about Joanna Marsh
Biography
Joanna Marsh is an Ivor Novello Award-winning British composer whose music is widely performed, particularly in the field of choral music. Her work has been heard in venues including Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and the Elbphilharmonie, as well as in cathedrals and churches across the UK and worldwide. Dividing her time between the UK and Dubai since 2007, she has been described by The Guardian as “one of today’s leading composers for the voice".
Her recent work includes Threadlands for RIAS Kammerchor and Ensemble Resonanz, the triptych Echoes in Time for St John’s College, Cambridge, and SEEN, her BBC Radio 3 commission for choir and electronics, performed by the BBC Singers at the BBC Proms. Her 2021 choral work All Shall Be Well, commissioned for ORA Singers, won the Ivor Novello Award for Choral Music in 2022, and was selected for performance at the installation of Archbishop Sarah Mullally at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.
Joanna’s music is widely recorded, with recent releases including her solo album A Plastic Theatre on Signum, alongside recordings by St John’s College, Cambridge and Chanticleer. Alongside her composing work, she is Lead Mentor for the Professional Development Programme for Composers at the National Youth Choir.
Her life in the Middle East has also led to distinctive musical opportunities, including composing an orchestral work to celebrate the opening of the Burj Khalifa and a fanfare for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Abu Dhabi.
Find more information about Joanna Marsh in the Press Pack below
