Poppy Ackroyd

Poppy Ackroyd is a London-born, Edinburgh-based composer, pianist, and violinist. She plays piano and violin conventionally, but also with drumsticks, e-bows, picks, and all ten fingers, creating unusual timbres and textures while also employing the inner and outer physical bodies of her instruments. Despite this physical approach, her music is intricate, delicate, and lyrical, evidenced by her 2012 debut, Escapement, and Feathers in 2014. While 2017's Sketches was performed completely solo, 2018's Resolve featured contributions from Manu Delago, Jo Quail, and Mike Lesirge. It also inspired a collection of remixes, 2019's Resolve Reimagined. 2021's Pause marked a return to solo recording and inspired a remix EP titled Pause (Reworked) the following year. In 2023, the four-track Pause Reimagined featured collaborations with Anne Muller, Alexandra Hamilton-Ayers, Hinao Omori, and Christina Vantzou. In 2026 Ackroyd returned with the solo acoustic set Liminal, using only violin and piano. ~ Thom Jurek