British Composition Season is a project developed by the British Council Romania, within the framework of our ‘New Work New Audiences’ programme.
The second edition opened on 16 December 2011, comprising a series of four concerts showcasing outstanding British contemporary composition, performed by Romanian and British musicians. The curator of the programme was Philip Cashian, Head of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
The 2010 edition brought to the Romanian public’s attention musical pieces by 31 British composers. The programme selection illustrated the diversity and complexity of British contemporary classical music over the past two decades.
Main partners: George Enescu National Museum, National University of Music of Bucharest, Radio Romania Muzical.
Media partners: Observatorul Cultural, Radio Romania Cultural, Smart Woman, Port.ro, Metropotam.
About the project
The opening concert took place Friday, 16 December. The next concerts took place on: 26 January, 23 February and 29 March 2012, at 7.00 p.m., at the National Arts Centre Tinerimea Romana (19 Gutenberg Johann steet).
The compositions were performed by Archaeus Ensemble, Preludiu Choir and Profil Ensemble.
Free entry.
Concert Programme
16 December 2011
Stillnes over Dissolving Spaces was a multimedia representation by cellist Oliver Coates and sound designer Oliver Green. Various pieces rendered by cello guided the audience through a unique musical experience. Moments of stillness combined cleverly with rich and diverse sonorities. The progressive alternation of these two moods, peace and sonority, suggested the dissolution of spaces.
Concert programme
Emily Hall - In Time Matt Rogers - Songs of Shibuya 1Duration: aproximately 60 minutes.
Oliver Coates is widely in demand as a solo cellist, chamber musician, principal cellist with orchestras (Aurora Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia) and as a producer and collaborator in new music. He is an Artist in Residence at Southbank Centre. He has played in and developed projects with Seb Rochford, Micachu and the Shapes, Massive Attack, Ben Frost, Mara Carlyle, Massive Attack, and others. Coates attained the highest degree result in the Royal Academy of Music's history before going on to complete an MPhil with distinction at New College, Oxford.
Jonathan Green studied classical composition at Birmingham Conservatoire and the Academy of Music in Cracow, and now works as a sound engineer specialising in new music. His work is a hybrid between instrumental and electronic styles. He collaborated with various music institutions from the UK and Europe among which: the London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Streetwise Opera, AGON (Milan), Athelas Sinfonietta (Copenhagen), IRCAM, Sound Intermedia and the BBC Proms.
26 January 2012
17:30, National Arts Centre Tinerimea Romana
The series' second concert brought together the works of five aknowledged composers, joined by the young Helen Grime. Marked by subtle notes, the works were brought together by the constant presence of piano forte.
Performed by “Profil” Ensemble – coordinator: Dan Dediu
Helen Grime – The Brook Sings Aloud John Woolrich – A Presence of Departed ActsDuration: aprox. 60 minutes.
23 February 2012
19:00, National Arts Centre Tinerimea Romana
The third British Composition Season concert brought together a selection of pieces for various instruments – winds, strings, piano, percussion – going over a wide stylistic variety, mainly concentrating on rich and powerful sonorities that made violence and frailty milestones in rendering musicality and harmony of Martin Butler’s ”Carillon”, or Judith Weir’s ”Wake your Wild Voice”.
Performed by “Archaeus” ensemble – Director: Liviu Danceanu
Helen Grime – To See the Summer Sky Judith Weir – Wake Your Wild VoiceDuration: aprox. 70 minutes.
29 March 2012
19:00, National Arts Centre Tinerimea Romana
The series’ last concert brought together creations of nine middle generation composers that are very different from a stylistic point of view. There were various musical pieces, from Tansy Davies’ funk inspired music to profound meditations over lost by Thea Musgrave; from Julian Anderson’s ”Bach Machine” on a ”Musical Offering” theme to Richard Baker’s exotism in ”Los Rabanos”, and last but not the least, from the coral interpretation of George Herbert’s ”Virtue” to themes inspired by the life of James Reid, a little bagpipe that was declared weapon of war in ”Sketches from a Bagpipes’s Album”, both pieces by Judith Weir.
Performed by “Archaeus” ensemble – Director: Liviu Danceanu and “Preludiu” Choir – Director: Voicu Enachescu
Richard Baker –Los Rabanos Tansy Davies – Forgotten Game“Preludiu” Choir
Judith Weir – Vertue John Woolrich – Spring in winterDuration: aprox. 90 minutes.
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