Christina McMaster

“An incredibly sensitive intuitive player who brings out the mystery and beauty of these pieces”

Sarah Walker BBC Radio 3

“When I grew up my grandmother told me the story about her Grandfather who, whenever he was unwell, or feeling low, instead of going to the doctors, he would go to the Opera to be healed… music really is for uplifting and healing us”

Christine McMaster

Lie Down and Listen was founded by Classical Pianist, composer and sound healer Christina McMaster who noticed that it wasn’t only the rituals of classical music concert halls that led to a disconnected listening experience, but in daily life, we are experiencing more disconnection than ever, leading to loneliness, anxiety, stress, sense of emptiness etc.

The story really began when Christina was very young and her grandmother would tell her the story about how her grandfather, when he was unwell or down wouldn’t go to the doctors but instead, went to the Opera to be uplifted and healed.

The experience evolved after a chance meeting with in the café of the MoMA in New New York with Prof. Sir John Strang. They then went on to create a series of events at Kings College London with Dr Sally Marlow to recreate the wellbeing benefits of a hallucinogenic experience without hallucinogenics – by using a certain combination of music in a lying down concert experience similar to  the happenings in 1970’s downtown New York loft apartments where music of Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich was played – also known as the New York Hypnotic School.

After training in sound healing in Andalusia, Christina then evolved the meditation, sound healing and lying down concert experience of today which creates space for deep relaxation and for listeners to reconnect within.

“One of the most talked about concerts of our festival.”

Alistair MacGowan, Artistic Director of Ludlow Piano Festival

Christina McMaster is a pianist, composer and founder of Lie Down & Listen – a truly creative spirit fascinated by deep listening and sound. She has performed at numerous festivals U.K and worldwide, featured on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3, Classic FM.

She attended the Purcell School and was selected as a young artist in residence at St John’s Smith square. She studied with Joanna MacGregor at The Royal Academy of Music and was later appointed an Associate. She has been a mentor for Geneva International Music Competition, UNESCO Day of the Girl, and given talks at Universities in the U.K and U.S, including at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. Christina has collaborated with numerous visual artists, leading composers and artists – including composers Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Freya Waley-Cohen, Folk music legend Peggy Seeger and electronic artist Tom Middleton.  

She was a Visiting Associate at Kings College in London, developing the ‘Sound Mind’ project with Dr Sally Marlow which evolved into Lie down & Listen.