What a year it has been – we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for all your support, whether you donated to us, bought records, attended an event, or even just listened to a few minutes of music. It's all been so vital to us in this crazy year. We’re grateful to have received emergency support from Arts Council England and City Bridge Trust, which has allowed us to stay afloat and support artists through this crisis. If you’re able to donate, or subscribe to our label, that all helps to secure Nonclassical’s future for 2021 and beyond.
Battle of the Bands
Back in January we held our annual competition celebrating emerging artists of the experimental music scene. It was an incredible evening, with scrapheap percussion, meditative sax, postmodern piano cut-ups and stunning new composition.
Watch what winner James McIlwrath and runner up Rosie Middleton have been up to since January.
James McIlwrath – photo by Dmitri Djuric
On our label
In 2020 we've put out 10 new releases, including two compilations ruminating on these strange times. We’ve also commissioned music videos and live-streamed performances from our artists throughout the year, including A Shattered Mountain – a short film exploring the Swiss wilderness featuring music from Sound Journeys: Switzerland.
Nonclassical Academy
Back in the summer we launched the Nonclassical Academy, our series of online workshops showcasing the diverse talents of our community of artists. With topics including extended violin techniques, turntablism, DIY synth-building and contemporary composition, the workshops enabled participants to develop their creative practice from countries as far as Japan, Australia and more.
66 Days
Our Associate Composers dived into collaborations to mark 400 years since the Mayflower sailed to America with 66 Days, creating audio visual works exploring the themes of journeys, migration and cultural identities in partnership with the City of London and Our City Together.
Nonclassical x NottNOISE
In November and December, we partnered with Midlands-based experimental series NottNOISE, releasing new performance videos weekly celebrating the creative practices of Midlands based musicians and noise artists.
We've got so many more plans that we're excited to share with you in the new year. Until then, we've put together a playlist of everything we've released this year – a whopping 8 hours of music to tide you over until we're back in 2021.