Ellie Wilson is a violinist and composer from East London. Her music has been described as ‘beautifully poised’ (Errollyn Wallen, BBC Radio 3), ‘haunting … impressive’ (Fringe Review) and ‘rich, ancient and rootsy’ (Elizabeth Alker, BBC Radio 3).
Ellie’s work melds contemporary classical, folk, and electronica and her output ranges from live performances, to immersive sound installations and music for theatre.
A sound installation Ellie created as part of her 19/20 Epping Forest artist residency called Unearthing Stories of the Forest explored the human impact on Greater London’s ancient woodland through the centuries: Iron-Age hillforts, WWII bomb craters that are now ponds, and her ancestor Thomas Willingale – a local labourer who helped save the forest during the c19th enclosure movement. The work was released as a limited edition album in November 2019 and the project linked to the Waltham Forest’s London Borough of Culture The People’s Forest.
In autumn 2019 Ellie wrote the score for Shakespeare’s Globe productions of Henry VI and Richard III, directed by Sean Holmes and Ilinca Radulian and also performed (violin, musical saw, vocals) in the two shows. The music was hailed as ‘impressive … this season’s most memorable’ (Fringe Review) and described as ‘melt[ing] seamlessly into the drama’ (The Guardian) and ‘tonally akin to a Scorsese film’ (What’s On Stage).
Ellie focused on a number of ‘lockdown’ projects in 2020: a short piano piece called Waiting for pianist Rolf Hind, which was premiered at London’s King Place in October 2020 (one of the few live concerts of the year!) and she was invited by composer Colin Riley to remix a piece from his project In Place. She also released Dominion of the Sword, an EP featuring a selection of music written for the Shakespeare’s Globe productions of Henry VI and Richard III along with speeches by some of the Globe Ensemble actors.
In 2021 Ellie contributed to an English Heritage/Nest Collective project called Songs of England, performing violin on folk songs along with Sam Lee, Lucy Farrell and others for videos paired to historic English sites. She also appears on Jay Chakravorty’s new album A Map With No Memory (Unperceived Records, April 2021).
Ellie is a former member (2014-2019) of ‘Britain’s most exciting new folk band’ (Uncut Magazine) and 5-time BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees, Stick In The Wheel. She has toured the UK and Europe in various bands, and performed at major UK festivals including Latitude, Glastonbury, WOMAD and Green Man; venues including Usher Hall, Royal Festival Hall, the Houses of Parliament; and in live sessions for John Kennedy (Radio X), Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music), Dermot O’Leary and Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2).
‘Exquisite beauty offered by Ellie Wilson’s controlled violin’ – Mojo Magazine
‘The music is strong … Ellie Wilson’s use of the saw lends a great deal of tension to the play’s darker moments’ – What’s On Stage
‘Moments of gravity are supported by a cold filmic undertone of music that gives the scene a chilling feel’ – DrownedStage
‘A really haunting piece … there’s a real sense of place’ – Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3
‘A beautifully poised and composed work combining electronics, violin and bass’ – Errollyn Wallen, BBC Radio 3
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