Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a singer, songwriter, cellist, pianist and composer working at the intersection of classical, jazz, Caribbean, soul and contemporary song, creating music that moves seamlessly between concert hall, recording studio and live performance, to theatre, TV and film. Whether writing for orchestra, scoring for TV or producing songs, her work invites audiences into experiences that feel both immediate and deeply layered. A space where genres meet, voices and instruments converse, and heritage is celebrated. The cello often serves as both melodic and rhythmic foundation, while the voice explores storytelling, lyricism, and emotional narrative. 

In FAIYA!, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, Witter-Johnson explores percussive rhythmic energy and melodic storytelling rooted in Jamaican heritage within a contemporary orchestral framework. Similarly, Ocean Floor, created with the London Symphony Orchestra Percussion Ensemble, blends orchestral instrumentation with jazz and reggae-inflected gestures, bridging concert music and song-based idioms. 

Collaboration is central to her process, and previous commissions include ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet and Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as co-creative projects with artists across global and contemporary music traditions, including Anoushka Shankar (Love Letters EP). Each composition evolves in conversation with the performers’ own voices and techniques, producing work that feels deeply connected. Alongside this, Witter-Johnson maintains a parallel practice as a recording artist, where her projects allow her to experiment with form and genre, weaving elements of reggae rhythm, improvisation, and orchestral writing into contemporary song structures, exploring how Diasporic musical traditions can inform classical language, creating work that is both rooted and exploratory. 

Upcoming projects include the release of her second album, New Roots, through her own record label, and a musical telling the true story of Clara Ford, a mixed-race woman in Toronto in 1894 who was unexpectedly acquitted of murder by an all-white jury of twelve men. Her story explores themes of race, gender and justice that still resonate strongly today.