Projects
The Team
Sonic Collaborations is a team of experienced musicians working across genres and artforms. Bringing together leading contemporary music figure and Smith Quartet founder Nic Pendlebury with the ‘extraordinarily strange and beautiful’ (BBC) work of composer Colin Riley, the team collaborates with other musicians, film-makers, digital providers, museums and festivals to create and perform works for the 21st Century.
Colin Riley
Co-Director
Colin is a unique voice in contemporary classical music, blending new technologies, improvisation, song-writing, and classical forms. His recent albums include “Shenanigans” and “In Place.”
Notable works are “Warp and Weft” (for two cellos), “Rock Paper Scissors” (Ensemble Bash), and “Earth Voices” (Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra). His multi-media piece “Hearing Places” premiered with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Current projects include “Ludic Inventions” for piano and live visuals, a new string quartet for RIOT Ensemble, and a new album for Melanie Pappenheim.
Colin is Reader in Composition at Brunel University and runs the label Squeaky Kate.
Photo: Guy Carpenter
Nic Pendlebury
Co-Director
Nic, a leading figure in contemporary music for over thirty years, founded the acclaimed Smith Quartet, revolutionizing the string quartet genre by commissioning over 200 works and collaborating with artists like Steve Reich and Terry Riley. He has performed globally and recorded acclaimed albums.
Nic now pioneers electric viola repertoire, with his album “Multiple” receiving critical acclaim. As Head of Strings at Trinity Laban he leads a dynamic faculty, conducts ensembles and works with leading artists. His innovative staged productions of Vivaldi’s Seasons and John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil have garnered much praise for their inventiveness and imaginative story telling.
In 2018 Nic was awarded the title of Professor in recognition of his work in contemporary music and education.
Photo: Graeme MacDonald
Kate Dornan
Creative Producer
Kate is a music education specialist. Formerly Head of Music at two inner London schools, she has worked with key youth arts charities, London venues and high-profile musicians across two decades to create opportunities for young people and engage with local communities.
She currently works at Trinity Laban, devising new participatory and digital programmes to support young musicians and bring them into contact with arts practitioners, and is involved in the design and assessment of school qualifications in Performing Arts.
She is also a multi-instrumentalist, appearing recently at Wilderness, Boomtown and other festivals and touring the UK in support of legendary Romani brass band Fanfare Ciocarlia.
Photo: Tim Dornan