Rachel Portman
(St. Rose)

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Current Projects:
The Little Prince Opera

Representation: Opera and musical theater works, commissions

Prolific British composer Rachel Portman might be best known for her incredibly lush film scores. Recognized early in her career by the British Film Institute with the Young Composer of the Year award in 1988, she went on to become the first female composer to win an Academy Award. Her list of achievements and compositions is extensive. Most notably she created the vibrant and compelling sound for films such as Emma (Academy Award), Cider House Rules (Academy Award and Grammy nominations), and Chocolat (Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations).

Based on the Saint-Exupery book of the same title, Rachel Portman’s first opera The Little Prince premiered at the Houston Grand Opera House in 2003 to rave reviews. It has since appeared on stages throughout the United States. In 2004, the BBC premiered a film version of the opera, which was released on DVD and CD by Sony Classical Music. Currently, Portman has been commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra to write a twenty-minute work for performance during their 2007-2008 season at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with the premiere performance scheduled in 2008. And BBC and PROMS has commissioned Portman to write a new youth musical along with the Welsh poet and playwright Owen Sheers about global myths and legends about water. Written for 40 young singers aged 12-18, and a 200-voice chorus of American and British singers, as well as an ensemble and Orchestra, the work will be filmed and broadcast from two venues: London’s Royal Albert Hall as well as an undetermined U.S. location.