New Lights Piano Festival
June 2018
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Curator | Mahsa Salali
Advisor | Douglas Finch
Co-ordinator | Emma Grimsey
Head of Department | Peter Tuite
Special Guest Speaker | Michael Finnissy
Advisor | Douglas Finch
Co-ordinator | Emma Grimsey
Head of Department | Peter Tuite
Special Guest Speaker | Michael Finnissy
I have had the privilege to work closely with Douglas Finch and Peter Tuite in organising this two-day festival which features seven individually themed events, including five concerts, two installations and an interview with composer Michael Finnissy hosted by Peter Tuite about Finnissy’s magnum opus The History of Photography in Sound - two major sections of which will be performed by my wonderful friend and pianist Annie Li. Multi-media works are explored largely in the “Secret Theatre” concert. This concert explores different possibilities of piano music with other media such as electronics, acting and speaking.
When designing this festival I was very conscious of the role of female composers and performers, and how they are represented in the classical music industry. I am proud to say that about 50% of the composers chosen for this festival are female, and that the choice was based purely on their remarkable work rather than the fact they are women. Galina Ustovolskaya, the phenomenal Russian composer, detested the idea of distinguishing between music written by men and women, saying that such a division should not be allowed to exist; “I’m not a women” (1972). _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Festival Programme MONDAY 18 JUNE 2018 Trinity Laban Composers Miniature Pieces for Piano solo and duo written by Trinity Laban composition students and Alumni, performed by TL pianists. “All Men are Bastards, we will fight for equality until all Women are Bastards too” Michael Leunig, Equality Music by Kaija Saariaho, TL alumni Madelaine Jones and Stephen Montague. Including two of Saariaho’s major works, Piano Prelude and Cendres for alto flute, cello and piano. History of Photography in Sound with guest speaker Michael Finnissy Pre-concert conversation with composer, Michael Finnissy, and Peter Tuite (Head of Keyboard Department), followed by a performance of a major section from Finnissy’s monumental work The History of Photography in Sound: "My parent’s generation thought war meant something", performed by Annie Li (Trinity Laban Piano student). _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TUESDAY 19 JUNE 2018 Le Démon de l’analogie Music by Finnissy, Finch, Arismendi, Ortiz and Muñoz-López, Performed by: Joe Howson, Cameron Milne, Elena Riu & Annie Li. Including another major section from Finnissy’s History of Photography in Sound by Annie Li. “The Place of Contemporary Music for Piano at Modern Conservatories” Mahsa Salali Research Installation: An inquiry into how aesthetic preferences for pianists are influenced by London Music Conservatoire education, at the possible expense of Contemporary Music. “Play Me Piano” Commissioned for this festival; improvised free space and sound-installation with prepared piano, presented by visual art created by Trinity Laban composers Markas Michmel, Andy Trewren and Mikey Parsons. Secret Theatre... Piano and cross-art works through theatre, drama, dance and electronics. Music by Jessen, Sherman, Gubaidulina, Montague and Michmel. Including a commissioned piece for 4 amplified pianos and 2 toy pianos, written by TL composer Markas Michmel. |
Photography by Madeleine Rose Companion (2008) by Edward Jessen, Toy Pianos Mahsa Salali & Mikaela Livadiotis. As part of New Lights Piano Festival at Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
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