NEW MUSIC BIENNIAL 2022

New Music Biennial celebrates its ten-year anniversary with previous works performed at the festival alongside brand-new commissions. New Music Biennial 2022 will comprise 20 new pieces of music: ten brand new works selected from an open call and ten pre-existing New Music Biennial works from across the last 10 years to mark its launch back in 2012.

The free festival will feature the London Sinfonietta in Philip Venables' Illusions, a past commission with performance artist David Hoyle. This anarchic ‘party political broadcast’ takes an unforgiving view of modern society, first performed two days after the 2015 General Election and reworked for the New Music Biennial 2017. Tackling themes of power, greed, emotion and sexuality, Philip Venables’ brash musical style combines with David Hoyle’s vibrant, direct and uncompromising performance art to startling effect.

This 15-minute piece is performed twice, with a short Q&A session with the composer between the performances.

Philip Venables  Illusions

David Hoyle  speaker (on film)
Philip Venables  conductor
London Sinfonietta

- Suitable for ages 18+
- Contains references to drugs and sex, with language some audiences may find offensive.

Presented by PRS Foundation and the Southbank Centre, in partnership with Coventry UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings with support from Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Paul Hamlyn Foundation