Wednesday 12 May - Sunday 16 May
The Good Dog Happy Band was formed in early 2009 as part of Matt Postle's PhD performance portfolio.
The ensemble performs a mixture of traditional American folk music, country, compositions by American guitarist Bill Frisell, and original material. By incorporating collective improvisation into their arrangements, the group creates a sense of both past and present.
The pioneering Elysian Quartet perform a dynamic programme of works set to include: pieces from Max De Wardener’s Bee Trilogy; Gabriel Prokfiev’s String Quartet No. 1; A unique semi-improvised string quartet written by jazz and free-improv legend, Keith Tippett. The Elysian Quartet are also excited to be performing Meredith Monk’s String Songs, which they have prepared with the composer as part of their ongoing collaboration.
an astonishing group improvisation by the Elysian Quartet
- New York Times
Feisty boundary pushers, four supremely talented classical musicians
- London Metro
This event is part of the Festival Rover offer.
This event is preceeded by The Blue Guitar installation in the MRC (adjancent to the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall) from 6.30pm.
The Elysian Quartet will also be taking a workshop for local schools in the The Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in the afternoon. Entry is free.
York's two universities present a combined performance of music and dance. At its centre will be joint works created by musicians from the University of York and dancers from York St. John. These will be framed by music performed by students from both institutions.
Note: this performance will be without an interval and will last approximately 60 minutes.
This event is part of the Festival Rover offer.
This event is preceeded by The Blue Guitar installation in the MRC (adjancent to the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall) from 6.30pm.
Laura Moody is a London-based singer, cellist, songwriter and occasional theatre performer.
By combining cello and voice in an interesting and often theatrical way, Laura explores what is possible by using them to create unique, avant-pop music. Tipped by 'The Observer' as one of the best discoveries of the 2009 festival season, tonight Laura performs songs from her debut album on 'StopStart Records'.
Ben Crawley combines the voice with technology to create a multi-layered vocal phenomenon. A solitary performer with many voices, Ben uses loop machines and samplers to manipulate extraordinary textures and an astonishing array of vocal colours. By approaching the voice from a different angle and exposing it in a different context, Ben challenges preconceptions we have about singing.
enjoyable astonishment, nothing quite beats the singer-cellist Laura Moody...it's all seamless, as if she, the cello and the music are a single organism.
- The Irish Times
The concert programme will include playful and meditative music by Yannis Kyriakides and Donnacha Dennehy, Morton Feldman’s Palais de Mari, and will also feature pieces composed for Catherine by Juliana Hodkinson, Edward Jessen, David Prior and Damien Harron. Catherine will explore the piano's vibrancy in dramatic interplay with other sounds, as well as focusing on subtle resonances.
This event is part of the Festival Rover offer.
Marja Liisa Kay is dedicated to the performance and promotion of contemporary music. As the culminating performance of her PhD studies at York, Marja Kay will present vocal works by some of Finland's finest contemporary composers.
These will be performed alongside earlier vocal works that will reveal the stylistic origins of the lesser known contemporary pieces. Featured composers will include Kaija Saariaho, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Context will be found in the work of Joonas Kokkonen, Alban Berg, and Toivo Kuula.
Programme to include the world premiere of Thomas Simaku's 'Locked Door'
This event is part of the Festival Rover offer.
Their concerts typically include pieces which need to be seen as well as heard, and together the group devises programmes which take the audience on a journey - sometimes quite literally.
Concert programme to include three premieres by Roger Marsh, Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen and Edward Caine.
This event is part of the Festival Rover offer.
Supported by the Danish Arts Foundation
The new work by Roger Marsh has been commissioned by the Late Music Concert Series with funding from the Britten-Pears Foundation.
The Timecraft Project brings together musicians hailing from both Manchester and York.
The set will feature new compositions and arrangements from the group as well as a new suite composed by Dave Smyth. With influences ranging from the jazz scenes of New York to Scandinavia, this will be a concert not to be missed...
Following on from last year’s successful Collaboration Day, the Conference Weekend ends the festival with two days focusing on cross-art collaboration. Events will include workshops, papers and roundtable discussions as well as showcases of music and talks from professional composers and students alike. Our Conference Day aims to explore the meaning of the term “cross-art” and how our interpretation of it affects our expression and perception ofcomposition and performance.
A full programme of the weekend is availble on the Conference and Collaboration page.
Following on from last year’s successful Collaboration Day, the Conference Weekend ends the festival with two days focusing on cross-art collaboration. Events will include workshops, papers and roundtable discussions as well as showcases of music and talks from professional composers and students alike. Our Conference Day aims to explore the meaning of the term “cross-art” and how our interpretation of it affects our expression and perception ofcomposition and performance.
A full programme of the weekend is availble on the Conference and Collaboration page.