Photo Sylvain Marchou
''In a post-modern era often characterised by various aesthetic movements, it is especially enriching to encounter an artist like Roger Steptoe, who possesses a fresh and individual voice at once original, accessible and adventurous.''
The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2000
''Son écriture, tout en affirmant l'independance d'un caractère original, ne renie rien de l'actuel contexte extraordinairement fécond, pas plus qu'il ne rejette les maîtres qui l'ont précédé et qui ne cessent de le nourrir.''
La Montagne, Centre France, Clermont-Ferrand
Roger Steptoe is considered to be one of the most respected British musicians of his generation. A composer with an international reputation, his catalogue of works includes chamber music, concertos, song cycles and instrumental sonatas. [more..]
Roger Steptoe compte parmi les musiciens britanniques les plus respectés de sa génération. Compositeur de renommée internationale, son catalogue comprend des œuvres de musique de chambre, des concertos, des cycles vocaux et des sonates instrumentales. [plus..]
News 
version Française
2017 is proving to be another productive and fruitful year for Roger Steptoe.
“AS YOU LIKE IT”
Following the success of the premiere of "As You Like It" at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, US, in April 2016, Steptoe's second full-length opera is being prepared for publication by his publishers, Editions BIM, in Switzerland.
Ambition pays off in 'As You Like It'.
''Opera Notre Dame's decision to commission and stage an operatic version of Shakespeare's ''As You Like It'' was an ambitious undertaking. It's a credit to all parties involved that Thursday's opening-night performance at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center was a success, a highly enjoyable show on multiple levels.
British composer, Roger Steptoe had the most responsibility of all, and he delivered music imbued with intelligence and humor, balancing modern technique with old-fashioned accessibility....
Steptoe uses chaotic, near-atonal harmonies in the stressful moments of the action and pulls out highly rhythmic, catchy tunes for times of merriment. He ends a silly scene with an artful turn via a brief yet masterful quartet for Rosalind (in drag as Ganymede), her friend Celia/Aliena, the goof-ball Touchstone and the goatherd Audrey in the middle of Act 2. It's the type of highlight that begs repeated hearings, and it's passages such as that that might prolong Steptoe's opera's life beyond this run''.
Jack Walton, South Bend Tribune, Saturday April 23rd, 2016.
'As You Like It' – an opera in two acts and 12 scenes
Music : Roger Steptoe.
Libretto : Lesley Fernandez-Armesto.
Premiere performances : Patricia George Decio Theatre, Marie P. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, 21, 22, 23 and 24 April 2016, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, US.
Director : Leland Kimball.
Conductor : John Apeitos.
Published by : Editions BIM, Switzerland
FESTIVAL DE MUSIQUE D'UZERCHE 2017
Roger Steptoe continues as the Artistic Director of the Festival de Musique d'Uzerche, France. The 11th edition of this prestigious French chamber music festival will take place between the 11th and 14th August in the town where he has lived since 1998.
Over the last few years, the festival has programmed a considerable number of contemporary works, proving that new music is accessible to all ears. Composers featured at the festival since 2012 are : Nicolas Bacri (France), Martin Iddon (UK), Tomas Bordalejo (Argentina/France), Philippe Hersant (France), Joseph Phibbs (UK), Outi Tarkiainen (Finland), Thomas Enyco (France) and Roger Steptoe himself.
Since its creation in 2006, over 8000 people have seen and heard 260 artists from 20 different countries worldwide. There have been 24 singers, 19 pianists, 19 instrumentalists, 15 chamber music ensembles, 9 vocal ensembles and 7 composers in residence. The festival has hosted 2 European premieres, 8 French premieres, 5 world premieres, and the first public performance of an unpublished work for cello and piano by Francis Poulenc.
Festival de musique d'Uzerche
11th edition
11th to 14th August 2017 inclusive
12 events in 4 days.
Uzerche is midway between Limoges (to the north) and Brive-la-Gaillarde (to the south), and Bordeaux (west) and Clermont-Ferrand (east). Nearest international airports are at Limoges and Brive-la-Gaillarde. It is served by a mainline railway station with five direct express trains from Paris daily. Uzerche is classed as one of the “100 Beaux Détours de France”.
Download hereTHE CLARINET
Gregory Barrett, Northern Illinois University's Professor of clarinet, has given Roger Steptoe's Clarinet Quintet No. 2 a very encouraging review in The Clarinet, the magazine for the International Clarinet Association. Steptoe's publishers, Editions BIM, have also been congratulated for the excellent standard of their publications.
The work received its first performance by the eminent British clarinetist, David Campbell, and the Sacconi Quartet, 22nd July 2012, in the Great Hall, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales as part of the Aberwystwyth MusicFest.
The European premiere took place at the 2012 Festival de Musique Classique d'Uzerche, by David Campbell and the Quatuor Girard, 17th August in the Abbatiale Saint-Pierre.
Roger Steptoe. Clarinet Quintet No. 2, Hommage à Claude Debussy for clarinet and string quartet. Editions Bim, 2012. Duration: 15’ $41.00
An experienced solo and chamber music pianist, Roger Steptoe has written works for diverse chamber ensembles. This three-movement quintet (with B-flat clarinet) was written for and premiered by clarinetist David Campbell and is inspired by the formal structure of Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. Steptoe utilizes Debussy’s style in this rewarding work. A five-measure quotation from the Première Rhapsodie is played by the clarinet near the end of the second movement. As usual, I am impressed by the releases from Editions Bim.
Gregory Barrett The Clarinet, March 2017.
The quintet is published by Editions BIM, Switzerland.
Gregory Barrett is a Buffet Group Artist and Editor of Reviews for The Clarinet.
New editions
New publications from Editions BIM of music by Roger Steptoe include the Seven Miniatures for piano trio, the vocal score of the opera, As You Like It, and the Five Shakespeare Songs for tenor and piano.
New works
New works in the pipeline include From the Portuguese – two Sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, for baritone and piano – and a Concerto for viola and chamber orchestra.
View from my music room window, 7.30am, March 15th 2017
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All of Roger Steptoe's recent music (2003 onwards) is published exclusively by the Swiss publishing house, Editions BIM. All enquiries to order@editions-bim.com  |
All other works of Roger Steptoe continue to be published by the UK publishing house Stainer & Bell, London, UK. All enquiries to Caroline Holloway. caroline@stainer.co.uk
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For more information and to buy copies of the works mentioned on this website you are respectfully asked to contact the publishers concerned. Please see the works list for full details.
