Cambridgeshire composer Joanna Borrett now on exam syllabus – with Mozart

At an age when many are considering slowing down, Cambridgeshire grandmother and part-time classical composer and cellist Joanna Borrett is just getting started.

Now her music will be studied alongside the likes of Bach, Mozart and Elgar at Trinity College London, which has selected three of her works for its music exam syllabus.

Joanna’s compositions have also been featured on BBC Radio 3, Magic Classical, and even selected as Video of the Day by Gramophone magazine.

Her orchestral piece, Clan, was performed by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s string orchestra at royal investitures in Holyrood Palace, and was also chosen as Album of the Weekend by Scala Radio, receiving praise for its “ravishing beauty” and “emotional depth”.

Joanna, who lives in the village of Elton, says: “I never imagined I’d be starting a new career in my sixties. But teaching myself to improvise and gradually developing the confidence to compose has been truly liberating.

“I feel more aligned with my work now than I ever have before.”

Joanna’s story is not only about music – it’s about perseverance, curiosity and passion as, after a 20-year break from performing, she returned determined to do things differently.

From running her own professional string orchestra in Peterborough in the 1980s to now collaborating with emerging talent at the Royal College of Music, Joanna has continually redefined what’s possible.

Her journey is also deeply personal. The first piece she ever composed, Morning Prelude, was written to comfort her newborn twin grandsons.

“When I see my name listed alongside world-famous composers in the Trinity syllabus, I feel thrilled, but I still struggle to believe it,” Joanna admits.

“I would love to encourage others not to be put off by society’s expectations of age and treat this stage of working life the same as any other.”

Joanna’s piece Ceilidh (the fourth movement of Clan) has been selected for the Grade 4 viola syllabus, while both One Morning and Ceilidh (the first and fourth movements of Clan) appear in the Grade 5 and 6 cello syllabuses.

The Trinity exams take place throughout the year and candidates perform selected pieces along with scales, sight-reading, and aural tests.

“The syllabus lists mainly feature famous composers like Bizet, Boccherini, Elgar, Dvořák, Mozart, Copland, Purcell, Handel, Bridge, Gershwin, MacMillan, Bach, Lloyd Webber, and Corelli,” Joanna explains.

“It’s wonderful to see Trinity making space for newer voices – and I’m truly honoured to be one of them.”

The recording of Joanna’s song cycle, Moments of Freedom, is being released in September, and in October, Her Ensemble are recording more of her string orchestra music.

Her beginner cello and piano book, Wild Cello, was published earlier this year.

For more on Joanna, go to joannaborrett.com. Follow her at instagram.com/joanna.borrett/.