Both of her parents were Scottish and talented amateur musicians. She played oboe in school, and won a place in the National Youth Orchestra. She studied composition at King's College, Cambridge.
Her operas are inspired by Icelandic sagas, Chinese Yuan Dynasty drama, and German Romanticist stories.
In 2014, she became the first woman appointed Master of the Queen's Music, the musical equivalent of Poet Laureate.
She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) before being awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 King's New Years Honours List for her services to Music. She is the Master of the King's Music in London, England.