Founded by clarinettist Stuart King in 1997, CHROMA is a London-based collective of outstanding freelance musicians engaged in new music and revisiting classic repertoire in fresh and exciting contexts; mentoring the next generation of composers, and involving people in compelling, inspirational experiences, both as audiences and creators.

CHROMA performs chamber concerts throughout the UK, from Devon to Shetland. Championing the imaginative and sympathetic  programming of contemporary works, its own commissioning programme has recently included Freya Waley-Cohen Wake, Rubens Askenar Praise of Smoke and Dust, David Bruce Kundalee, Deborah Pritchard Rosa Celeste, Luke Bedford Falling Falling, David Gorton Burgh Castle, Michael Nyman chromattic, Leonardo Margutti Cochlear Short, Claudia Molitor 8+7= and DoodleOpera, Raymond Yiu Les Etoiles au Front (shortlisted British Composer Awards 2012) and Michael Zev Gordon Glass Mountain.

Other premieres include  Anna Meredith Railgun (Norfolk and Norwich Music Club) Rolf Hind Sit Stand Walk (Spitalfields Festival), Joe Cutler Chanticleer and the Opera Fox with Roderick Williams (Little Missenden Festival - shortlisted British Composer Awards).

Collaborations
CHROMA has been Associate Ensemble with Tête à Tête since 2006 - which includes developing new work through Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, including Kerry Andrew/Tamsin Collison Dart's Love (winner Best Stage Work British Composer Awards 2014), Laurence Obsorn/Theo Merz April in the Amazon and Lucie Treacher/Joanne Harris Moonlight in double bill with Na'ama Zisser/Stella Duffy The Last Seed.

Royal Opera House: 2021 hyper-reality opera installation Current, Rising score by Samantha Fernando; and premieres of operas - Philip Venables' adaptation of Sarah Kane's 4.48 Psychosis (ROH at Lyric Hammersmith 2016 revived 2018 - Best Large Scale Composition Royal Philharmonic Society 2017; Best Stage Work British Composer Awards 2017; Best Opera UK Theatre Awards 2016) Elspeth Brooke The Commission, Francisco Coll Café Kafka (Aldeburgh/ROH/Opera North co-production) Luke Bedford Through His Teeth Søren Nils Eichberg Glare Tarik O'Regan Heart of Darkness (ROH2/Opera East) Stewart Copeland Tell Tale Heart and Anne Dudley The Doctor’s Tale (ROH2 operashots).
Ballet - Will Tuckett's Wind in The Willows (ROH2 Linbury 2012/in the West End at the Duchess Theatre 2013/14 and Vaudeville Theatre 2014/15 - winner Best Entertainment Olivier Awards 2014).

Mahogany Opera Group: premiere tour of David Bruce's Firework Maker's Daughter (Hull Truck pemiere, then ROH Linbury and UK tour - nominated Olivier Awards 2014); in 2014 Gloria - A Pig's Tale by HK Gruber (UK tour including ROH Linbury, and Bregenz Festival); The Mother by Laurence Osborn (Posk London 2018).

CHROMA also collaborates with Polly Graham’s Loud Crowd at Bold Tendencies Peckham, Max Hoehn’s Opera21 and Bampton Opera at St John’s Smith Square. 2022 sees the ensemble performing with Longborough Festival Opera for the emerging artists’ double bill.

Learning
CHROMA believes in offering close-up, meaningful encounters with music, making new music experiences accessible, enjoyable and stimulating - it engages in diverse participation and learning activity, including ongoing collaborations with student composers at the Royal Academy of Music, Oxford University and Royal Holloway University of London; workshops for women conductors, and long-standing relationships with primary schools in Shetland and Norfolk.

with the  Royal Opera company for sitzprobe of premiere run of Philip Venables 4.48  Psychosis (Lyric Hammersmith, London)

with the Royal Opera company for sitzprobe of premiere run of Philip Venables 4.48 Psychosis (Lyric Hammersmith, London)

CHROMA trusteES

Peter Brathwaite
David Bruce
Philip Cashian
Jessica Cottis
Katherine Pogson
Julian Wright

Honorary Trustees:
Diana Barcham-Stevens
Roger Rowe OBE

CHROMA on INSTAGRAM:

CHROMA is a non-incorporated association and registered charity no 1135431
VAT registered no 991 5285 83

correspondence address:
25 Gun Wharf
130 Wapping High Street
London E1W 2NH