Jenni Roditi

Independent Music Awards Vox Pop Winner
Jenni won this award for her instrumental song “Initiation”…
(August 2013)

Jenni Roditi GGSM VMTR MMus Dist. studied composition and piano at the Guildhall School of Music where she then taught improvisation following her graduation. She completed (December 2011) an MMus in composition at Brunel University and in January 2012 founded Vocal Tai Chi.

Jenni’s most recent project, founded 2015, performing, recording, and promoting, until lockdown 2020, is The Improvisers’ Choir (TIC) and their sister – The Open Choir (TOC). 

On this link above, there is also further general biographical information about Jenni Roditi. 

During lockdown Jenni has spent the time writing a detailed chapter on her work, titled “Beyond Music Workshops, – A Composer and a Community,” to be published in the forthcoming “The Routledge Companion to Women in Musical Leadership – The Nineteenth Century to the Present Day.” Publication: 2023/4. 

Jenni is also the Artistic Director of a film Land Mass, sung by The Improvisers’ Choir (TIC). The film has won the 2023 Sound on Screen Festival, in the Feature Film category. 

During the nineties Jenni composed two full length chamber operas, The Descent of Inanna’ and ‘Siddhartha Spirit Child both commissioned by the ensemble Lontano and premiered in London. Jenni worked with groups doing Voice Movement Therapy on Skyros Island for many years (at Atsitsa) as well running her voice work private practice in London.

Chronology of Compositions, and other projects. 

  • Guildhall School. GGSM 2/1 Honours Composition and Piano. 1981-1985
  • Performing (as singer/actor) with Gemini and Turning Point. 1984-1989
  • Round Trip,­ an opera. 6 voices + chamber ensemble. Commissioned Baylis Programme. Performed Riverside Studios 1986. 
  • Six Coins in a Fountain­ for Orchestra. Commissioned by Schoenberg Sym Orch. Perf. Conway Hall. 1987
  • Devil and the Deep Blue ­ album of guitar songs. Performed small gigs. 1989
  • No Argument ­ music theatre performance. voice, keyboard, flute. Commissioned by Voice Over Festival. Perf. Chat Palace. 1990
  • Inanna ­ an opera. Commissioned Lontano. 8 voices, 8 players. Perf. ICA 1990-1992
  • Trained in Voice Movement Therapy 1992
  • Began professional practice in VMT 1993- 2009
  • Tour of Inanna,  The Place, Bath Manchester. Lontano 1994
  • Devotion that Moves the Heart ­ for chamber choir – in 2 parts, part 1: 24 minutes, part 2: 30 minutes.  Setting Buddhist text in English translation of the devotional prayer. Performed October Gallery. Conductor David Temple. 1995
  • Spirit Child, the Prelude. Commissioned Lontano. female voice, Armenian duduk and chamber ensemble. Perf. St Johns Smith Square. 1996-1997
  • Inanna performance in Zagreb Bienalle of Music Theatre. Lontano. 1996
  • SOS! Songs of Seduction. BBC 2 Sound on Film Commission. 2 solo voices (fm+m), backing singers from gospel choir,  string trio , bass guitar, cosmic scorpion. Collaboration with After Image. 1998
  • Siddhartha Spirit Child ­ an opera Commissioned by Lontano. 7 voices and large chamber ensemble. Performed, The Ocean. 1998-2001
  • Opened “The Loft” ­, my home studio space – and private venue to promote new music, all styles. Ran over 100 events in 8 years. 2002-2008
  • Long Songs and Simple Songs. fm voice and piano. additional parts devised by violinist and cellist.  Series of compositions, sung by the composer, presented at The Loft 2002-2008
  • Fully revised the score of Inanna 2006
  • Recorded and filmed parts of Inanna. Available on You Tube Conductor Alex Ingram 2007
  • British Composer Awards – invited to be a judge in this competition 2007 – 2017
  • Formed the Roditi Trio.  voice/piano, violin, cello/clarinet. Performed various small gigs. 2008
  • Taken up by music agent Red Orange – promotion in the UK and Europe offered. 2009. 
  • Jenni Roditi Ensemble open LIFEM Festival Kings Place. Hall One. Curator Red Orange. 2009
  • Inanna selected to open Grimeborn Festival Arcola Theatre. New ‘Bare Bones’ version performed. 5 singers.Reduced instrumentation, excerpts, August 2009.
  • Inanna selected by International Society of Performing Arts for pitch session in New York to 300 producers in Live Arts 2010.
  • Inanna taken up by opera producer based in Seattle – West Coast tour proposed for 2011/2012
  • Crouch End Festival Chorus perform ‘Life’ – words and music by JR. at St James’ Muswell Hill 2011.
  • MMus Brunel University – distinction awarded for compositions and essays 2010-2012. 
  • Between the Octaves (Piano Duo) for MMus. 40 minute piano suite in 7 movements. 
  • I was going to tell you my story’ (Choir, Brass Quintet, Organ) for MMus, submitted to John Armitage Music competition. 
  • Selected to join the Arts Council 21st Century Leadership Programme with Battersea Arts Centre, Sage Gateshead and Bristol Watershed 2012
  • Elected to serve on the Classical and Jazz Executive Committee for the British Academy of Composers, Songwriters and Authors 2012 – 2015
  • Vocal Tai Chi New Vocal Improvisation and Solo Performance Project with regular workshops and one to ones 2012/ ongoing.
  • Independent Music Award Winner of the Vox Populi vote in the Instrumental Song category Aug 2013
  •  ‘Not This’ (2014) For Trittico Trio: flute, oboe and piano, premiered September 17th at the 1901 Arts Club.
  •   ‘Geo Muso!’ (2014) for Ignite/Shiva Nova double ensemble: eleven players.  premiered on September 20th, Kings Place.
  • Elected to serve on the Board of BASCA (British Academy of Composers, Songwriters and Authors) as an interim member for one year. 2015.
  • Formed The Improvisers’ Choir – with funding from ACE. – debut at The Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston. 2015
  • Formed The Open Choir 2016 
  • Gigging with TIC and TOC extensively, including SBC, Instanbul Koc University, Vortex Jazz Club. 
  • Recorded Land Mass – with TIC. Funds from PRS Foundation. 
  • Released Land Mass, available on all platforms. 
  • Collaborated with Sara Pozin on film for Land Mass. Premiere on Zoom – May 1 2021. 
  • 2020/21 Wrote chapter for “The Routledge Companion to Women in Musical Leadership – from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day” due out in 2023, within which Jenni Roditi has contributed a chapter “Beyond Music Workshops – A Composer and A Community.” 
  • Land Mass invited to be part of a new festival of Arts and Ecology in Highgate. 
  • 2021 Joined Inside Out Musician performing regularly as a solo looper-vocalist for their online Ceilidhs. 
  • Lead the first Apprenticeship in Vocal Tai Chi 2023.