting," Wiseman said. "The idea of writing The Musical Zodiac presented a wonderful opportunity to create music inspired by the individual characteristics of each star sign. I hope that people might even recognise their own personality traits within the movement that is dedicated to their sign! It will be a huge honour to record the album and bring the music to life next year."

Classic FM’s inaugural Composer in Residence was Joby Talbot from the band The Divine Comedy, who was appointed to the role in 2004. He was succeeded by Patrick Hawes and, from 2008 until the end of 2014, the position was held by Howard Goodall.

Classic FM’s Managing Editor Sam Jackson said: “We have had the fortune of working with three brilliant Composers in Residence at Classic FM and I’m delighted that Debbie Wiseman has now agreed to take on this exciting position. I’m confident that the new work we’ve commissioned Debbie to write will be hugely popular with our audience and the whole team is looking forward to working with her.”