Sonja Grossner was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK, and received her earliest musical training there.  A holiday trip to Dresden in 1960 turned into a permanent stay in the former East Germany and she subsequently studied violin and composition with Manfred Weiss at the "Carl Maria von Weber Hochschule fur Musik" in Dresden, prior to working as both a music teacher and  violinist in the Freiberg Theatre Orchestra and the Dresden Operetta Theatre.  Following her return to the UK in 1984 she continued to work as an instrumental tutor for various local education authorities.  In 1995 she completed an MA course in composition at the De Montfort University, studying with Gavin Bryars, and she has now successfully completed work for her  PhD degree at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and been selected for the 2004 composition prize. Her career in composition has brought her much acclaim in recent years: 1996 "Fantasy Fragments" for trumpet solo and live electro-acoustics was performed in Birmingham by BEAST, organised by the SPNM. "Parody" for two pianos and two percussion players was commissioned by "Klammer 4" and given its first performance in Karlsruhe, Germany. String Quartet No.3, "Dark Adagio" won the 1999 Birmingham Chamber Music composition prize, and was premiered by the Vellinger String Quartet, February 2000 in the Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham. "Appassionato", cello sonata, was commissioned by Sharon McKinley and Duncan Honeybourne in 1998, and received its premiere in Birmingham Cathedral in January 2000. The orchestral work "Destiny" was premiered and recorded by the Moravian Philharmonic orchestra in the Czech Republic as part of the Vienna Modern Masters festival in June 2000, and is now available on CD. The fifth movement from the 2nd symphony, 'Genesis' was selected for performance in Birmingham at the Conservatoire's 2004 graduation concert Significant Works Sample Scores I try to involve certain issues that might be of interest for young people.  "Street Life" concerns issues of homeless people. Other issues relate to equality and views on appearance.  "There was Stories", after Edward Lear's poems, relates to the fact that we should not judge others only by what we see, but  look beyond the "over-long beard, the eccentric behaviour"; and that being different does not mean that one is less intelligent and of less value.  My wood wind quintet, "To each other strangers" relates to our relationship to neighbours, and people we see and meet on the streets.  My ballet, "The Little Match Girl" for full orchestra, after the story by Hans Christian Anderson, relates to a child in need. These points are some of the ideas I am working on to put into my work.  I have written pieces for youth.  "Care Free, and Sad Prelude" was played by the Derby youth orchestra.  I am looking for contacts, and would like to get involved in projects.  My composition activities would enable me to get involved in composition workshops, projects that include other artists, working together with sculptors, painters, and poets. I am looking for commissions and can offer private tuition in violin, piano, viola, recorder, composition, as well as music theory and harmony. I also have a great interest in visual arts.  My mother was a sculptress, and I grew up surrounded by art works of all kinds.   Combining visual art and music is also something I have intended to do. Contact address: 85 Maple Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 2JN.  tel: 01509 215960 email: vontuba@tesco.net