Through the Lens: Turning Points - Organised Sound

On Wednesday 18 May, we returned to Kings Place with the latest concert in our Turning Points series, presenting ideas so distinctive that they influenced the course of musical history. The concert focused on the 20th century with solo and chamber works by Edgard Varèse, Pierre Boulez, Morton Feldman and Luciano Berio, and ended with Tansy Davies' grind show (unplugged).

We also welcomed some fresh faces in the audience through Couch to Concert, our brand new programme for newcomers to contemporary music giving the tools to listen to and enjoy this genre.

Check out some photos and reactions from the night, and a recap of Couch to Concert.

...a neatly packaged and presented collection of gems. The Guardian

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Fantastic program
— David Weininger (@davidgweininger) May 18, 2022

Couch to Concert

This concert was the culminating part of Couch to Concert, our brand new exercise programme for the ears encouraging newcomers to attend a contemporary music concert. Before the concert, participants listened to podcasts, presented by BBC Radio 6 Music's Cerys Matthews and music journalist Paul Morley, introducing the music that was played in the concert. The podcasts were accompanied by themed playlists, an illustrated music map drawn by composer Deborah Pritchard that illustrated the things to listen out for in Berio's O King, and a concert survival kit on the day.

You can listen to the podcasts and playlists from this series below. If you're new to contemporary music and want to take part in the next edition of Couch to Concert, sign up to our mailing list to be informed of the next programme.