British composer Louis Mander studied at The Royal College of Music and The University of Birmingham. Making a name as an opera and film composer, Mander's inaugural double-bill The Mariner and The Clown of God was well reviewed at its premiere in Islington in 2011. Scenes from his full-length opera The Life to Come, to a libretto by actor and writer Stephen Fry based on an EM Forster short story, were performed to considerable acclaim at the Britten Theatre, London in July 2013.
In 2013 he was commissioned by Opera@Chilmark, Salisbury to write an English Folk Opera Wild Edric based on the 11th Century hero, using traditional folksongs and the opera received its premiere in August of this year.
His first ballet score, The Tarot received its US premiere in October 2013 given by Sarasota Ballet, Florida, for whom it was commissioned.
He was commissioned by Cantata Dramatica, alongside two other composers to provide a triptych of cantatas to celebrate the building and consecration of Ely Cathedral, which was premiered in Grantham in September 2014 and will be performed again in 2016 in Ely.
Mander provided the soundtrack for the film My Beautiful White Skin, by award winning director Stuart Gatt for 6th International Films in Summer 2014, which is set for release in 2015.
The Austrian Cultural Forum in London commissioned Mander to compose a song cycle to commemorate the anniversary of the First World War, by setting the AustrianWar Poet, Georg Trakl's verse to music, which was premiered in November 2014.
Mander provided the score to an operatic interpretation of M. R James' evocative ghost story Oh, Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad which was premiered at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival 2015, Kings Place, London.
His three act opera Beowulf was received to great acclaim in August 2016 in a collaboration between Opera at Chilmark and Cantata Dramatica, who commissioned the work in 2015. Mander's comic opera The Dowager's Oyster was produced at the Arcola Theatre in August 2016 and then for an unprecedentedly successful second London run in November at the So & So Arts Club Theatre, starring Dr. Evadne Hinge in the title role.
In June 2017 Belsize Opera produced Mander's First World War opera double-bill The Fallen Soldier, setting Ivor Gurney's poetry to music, at St. Peter's Belsize Park, London. It was subsequently toured to the Cheltenham Playhouse in July.
Surrey Opera produced Mander's two act opera The Life to Come, (based on a short story by EM Forster) with libretto by actor and writer Stephen Fry in a world premiere touring production on September 28th 2017 which received many plaudits from critics and audience alike. The opera was also produced by the Oslo Opera Festival at the Oslo Opera House in October 2017.
Louis Mander returned to the recital stage in 2018 performing at the piano alongside baritone Rodney Earl Clark in a song recital tour to London & Cheltenham in music of British composers of the First World War, including his “sophisticated & eloquent” song cycle Four Songs of Experience and concluded the year with a recital of Schubert lieder accompanying baritone David Jones in Cheltenham in December.
Autumn 2019 saw the world premiere of Mander’s Cello Sonata No.3 (Lazarus) performed by cellist Patrick Johnson with the composer at the piano, as part of the Autumn at St. Peter’s concert series, Belsize Park, London.
Current projects include a new song cycle A Rondel of Gloucestershire to be premiered by baritone Roderick Williams & pianist Iain Burnside in November 2021 at the Painswick Music Society. Mander’s English Requiem will receive its World Premiere on November 1st 2020 at St. Margaret’s, Putney. Also a new work for symphony orchestra & narrator based on Kipling’s Just So Stories to be premiered by the Mozart Symphony Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, London in August 2021. Most recently Mander has collaborated with poet Pam Ayres on a new musical based on J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan which premiered at the Subscription Rooms in Stroud in October 2022. December 2022 saw the premiere of a new work for narrator & piano with text adapted by Zeb Soanes of The Little Match Girl, which was premiered by the Classic Fm Presenter and the composer at the piano in Hackney at St. Peter’s De Beauvoir. Most recently Mander has been commissioned by St John’s Hyde Park to compose a new responsorial mass setting for 2023.
"Louis Mander, is a young, preposterously talented composer."
Stephen Fry, Actor & Writer
“Louis Mander is a remarkable composer with a virtuosity and maturity far beyond his years.”
Zeb Soanes, Broadcaster & Author
“Writing the lyrics for Peter Pan with Louis Mander saved my sanity!
Pam Ayres MBE, Poet & National Treasure