​A new community opera from composer Francesca Le Lohé, writer Gareth Mattey and Stoke-on-Trent arts organisation B arts.

"Who Is Molly Leigh?" explores the legend of accused Burslem witch Molly Leigh from the perspective of women and those excluded from society for being 'different'. Through immersive music and storytelling, this promenade performance invites audiences to try discover who Molly really was and consider the 'witches' and 'accusers' of today.

More details: https://www.b-arts.org.uk/who-is-molly-leigh
Research & Development: 10th-12th May 2024
Full-length performances: July 2025

A huge thank you to everyone involved in the December 2023 Tokyo Concert & Talk "On an Endless Road: Ito Noe and the Women Composers of her Era"!
I'm delighted to say the event was a success; many audience members commented on how it was a thought-provoking and empowering programme with fantastic performers, and for many it was their first time to learn of Ito Noe, composers Koda Nobu, Toyama Michiko and Yoshida Takako and to even see the biwa performed live.
I also extend a thank you to our funders Arts Council Tokyo & Great British Sasakawa Foundation, as well as The Asahi Newspaper for their continued support.

Upcoming developments:
The Tokyo concert was filmed and will available to view online soon! Watch this space for a link 

The concert will be touring the UK in March 2024 to coincide with International Women's Day!

Tuesday 5th March 2024, 7.30pm - The Actors’ Church, Covent Garden, London
https://actorschurch.org/whatson/on-an-endless-road-ito-noe-and-the-women-composers/
Thursday 7th March 2024, 1pm - University of Huddersfield
Friday 8th March 2024, 7.30pm - Musica Festival, University of Manchester
Saturday 9th March 2024, 7.30pm - Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
​https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/on-an-endless-road/

Further details to follow!

"On an Endless Road" 

Concert and talk reflecting on feminism through music,
100 years since the death of writer and feminist anarchist, Itō Noe (1895-1923).
Programme to include my new piece for biwa highlighting Itō
​and violin & piano music by her contemporaries.

Sunday 10th December 2023
Doors: 5.30pm 
Start: 6.00pm
Venue: Jiyūgakuen Myōnichikan Hall, Tokyo
2 Chome-31-3 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo 171-0021

Tickets: 
General admission: 3000 yen
Students: 2000 yen
Supporter: 5000 yen
https://itonoe2023.peatix.com/

Programme
Francesca Le Lohé: Ito Noe: On an Endless Road (for biwa)
Koda Nobu: Violin Sonata No. 1
Yoshida Takako: Supplication Hundredfold (for violin & piano)
Toyama Michiko: Suite of Japanese Folk Music; 'Lullaby', 'Esashi Boat Song', 'Rice Husking Song' 

Featuring:
Composer & curator: Francesca Le Lohé
Biwa: Akiko Kubota
Violin: Yoshida Kaoruko
Piano: Maeda Akane
Talk guests: Iida Yuko (Nagoya University) & Watanabe Ai (jwcm) 

Team
Research: Japanese Women Composers Meeting（jwcm）
Publicity design：Komatsuzaki Ami
Producer: Minano Hirano

A Sound & Word Network production
Support: Arts Council Tokyo "Start Up Fund", Great British Sasakawa Foundation

知られざる未開の道はなを永遠に黙して永く永く無限に続く

伊藤野枝を題材とした薩摩琵琶のための新曲発表と、
同時代の女性音楽家をめぐるコンサート＆トーク

2023年12月10日（日）18:00開演
自由学園明日館 講堂

チケット発売は9/18（火）
続報をお待ちください

プログラム
フランチェスカ・レロイ：伊藤野枝と薩摩琵琶のための新曲
幸田延：ヴァイオリン・ソナタ第1番 変ホ長調
吉田隆子：お百度詣

企画・作曲：フランチェスカ・レロイ
薩摩琵琶：久保田晶子

ヴァイオリン：吉田薫子
ピアノ：前田朱音

[トークゲスト]
飯田祐子（名古屋大学）、渡辺愛（jwcm)

"On an Endless Road: Ito Noe & the Women Composers of her Era"
Concert & talk at Jiyugakuen, Tokyo, 10th December 2023 @ 6pm.

Featuring my new work for biwa celebrating the life
of writer and feminist anarchist Ito Noe (1895-1923).
Programmed alongside violin & piano music
by Japanese women composers contemporary to Ito:
​Koda Nobu (1870-1946) and Yoshida Takako (1910-1956).

Composer & curator: Francesca Le Lohé
Biwa: Akiko Kubota
Violin: Yoshida Kaoruko
Piano: Maeda Akane
Talk guests: Iida Yuko (Nagoya University) & Watanabe Ai (jwcm)

Tickets go on sale on 18th September 2023! 

In April 2023, I participated in "An Orchestration of Personalities": a 3-day cross-cultural composition lab run byLOD Muziektheater & ENOA at Concertgebouw Brugge. The lab invited composers to workshop new compositions for members of Ensemble Zar, led by composer Bushra El-Turk. It was a privilege to work with such wonderful musicians and fellow composers; it was a truly stimulating and rewarding learning experience.

The piece I brought to workshop was inspired by kamanche player Faraz Eshghi's comment that the kamanche was 'for the detail which becomes clear when zooming in on a photograph'. This shaped my approach when writing 'Closer'. An extract of the piece can be heard at the Soundcloud link below.

Kamanche: Faraz Eshghi / Daegum: Hyelim Kim / Accordion: Milos Milivojevic
Thank you to the Britten Pears Foundation for sponsoring my participation in the workshop.

I shall be speaking about the interplay of Japanese and Western artforms in my immersive opera, THE鍵KEY at the Japan Research Centre, School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London.
The talk is free to attend, online via Zoom or in person. More info and free tickets here

Date: Wednesday 3rd May 2023
Time: 5-7pm UK time
Venue: Online and in-person @ Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS University of London, 10 Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square,
London, WC1H 0XG​