STEVE PYCROFT

Steve Pycroft is a composer, producer and drummer based in the UK. Classically trained at The University of Manchester, Steve achieved a 1st Class honours in Music and a Masters in Composition. He is the founder and Musical Director of the Kaleidoscope Orchestra - an orchestra for the 21st Century; whose mission is to bridge the gap between Classical music and other genres.

LANDSCAPES

“Landscapes is a collection of relaxing pieces for solo piano, inspired by a road trip my wife and I took across the USA. We started in Los Angeles and visited Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Tallahassee, Tampa and finished our adventure in Miami.” Steve, April 2024

Listen on BANDCAMP or SPOTIFY.

Kaleidoscope Orchestra

Founded in 2011, Kaleidoscope aims to introduce classical music to new audiences through innovative orchestral arrangements of electronic music.

The orchestra has collaborated with artists such as Camelphat, P Money, Flow Dan, Etherwood, Dr Meaker and Flux Pavilion, and has performed at festivals including Creamfields, IMPAQT, Parklife and Goonhilly 60. The orchestra has gained a large subscriber base on YouTube through Steve’s orchestral reinterpretations of music by the likes of The Prodigy, Avicii, Eminem, Daft Punk, Major Lazer, Pendulum and many others.

Kaleidoscope Orchestra was featured on BBC Breakfast during 2020 after Steve produced a series of Lockdown Videos which featured the members of the orchestra playing Steve’s arrangements from their respective homes.

BBC Projects

Steve’s Lockdown Projects led to a commission from the BBC for a National Lockdown Orchestra, which Steve arranged the music for. He also produced the recording and helped with the video editing and the video was aired across BBC TV and radio on 14th May 2020. The project featured members of the BBC Orchestras and Choirs, and 1,500 members of the public submitted videos to the virtual orchestra campaign, which was nominated for a Prix Europa.

In January 2021, Steve was commissioned to write a new arrangement of the theme tune for BBC’s Winterwatch – and the introduction to the programme featured musicians of the orchestra performing it.

Steve has also worked on several projects with BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, working alongside the likes of Catherine Bott, Robin Blaze, The BBC Philharmonic and Hallé Orchestra.

Riot Jazz Brass Band

Outside of Kaleidoscope, Steve is the drummer and one of the composers in Riot Jazz Brass Band. Since 2009, the band has performed at festivals around the World, including shows in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France and Romania - as well as at UK festivals such as Glastonbury, Love Supreme, Kendal Calling, Womad, Boomtown and El Dorado.

Ambient and Piano Albums

Steve composes and produces his own music which has been featured on BBC Radio 3. In 2020, he released two electronic / ambient EPs titled Memories which were dedicated to Steve’s dad who passed away in 2017. He also released three piano albums: Still, Night Shift and The Wandering Soul.

As well as being a musician, Steve is a film-maker and works with other musicians, businesses and charities to help produce videos. All videos linked above were shot and edited by Steve.

Films & Shows

Steve has also scored several short films including Everything Must Be In The Air, directed by Simon Brooks.

In 2023 Steve composed the music for a play called Varnish which premiered at London’s Vault Festival and starred Jonathan Mayor.