Dominique Le Gendre: Composer
Based in London, Trinidad-born composer Dominique Le Gendre has written music extensively for theatre, dance, film, television and radio drama for BBC Radio 3 and 4. She composed and produced music for all 38 Shakespeare plays recorded for audio, “The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare”, directed by Clive Brill.
In 2004 she was invited to become an Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House, (ROH2) Covent Garden, who commissioned her full-length opera “Bird Of Night," directed by Irina Brown and premiered in October 2006 at the ROH Linbury Theatre.
Her chamber works have been commissioned and performed by the Royal Opera House Soloists, Philharmonia Orchestra, Manning Camerata, Lontano Orchestra, Tete-a-tete productions and The Ibis Ensemble amongst others. She has been Associate Artist to Manning Camerata led by Peter Manning who commissioned the dramma per musica "The Burial at Thebes”.
Dreamwinds, a chamber poem commissioned by photographer and curator Ingrid Pollard for Museum of London, Docklands’ “Landfall” exhibition was premiered in 2009. Her musical language has been described as luminous, glittering and distinctive, reflecting the rich multi-culture of her Caribbean upbringing.
2010 saw a return to theatre with musical direction of "Rum and Coca Cola", a co-production between Talawa, West Yorkshire Playhouse and English Touring Theatre that received critical acclaim.
November 2013 heralded the start of an exciting new phase of creativity for Dominique with her participation in TEDx Port Of Spain, and the birth of the new production company that she and Jamaican writer and Director of Jab Molassie, Patricia Cumper have created, StrongBack Productions. StrongBack productions is a British Arts organisation that draws on Caribbean traditions of forging one culture from many histories and produces work across art forms and styles to include artists from every background and reach across divides to the most diverse audiences.
In 2004 she was invited to become an Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House, (ROH2) Covent Garden, who commissioned her full-length opera “Bird Of Night," directed by Irina Brown and premiered in October 2006 at the ROH Linbury Theatre.
Her chamber works have been commissioned and performed by the Royal Opera House Soloists, Philharmonia Orchestra, Manning Camerata, Lontano Orchestra, Tete-a-tete productions and The Ibis Ensemble amongst others. She has been Associate Artist to Manning Camerata led by Peter Manning who commissioned the dramma per musica "The Burial at Thebes”.
Dreamwinds, a chamber poem commissioned by photographer and curator Ingrid Pollard for Museum of London, Docklands’ “Landfall” exhibition was premiered in 2009. Her musical language has been described as luminous, glittering and distinctive, reflecting the rich multi-culture of her Caribbean upbringing.
2010 saw a return to theatre with musical direction of "Rum and Coca Cola", a co-production between Talawa, West Yorkshire Playhouse and English Touring Theatre that received critical acclaim.
November 2013 heralded the start of an exciting new phase of creativity for Dominique with her participation in TEDx Port Of Spain, and the birth of the new production company that she and Jamaican writer and Director of Jab Molassie, Patricia Cumper have created, StrongBack Productions. StrongBack productions is a British Arts organisation that draws on Caribbean traditions of forging one culture from many histories and produces work across art forms and styles to include artists from every background and reach across divides to the most diverse audiences.
Caitlyn Kamminga: Librettist
Caitlyn Kamminga graduated cum laude, with both a BM and MM from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied with premiere double bass pedagogue, Paul Ellison. She accepted her first job in 1992 in the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra, where she held the position of Principal Double Bass until 1995. Subsequent positions include Associate Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO), Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and founding member of the Hong Kong Chamber Players.
In 2001 she left Hong Kong to accept the position of Assistant Principal Double Bass in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. After six years in the BBC NOW, Kamminga moved to London, where she was largely employed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the London Mozart Players.
Kamminga currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Academy for the Performing Arts, where she has focused on fostering creativity through collaboration. Her projects include creating an inter-departmental collaboration, which culminated in the work, The Old Yard: Portraits of Carnival, composed by Adam Walters and recorded by the UTT Musicians, with original poetry by Muhammad Muwakil and photography by Maria Nunes, which premiered in 2011.
Featured in the Bocas Lit Fest in 2012, Little Red Riding Hood, by Adam Walters and Che Lovelace, is a children’s book and CD recorded by Kamminga’s group, Ibis Ensemble. The work was subsequently performed at the Olympic Village in London and in New York at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution.
Walters, Lovelace and Kamminga will collaborate again this year on a new work, River of Freedom. With generous grants from the US Embassy and the Welters Foundation, the work will have a full premiere in 2015. Other written works include Basses Are Loaded, Kamminga’s latest play, which received a staged reading in August of 2014, thanks to the Friends of the Chautauqua Theatre Company.
Kamminga has been published in several musical journals, including the International Society of Double Bassists magazine, Bass World.
Jab Molassie, is her first libretto.
In 2001 she left Hong Kong to accept the position of Assistant Principal Double Bass in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. After six years in the BBC NOW, Kamminga moved to London, where she was largely employed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the London Mozart Players.
Kamminga currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Academy for the Performing Arts, where she has focused on fostering creativity through collaboration. Her projects include creating an inter-departmental collaboration, which culminated in the work, The Old Yard: Portraits of Carnival, composed by Adam Walters and recorded by the UTT Musicians, with original poetry by Muhammad Muwakil and photography by Maria Nunes, which premiered in 2011.
Featured in the Bocas Lit Fest in 2012, Little Red Riding Hood, by Adam Walters and Che Lovelace, is a children’s book and CD recorded by Kamminga’s group, Ibis Ensemble. The work was subsequently performed at the Olympic Village in London and in New York at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution.
Walters, Lovelace and Kamminga will collaborate again this year on a new work, River of Freedom. With generous grants from the US Embassy and the Welters Foundation, the work will have a full premiere in 2015. Other written works include Basses Are Loaded, Kamminga’s latest play, which received a staged reading in August of 2014, thanks to the Friends of the Chautauqua Theatre Company.
Kamminga has been published in several musical journals, including the International Society of Double Bassists magazine, Bass World.
Jab Molassie, is her first libretto.
Patricia Cumper: Director
Patricia Cumper has worked in the theatre in the Caribbean and the UK for 30 years as a playwright, producer and director. She is currently co-artistic director with Dominique Le Gendre of StrongBack Productions, a new theatre company, having led the UK's leading Black theatre company, Talawa, for six years before that.
Pat recently launched an anthology of plays 'Inner Yardie' published by Peepal Tree Press and is currently working freelance on a range of exciting projects at various stages of realisation with partners like BBC Radio Drama and BBC World Service Radio. She is currently a board member of the English Touring Theatre, the UK’s foremost touring company, and is a Trustee of the British Museum. She was made Member of the Order of the British Empire for service to Black British theatre in 2012.
Pat recently launched an anthology of plays 'Inner Yardie' published by Peepal Tree Press and is currently working freelance on a range of exciting projects at various stages of realisation with partners like BBC Radio Drama and BBC World Service Radio. She is currently a board member of the English Touring Theatre, the UK’s foremost touring company, and is a Trustee of the British Museum. She was made Member of the Order of the British Empire for service to Black British theatre in 2012.
Ian Shaw: Musical Director
Ian Shaw has worked closely with Dominique Le Gendre on a number of her stage works, including having written a study of her 2007 work The Burial at Thebes. Ian currently works mainly in opera after a first career in cathedral music, music theatre and ballet. During eleven years on the music staff of Scottish Opera, he was responsible for a number of national tours. As well as the broad repertoire of opera, he has been involved with productions of many new works.
Now based in London, he has worked for English National Opera and as a coach with the National Opera Studio and British Youth Opera. Since last year’s Jab Molassie workshop, he has been repetiteur on the UK premiere of Salvatore Sciarrino’s Luci mei Traditrici and the world premiere of Philip Glass’s The Trial – both co-productions with the Royal Opera House and Music Theatre Wales.
Now based in London, he has worked for English National Opera and as a coach with the National Opera Studio and British Youth Opera. Since last year’s Jab Molassie workshop, he has been repetiteur on the UK premiere of Salvatore Sciarrino’s Luci mei Traditrici and the world premiere of Philip Glass’s The Trial – both co-productions with the Royal Opera House and Music Theatre Wales.
Dave Williams: Movement Director
Dave Williams started dancing at the age of 21 when he auditioned for the Trinidad Tent Theatre. This also introduced him to the world of modern dance with renowned TT choreographer, dancer and teacher, Noble Douglas. He soon became a member of her dance company NDDCI and continues to perform and choreograph with the close-knit group. In 1996 he founded the award-winning performance group Standing Room Only. He has also worked extensively with Carnival artist extraordinaire, Peter Minshall, both locally and internationally.
Dave was artist-in-residence and the Head of the Dance Department at the Oakland School for the Arts for California in 2003. His work and performances have been seen in Italy, Moscow, USA, London, Holland, Ireland, and throughout the Caribbean region. He is a co-founder of Trinidad & Tobago’s Erotic Art Week, as well as the COCO, the Contemporary Choreographers Collective and its annual dance Festival.
Dave was artist-in-residence and the Head of the Dance Department at the Oakland School for the Arts for California in 2003. His work and performances have been seen in Italy, Moscow, USA, London, Holland, Ireland, and throughout the Caribbean region. He is a co-founder of Trinidad & Tobago’s Erotic Art Week, as well as the COCO, the Contemporary Choreographers Collective and its annual dance Festival.
Kathryn Chan: Set and Costume Designer
Kathryn Chan is primarily a visual artist working in painting, sculpture and installation. Her work often relates to and incorporates the architectural or natural spaces within which they are made or reside, albeit temporarily. She is continually trying to capture the fleeting and ephemeral. Dance and theatre presented opportunities to experiment with conceptual ideas and sculptural forms that extend from her own art work.
She has designed for contemporary dance in the UK and for theatre and operatic productions in UK and Trinidad. She studied at Parsons School of Design, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and Carnegie-Mellon University and was awarded fellowships and visual art residencies in Italy, Mexico, USA and UK including a Radcliffe Fellowship.
She has designed for contemporary dance in the UK and for theatre and operatic productions in UK and Trinidad. She studied at Parsons School of Design, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and Carnegie-Mellon University and was awarded fellowships and visual art residencies in Italy, Mexico, USA and UK including a Radcliffe Fellowship.
Benny Gomes: Lighting Designer
Benny Gomes in a 38-year career, has lit over 400 productions in Trinidad, across the Caribbean, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany and the US. Included in his work are 9 premiers of Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott’s plays and the inauguration ceremonies of American President Barack Obama.
Most recently he designed the lighting for Perception for the Metamorphosis Dance Company and La Herida for the Teatro Occidental of Colombia. Mr. Gomes is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829.
Most recently he designed the lighting for Perception for the Metamorphosis Dance Company and La Herida for the Teatro Occidental of Colombia. Mr. Gomes is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829.
Robin Foster: Sound Designer
