Biography

Photo by Will Darkin

Cellist Louise McMonagle thrives on playing repertoire that goes beyond the mainstream, playing music by living composers, and creating programs including many commissions and premieres. Recent solo performances include Wigmore Hall, Schlewswig Holstein Music Festival (DE), Open Music Graz (AT), KM28 Berlin, as well as numerous broadcasts on BBC radio.

Collaboration is at the heart of Louise's practice, taking huge inspiration from the players and creators she works with. A number of composers have written solo pieces for Louise, "Skydance" by Ailie Robertson won the Dorico award for Solo Work at the 2021 Scottish Awards for New Music. Louise's video premiere was also featured in The Strad magazine. Hannah Kendall's piece "Tuxedo: Hot Summer No Water" led to numerous performances across Europe, including HCMF in the UK. "Round By The Ness" by jazz saxophonist/composer Trish Clowes was featured at the London Jazz Festival 2022. Also in 2022, Louise premiered Laura Bowler's chamber opera "The Blue Woman" at the Royal Opera House & Snape Maltings.

In 2024 Louise featured in the "Scotland Unwrapped" series at Kings Place London, presenting solo cello music by living composer from Scotland, and premiering new works for cello and live electronics in 360 soundscape by Tonia Ko and Aaron Holloway Nahum.

In Spring 2025 Louise will release her first solo album "Ancient Modernity" on Delphian Records. The album is a celebration of the inspiring composers she has worked with over the last decade, weaving together contemporary cello works that reinvent ancient material, including folk tunes, baroque basslines, Arabic oud techniques, and ancient Gaelic psalms.

Louise is a member of UK contemporary music group Riot Ensemble who perform regularly around Europe, including Wien Modern (Austria), Arctic Arts (Norway), Time of Music (Finland), Wigmore Hall (London), and Dark Music Days (Iceland). Described as “volcanically creative” (The New Yorker), “the supergroup of top soloists playing new music” (The Guardian), and “Always impeccable; Entrancing and highly seductive” (The Times), Riot Ensemble have given around 250 World and UK Premieres by composers from more than 30 countries. Their discography includes releases on HCR/NMC Recordings and Coviello Classics. In 2020 they were awarded the Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize, and in 2024 they were shortlisted for the RPS "Best Ensemble" Award.

Louise was recently invited to give a lecture recital at the Royal Academy of Music (London), where she showcased forty excerpts from innovative contemporary cello repertoire and many extended techniques. Louise has also delivered workshops at Trinity Laban, Royal Northern College of Music, Berklee College of Music, Boston University, University of Southampton, Royal Holloway University, Crossroads Festival at the Mozarteum (AT), Austrian Cultural Forum and the Zagreb Biennale.