DONNA MCKEVITT
COMPOSER
A work of unpretentious beauty... She writes in an uncomplicated yet never predictable musical language.
Like some exquisite morsel, Donna McKevitt's ‘Cut’ leaves an aftertaste that lingers long after its sixteen minutes are over.
COMPOSER
A work of unpretentious beauty... She writes in an uncomplicated yet never predictable musical language.
...The Times
McKevitt makes beauty out of grief.
...The Evening Standard
Her music has a harmonic austerity, redolent of ‘holy minimalist’ composers, all the more moving for it’s restraint.
...Gramophone
Like some exquisite morsel, Donna McKevitt's ‘Cut’ leaves an aftertaste that lingers long after its sixteen minutes are over.
...Textura
Show Reel:︎
Donna McKevitt writes music. Music for film and contemporary dance and music for concert. She likes to mess around with sounds, deconstructing them and combining them with acoustic instruments. She also writes for choral groups and chamber ensembles. From time to time she releases her personal work in the form of an EP.
In her final year at University she signed to Mute Records with the band Miranda Sex Garden. They released several albums and toured extensively across Europe, the USA and Japan.During her time with the band she worked, played and supported artists Einstürzende Neubauten, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Tricky, Simon Fisher Turner and Michael Nyman.
Her first classical work was Translucence, a song cycle of Derek Jarman’s poetry which she began writing when scoring music for his final film Blue in 1992. At 27, Warner Classics released her Opus 1 to critical acclaim, the recording receiving five star reviews across classical publications and national newspapers.
Donna lived in Sarajevo in the early 2000s where she played viola in the Sarajevo Philharmonic. Nowadays, she sings a bit and plays the viola with lots of pedals. She enjoys improvising with other musicians who like to make strange, wonderful sounds and recently recorded a One Day Band album with Belle Chen, Anders Holst and Thomas Stone for Trestle Records.
Her work for film includes feature films by acclaimed directors John Jencks, Derek Jarman and Mark Cousins. A Song Still Inside, a film which deals with issues surrounding male suicide by Ed Lovelace and James Hall was released in 2021.
Donna likes to collaborate and has a long term partnership with photographer Emma Summerton. You can view their work together for Vogue and other fashion brands on this site.She has written extensively for voices and has been commissioned by Voces8, The Marian Consort, Apollo 5, The Gesualdo Six and The ORA Singers.
Donna has also written music for contemporary dance, collaborating with Phil Sanger, Hannah Peel and Charlotte Edmonds with performances at Tate Britain, Sadler’s Wells and The Royal Opera House. In 2015 she won a place on the first Cohan Collective programme run by Yorke Dance Company and a residency at The Aldeburgh Festival in the same year.
In 2022 she wrote the music for Hannah Khalil’s play Bitterenders directed by Maxine Peake at The Arcola Theatre, London.
Donna is currently working on a new work setting poems by Uyghur poets Gulnisa Imin, Fatimah Seyyah and Tahir Hamut. The work is commissoned by PRS Foundation and will be performed by Voces8 and Apollo 5 and orchestra. This year she has been commissioned to write music for artist and film maker Susan Thomson for her new film The Swimming Diaries.
Donna lives by the sea with her husband, musician Grant Gordon and their two children.
In her final year at University she signed to Mute Records with the band Miranda Sex Garden. They released several albums and toured extensively across Europe, the USA and Japan.During her time with the band she worked, played and supported artists Einstürzende Neubauten, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Tricky, Simon Fisher Turner and Michael Nyman.
Her first classical work was Translucence, a song cycle of Derek Jarman’s poetry which she began writing when scoring music for his final film Blue in 1992. At 27, Warner Classics released her Opus 1 to critical acclaim, the recording receiving five star reviews across classical publications and national newspapers.
Donna lived in Sarajevo in the early 2000s where she played viola in the Sarajevo Philharmonic. Nowadays, she sings a bit and plays the viola with lots of pedals. She enjoys improvising with other musicians who like to make strange, wonderful sounds and recently recorded a One Day Band album with Belle Chen, Anders Holst and Thomas Stone for Trestle Records.
Her work for film includes feature films by acclaimed directors John Jencks, Derek Jarman and Mark Cousins. A Song Still Inside, a film which deals with issues surrounding male suicide by Ed Lovelace and James Hall was released in 2021.
Donna likes to collaborate and has a long term partnership with photographer Emma Summerton. You can view their work together for Vogue and other fashion brands on this site.She has written extensively for voices and has been commissioned by Voces8, The Marian Consort, Apollo 5, The Gesualdo Six and The ORA Singers.
Donna has also written music for contemporary dance, collaborating with Phil Sanger, Hannah Peel and Charlotte Edmonds with performances at Tate Britain, Sadler’s Wells and The Royal Opera House. In 2015 she won a place on the first Cohan Collective programme run by Yorke Dance Company and a residency at The Aldeburgh Festival in the same year.
In 2022 she wrote the music for Hannah Khalil’s play Bitterenders directed by Maxine Peake at The Arcola Theatre, London.
Donna is currently working on a new work setting poems by Uyghur poets Gulnisa Imin, Fatimah Seyyah and Tahir Hamut. The work is commissoned by PRS Foundation and will be performed by Voces8 and Apollo 5 and orchestra. This year she has been commissioned to write music for artist and film maker Susan Thomson for her new film The Swimming Diaries.
Donna lives by the sea with her husband, musician Grant Gordon and their two children.
NEWS
Orpheus- a new film by Guy K Ward scored by Donna McKevitt, premiered at the Cannes Film Awards 2023
New Release - September 2022 Lumen performed by The Gesualdo Six for Hyperion Records available to buy here
New Release- Renewal? Voces8 and Apollo5 with Caroline Dale and Roger Chase. Available to buy here or to stream here
Concert - A new production by acclaimed director Tim Albery - Garden of Vanished Pleasures. Music by Donna McKevitt and Cecilia Livingston. World premiere on the 1st September 2021.
Buy tickets here: https://soundstreams.ca/digitalpass/
Theatre - Bitterenders by Hannah Khalil directed by Maxine Peake at
The Arcola Theatre on July 9th 2021.
Buy tickets here: https://www.stream.theatre/season/167
Concert- two new works for vocal consorts Voces8 and Apollo5 as part of their Live from London Summer Series on the 15th August 2021.
Buy tickets here:
https://voces8.foundation/livefromlondon-summer
Film - The Story of Looking by Mark Cousins- Closing film at The Sheffield Documentary Festival 2021.
Premiere of new work Lament 16 at The Dunster Festival, commissioned and performed by The Marian Consort on May 29th 2021.
Releases - One Day Band album released on Trestle Records January 2021. Link here: https://trestlerec.bandcamp.com/album/one-day-band-24
Donna McKevitt is supported by PRS Foundation Composers’ Fund in partnership with Jerwood Arts.
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Orpheus- a new film by Guy K Ward scored by Donna McKevitt, premiered at the Cannes Film Awards 2023
New Release - September 2022 Lumen performed by The Gesualdo Six for Hyperion Records available to buy here
New Release- Renewal? Voces8 and Apollo5 with Caroline Dale and Roger Chase. Available to buy here or to stream here
Concert - A new production by acclaimed director Tim Albery - Garden of Vanished Pleasures. Music by Donna McKevitt and Cecilia Livingston. World premiere on the 1st September 2021.
Buy tickets here: https://soundstreams.ca/digitalpass/
Theatre - Bitterenders by Hannah Khalil directed by Maxine Peake at
The Arcola Theatre on July 9th 2021.
Buy tickets here: https://www.stream.theatre/season/167
Concert- two new works for vocal consorts Voces8 and Apollo5 as part of their Live from London Summer Series on the 15th August 2021.
Buy tickets here:
https://voces8.foundation/livefromlondon-summer
Film - The Story of Looking by Mark Cousins- Closing film at The Sheffield Documentary Festival 2021.
Premiere of new work Lament 16 at The Dunster Festival, commissioned and performed by The Marian Consort on May 29th 2021.
Releases - One Day Band album released on Trestle Records January 2021. Link here: https://trestlerec.bandcamp.com/album/one-day-band-24
Donna McKevitt is supported by PRS Foundation Composers’ Fund in partnership with Jerwood Arts.
WATCH
Score
Orpheus - short film
y Guy K Ward
My Name is Alfred Hitchcock -feature documentary
By Mark Cousins
The Story of Looking -feature documentary
By Mark Cousins
Losing Grace- a short film
By Athena Mandis
A Song Still Inside - short film
Directed by Ed Lovelace and James Hall
The Fold
- feature film
Directed by John Jencks
Blue- feature film directed by Derek Jarman
Original score by Simon Fisher Turner
Vocal settings by Donna McKevitt
Brand
Vogue Germany 
Vogue Arabia 
Vogue Italia
Jo Malone
Fat Magazine
China Vogue
LISTEN
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