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Photo Credit: Ginny Koppenhol
We’ve fallen into a place where everything is music ~ Rumi
Romarna Campbell, an Olivier award-winning composer, dynamic drummer, and innovative music educator, proudly hails from Birmingham and is now based in London. With a career spanning continents and genres, Romarna has captivated audiences as the drummer for Fever Ray, Benjamin Clementine, and Courtney Pine. Her extensive touring has taken her across Europe, the USA, and Australia, performing at iconic venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House.
A Berklee College of Music alumna and mentor, Romarna is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. She also leads the Frontline Ensemble as part of Tomorrow’s Warriors, a testament to her dedication to music education and community building. Romarna's compositional work has garnered acclaim, including her role as the film composer and sound designer for the National Youth Theatre’s ‘The Ancestors’ and as the composer for the 2023 Bush Theatre production ‘Sleepova’.
Romarna’s mission is to create music that reflects our current reality with artistic integrity, inspiring the next generation, especially those from diverse socioeconomic, racial, and gender backgrounds, to find opportunities and solutions to follow a similar path. Her diverse skill set encompasses drumming, sound design, music direction, film and theatre composition, orchestration, and conducting masterclasses and workshops. Recognised for her talent and vision, she was shortlisted for the Jazz Composition 2024 Arts Foundation Futures Awards and boasts credits with Netflix, Amazon, and Meta. As a professor, she inspires students with her authentic, warm, and unique teaching style, making complex concepts accessible and engaging.
Standing on the shoulders of giants, Romarna is an inspirational force, drawing from her rich heritage and experiences to forge a unique path forward. Her mentors, including Dr. Gary Crosby OBE, Terri Lyne Carrington, Neal Smith, and Billy Kilson, have profoundly influenced her artistic journey.
Romarna Campbell's story is one of passion, creativity, boundless curiosity, and a relentless drive to inspire and uplift through music, resonating deeply with young artists and music enthusiasts.