Jenny Jackson is strongly influenced by a long-term interest in the visual and dramatic arts and often writes pieces which incorporate elements of theatricality, or challenge audience perception and expectations in what they see/hear. Jenny completed a PhD in Composition at the University of Sheffield in 2009 following an investigation into the theatricality of musical performance, supervised by George Nicholson.
This approach has continued to influence Jenny’s work. In 2011 Jenny formed Platform 4 – a composer collective – with Tom Owen, Chris Noble and Tom James. The strength of the collective approach has enabled bold and adventurous projects such as Embodiments – four pieces of fully-staged dance/music-theatre, with dancer Hannah Wadsworth and soprano Andrea Tweedale in 2017. In 2018, they were commissioned by Music in the Round to produce a collaborative suite for winds. Melodrama was performed by Ensemble 360 at the Sheffield Chamber Festival.
Jenny’s recent performances include Superego (2020, Vanguard Ensemble); Limb for solo viola and orchestra (2019, Hallam Sinfonia with violist Maria Do Vale Antunes); and Mimesis for piano, percussion and midi drum pad (2017, Passepartout Duo). Expel – a single breath piece for solo flute – was commissioned and recorded by Kathryn Williams for her Coming Up For Air album, released by Huddersfield Contemporary Records in November 2019. Jenny has three pieces for solo flute/ flute choir published by Tetractys Publishing.