London Sinfonietta 22/23 Season - Building on a tradition of innovation
The upcoming 2022-23 season showcases modern new music masterpieces, inspiring and thought-provoking world-premieres plus a continued passion to inspire the public and young people with new music.
The UK’s most influential new music ensemble announces a spectacular season, which includes powerful world premiere performances alongside modern masterpieces. More forward-facing than ever, its widely varied projects expand its participation work with communities, while its digital content reaches ever-wider audiences. Its roster of composers, conductors and artists continues to become more inclusive, responding to the need for greater representation in the arts.
Modern Masterpieces and Powerful Premieres
The London Sinfonietta’s concert season engages with both composers from its past tradition and those writing music today for its future.
The London Sinfonietta, of all UK contemporary ensembles, has an unrivalled tradition of working with the great composers of the post-war period. Of that tradition, the season showcases an anniversary concert of music by Iannis Xenakis (8 October), an exploration of Tōru Takemitsu’s world (27 November) as well as much by Salvatore Sciarrino (2 December), Steve Reich (6 April) and György Ligeti (25 May). The Ensemble also marks the passing of its most important composer collaborator with a Sir Harrison Birtwistle Tribute concert (5 March). London Sinfonietta’s season kicks off with a screening of Licht: Stockhausen’s Legacy (29 September), exploring the first-ever production of the radical opera cycle involving 7 operas, 500 performers and 4 helicopters.
The London Sinfonietta’s tradition was built on commissions and premieres – and this season continues this spirit of innovation. World premieres feature in the season by Elliot Galvin, Laura Jurd, Robert Mitchell, Alex Paxton, Trish Clowes (18 November), Justė Janulytė, Jack Sheen (2 December), Nwando Ebizie (April) with more new work to be announced. Other territorial premieres include music by Lisa Streich, Tyshawn Sorey (2 December), Julia Wolfe (6 April), Dai Fujikura, Tania León and Augusta Read Thomas (25 May).
New Music for people’s lives and learning
The London Sinfonietta continues to expand its reach into people’s lives and learning with its participation programmes, offering the public the chance to work alongside professional composers and musicians making new music as part of its world-class programme.
Highlights in the season include the continuation of Composition Challenges across the UK, which encourage young people to compose new work that will be played by members of the ensemble. In May, the London Sinfonietta will also begin a residency at St Ignatius School in Enfield, rehearsing for a Southbank Centre concert in their school hall and working alongside students to give them a chance to compose, conduct, film and plan work with the Ensemble. In June, the London Sinfonietta will be working in the Lancaster & Morecambe region, telling the ‘Untold Stories’ behind local residents through film and specially composed music, leading to a live concert presentation.
In a bid to reach new audiences, the Ensemble continues its Couch to Concert audience development series, a musical training programme for the ears in the form of a series of podcasts with Cerys Matthews and Paul Morley, aimed at introducing first-time attendees to contemporary music.
Reaching new audiences digitally
The London Sinfonietta continues to produce high-quality, engaging digital content which ensures its reach to audiences across the UK and abroad.
The projects to be released online this season include performances of established masterpieces by Birtwistle and Xenakis as well as new pieces captured in performance by Luke Bedford, Mica Levi, George Lewis, Laura Jurd and Alex Paxton. The Ensemble’s ‘Introduction to Contemporary Instruments’ series continues to gain momentum and viewers while programmes for schools will encourage in-class composition.
A diversity of talent for the future of new music
The London Sinfonietta is committed to both its established composer and performer relationships as well as encouraging and celebrating the diversity of talent that makes up contemporary music. Amongst those it is proud to see returning to the stage are Geoffrey Paterson (8 October), Gerry Cornelius (18 Nov), Martyn Brabbins (5 March), and Dai Fujikura (25 May). It welcomes both new performers and new repertoire from composers and musicians such as Robert Mitchell, Saleem Raman, Chloe Rooke, Jack Sheen, Tyshawn Sorey, Manoj Kamps, George Lewis, Nwando Ebizie, Chisato Minamimura, Vimbayi Kaziboni, Hidejiro Honjoh, Tania Leon, Aílis ní Ríain.
The London Sinfonietta will also be running its 14th edition of its own Academy project in the summer of 2023, recruiting a UK wide group of young musicians to train as a Sinfonietta-sized ensemble. Many of the musicians from previous years are now engaged by the London Sinfonietta ensuring a new flow of performing talent into the new music industry.
Andrew Burke, London Sinfonietta’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director, describes the season “New Futures”:
“It is the right time to look forward towards the possibilities of the future. The great tradition of the London Sinfonietta can both serve as a huge library of music which still needs exploring and still inspires, while the same tradition compels us to move forward and create new music with composers and artists we have not worked with before and explore what new music can be, where we make it and who it is for. We are excited to step on.”
Published: 27 Sep 2022
