Poet Tempest among artists to take part in new music festival
A FESTIVAL showcasing new music compositions from top UK artists, which premiered in Hull during its City of Culture year, returns this summer.
PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial covers all genres, from classical and chamber opera to jazz, folk and electronic and to music for kora, gamelan, and organ.
And it features 19 brand new works and recently written works of no longer than 15 minutes, which will be presented in a popup way for audiences to discover.
Highlights include two BBC Concert Orchestra collaborations with artists having a major impact on UK music right now – playwright, poet, novelist Kate Tempest and composer and turntablist Shiva Feshareki.
Many of the new commissions explore the complexity of modern identities; what it means to be Jewish and British in Brit-ish by Sam Eastmond, youth identities in modern cities by rising jazz star Sarah Tandy, and works that play with the musical traditions of east and west by Sona Jobarteh, Arun Ghosh, Rolf Hind and Khyam Allami.
The winning compositions were selected by a panel of judges, chaired by BBC Radio 3 Controller Alan Davey.
It will be performed across two weekends from July 5 to 7 at London’s Southbank Centre and from July 12 to 14 in Hull and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Chief executive of Absolutely Cultured Katy Fuller said: “Following an extremely successful festival in 2017 as part of the City of Culture programme, we’re delighted to continue to work in partnership to bring these incredible composers to Hull’s unique spaces.”