Sue Aston Composer Violinist Arranger | Biography

Biography

Sue graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire and freelanced with many orchestras as well as doing sessions for rock and folk bands. It was also during this time that Sue appeared on classical recordings, radio and television, both nationally and internationally, and worked with eminent musicians such as Simon Rattle, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Donohoe, Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Charles Groves and Esa Pekka Salonen

Influences

Although classically trained Sue was always a musical rebel, listening to Punk and Rock music.

"I am happy listening to the symphonic metal bands like Within Temptation or a folk duo. Music is the transference of emotion from one person to another. Sometimes when I see the audience in tears I know I have done my job" Sue Aston

Cornwall

As a composer there is one single influence that goes to the very core of Sue Aston's music and that is the Cornish landscape.

"As a composer I have absorbed a great deal of inspiration from the natural landscape, particularly the isolated areas of Cornwall which are rich in legend and folklore" Sue Aston

Sacred Landscapes CD GLCD1001

After playing on Gordon Giltrap's 'Music for the Small Screen' album Sue knew it was time to venture forth and write and record her first solo album.

Sacred Landscapes was released on in late 1999 and featured 16 original tracks all relating to the legend and myths of Celtic Cornwall.

''I had developed the idea then of sitting in the Cornish landscape and letting the music come to me. It is how I still compose my music to this day''. Sue Aston

The album gained a grass roots following and with its folky influences Sue played some gigs with Pete Hawkes and supported the folk legends Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick.

The violin solo 'Madron' was played extensively on SKY TV which is from Sacred Landscapes. The album also features 'Pagan Celebration', now better known as 'Dance of the Red Glove', which has been adopted by the Goldsithney Charter Fair as its theme tune.

Inspirational Journey CD GLCD1002

This was the album that really put Sue's music out into the world. Released in early 2005 its quickly gained ground when the promotional videos stated being shown on SKY TV.

The album features ‘The Home Coming’ and is one of Sue’s most popular pieces, and has been viewed nearly 900,000 times on YouTube. It has also been used in weddings around the world.

During this time demand for Sue as a violin teacher took off around the world. Sue has hosted violin master classes, which have been attended by students from USA, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The BBC1 ‘Heaven and Earth Show’ also interviewed Sue about her composition work on one of their episodes about the Cornish landscape.

"My music comes to me not only in the stillness of nature but also in her wildest moments. I can hear the strings in the branches of the trees, the melody within every crashing wave. All I can do is try and capture what my heart perceives". Sue Aston

Reflections of Cornwall DVD GLDVD1003

The DVD was released to bring together all the videos being shown on SKY TV and YouTube. The DVD was filmed to show off the beautiful Cornish landscape which influences Sue music and to enable her fans to know more about her. A new DVD is in production now.

Between Worlds CD GLCD1004

Between Worlds is Sue Aston's most ambitious work to date. Recorded in Penzance and featuring a host of Cornish talent it is already being hailed as her best work.

'Between Worlds oozes with talent, each piece a perfect landscape of Cornwall painted by Sue Aston's violin playing. From the soft idyllic side of The Final Homecoming to the original and uplifting Celtic sounds of Mazey Dazey, it's easy to see why she is so vital to the classical scene, both in Cornwall and further afield.
Between Worlds will no doubt only see her importance and popularity soar.'

Craig Broad 'MyCornwall'

In 2010 Sue also formed 'The Sue Aston Ensemble' to help take her music to a wider audience. ''Playing live is something I wanted to do and the ensemble with its revolving door of musicians enables me to do just that.'' The Sue Aston Ensemble also features music by other Cornish Composers who do not usually get their music heard.

So is it Celtic Music or is it Classical Music?

"Classical or Celtic Music is not a specific style or sound to me, it is a creative desire to channel the natural landscape into the universal language of music. My muse is the granite cliffs and the rolling moors of Kernow, her legends, her culture and people.'' Sue Aston

‘Sue Aston's is modern Cornish music, taking and interpreting themes and harmonies letting them be heard again. It is as relevant as Malcolm Arnold's Padstow Lifeboat and Cornish Dances and Bax's Tintagel - perhaps more so’. John Colby

‘As a composer and teacher of music, Sue Aston is surely in touch with the vibrant revival of Celtic music in Cornwall, as an instrumentalist she expertly brings those compositions to life in an emotional and classical form. Her work reverberates from her West Penwith home and is surely without equal.'

Sue’s music has featured on many television programmes and radio stations, she has worked internationally with, amongst many others, Yehudi Menuhin and Nigel Kennedy, but to me, the one thing which counts above all else is her intimate connection with Cornwall and the Cornish’. Michael John Chappell