"Ter-Berg's vocals have a cool charm [whilst her] cello passionately laments." - Clive Bell, The Wire.
“Francesca Ter-Berg has a sense of levitating above and around the material world”- John Doran, The Quietus
Francesca is a cellist and producer with an in-depth improvisation and collaborative practice. She is known for her specialism in Eastern European traditional music (specifically Klezmer and Roma) which she has been researching and performing for 15 years. Her improvisation practice stems from spending time with renowned improvisors in the US and UK—including Vijay Iyer, Okkyung Lee and Ashley Paul, Anthony Coleman, Tyshawn Sorey and Joe Morris. Francesca spent a year living in Boston to study at the the New England Conservatory in the Contemporary Improvisation programme, and was an artist in residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada. She has studied Cello under the guidance of innovative cellists Mike Block and Audrey Riley. Since graduating from Goldsmiths University of London with a Masters in Popular Music, she has explored working with live electronics, studio composition and writing music for film, documentaries and video games.
Francesca is one half of critically acclaimed duo projectFran & Flora, alongside violinist Flora Curzon—with whom she has recorded and performed extensively across the UK, Europe and North America. Their debut album, Unfurl(2019) was BBC Radio 3 Music Planet's 'Album Of The Year' and they appeared live on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Cerys Matthews 6Music show. Beyond Fran & Flora, Francesca has collaborated with groundbreaking and genre-defying UK and international artists, including Hejira, Imogen Heap, Talvin Singh, Frank London, Denai Moore, Riz Ahmed, Kenny Walleson, Tony Scherr, Brandon Ross and Portico Quartet.
Having developed a passion for collecting found sound and scoring works for film, documentaries and video games, Francesca has composed music for the Turner Contemporary’s digital commission series, created immersive sound sculptures for the Margate NOW Festival and was commissioned but the JW3 & BFI to create an original score for a series of archival shorts about Jewish Life in Britain which premiered at the UK Jewish Film Festival. Her debut EP In Eynem is being released on 16th April 2021 on Phantom Limb's 'Spirituals' imprint.
An activist and advocate for community art and space, she recently saved the Margate Synagogue from being sold to property developers, it is now being turned into a multi-arts community venue in the heart of Cliftonville, Margate.
Francesca hosts a monthly radio show on Margate Radio - FREENESS- and is a regular guest on other independent stations including NTS and Giles Petersons' WorldwideFM.