Thursday 13th March / Nonclassical @ Leeds Cockpit with: Gabriel Prokofiev / Juice Vocal Ensemble / Damien Harron + More

We're in Leeds on the 13th March hosting a special club night as part of the International Festival for Artistic Innovation

The cross-disciplinary festival welcomes leading performers, composers and researchers from around the world for a week long event celebrating innovation. Highlights will include thought provoking and inspiring talks, workshops and live performances exploring the disparate and diverse fields of jazz, classical, and popular music.

Fresh off the back of their single launch in Feb, we're taking Juice Vocal Ensemble. Juice will be performing their brand new single Heal You (music by Anna Meredith) and songs from their forthcoming album, Laid Bare. The new album features specially created love songs by Gavin Bryars, Mica Levi aka Micachu, folk artist Jim Moray, and many more.

Alongside Juice, the audience can expect radical solo works for bass clarinet and electronics -- Jason Alder’s A’d Amssong that draws from Detroit’s legendary underground electronic dance music scene and Robert Ratcliffe’s Wake Up Call - a dialogue between jazz improvisation and contemporary electronic music. Other solo works will include Enrico Bertelli’s Drumactica 2.0 for augmented snare drum and Luis Bittencourt’s Memórias Líquidas for waterphone and live loops.

Alongside the live music, resident London DJs Gabriel Prokofiev and Nwando welcome guest DJ Damien Harron (percussionist, composer, and educator from Leeds College of Music), and as usual they'll be spinning the most stimulating new sounds in experimental and contemporary classical music.

Thursday, 13 March 2014, 7.30pm

The Cockpit, Leeds, tickets £10 / £8

http://www.lcm.ac.uk/whats-on/Upcoming-Performances/Nonclassical

http://www.nonclassical.co.uk/

http://www.lcm.ac.uk/whats-on/Festival

Thursday 6th March / Bastard Assignments / The Vicious Circus / Reich, Stockhausen and Shulamit Ran performed by Holly Melia

Nonclassical ventures into radical soundscapes of bold new music, free improvisation, and iconic solo flute repertoire. Prepare for three diverse and fiercely unapologetic acts that will shake-up curious ears and minds.

Bastard Assignments Headliners for the night, this cross-arts collective has been creating infectious buzz with their experimental performances in South East London. Performing new works by collective composers Timothy Cape, Fred Feeney, Edward Henderson and Paul McGuire, Bastards will adventurously expand the timbral colours of percussion, the durational extremes of the tuba, and the blending of spoken text with electronics.

Video: Sleep Spindles by Paul McGuire

The Vicious Circus This magnetic free improvisation duo consists of Dave Maric (small keyboard & electronics) and Elo Masing (violin, cello, electric guitar), both notable composers in their own right. Maric works closely with leading percussionist Colin Currie and Masing has had her works performed by the Kreutzer Quartet and members of the London Sinfonietta. Fearless improvisers, as a duo they create unpredictable journeys into surreal sound worlds, immersing the listener in mesmerising spontaneity and structural clarity. https://soundcloud.com/uncharted-soundscapes/the-vicious-circus-dave-maric

Holly Melia Dynamic flautist Holly Melia (from the Tempest Flute Trio), performs iconic contemporary works that redefine the rhythmic and aural contours of the flute. Take a sonic ride through the pulsating beats of Steve Reich’s Minimalist masterpiece 'Vermont Counterpoint' (flute, alto flute, piccolo, and tape), the daring sounds of Stockhausen’s 'Susanni’s Echo' (amplified flute) and Shulamit Ran’s 'East Wind for Solo Flute'.As always, interspersed between live performances, Nonclassical DJs will be spinning the most stimulating new sounds in experimental and contemporary classical music.

>>> Buy Tickets: £5 advance (£6 door)

>>> Find this on Facebook

Thursday 6th February - JUICE VOCAL ENSEMBLE Single Release Party @ The Shacklewell Arms + Support from LOOP MOTION

Juice Vocal Ensemble

‘Heal You’ Valentine’s Day Single Launch Release Party

+ Support + Nonclassical DJs

The Shacklewell Arms, London E8 2EB

6 February, 8pm

£5 Adv / £6 Door

"...close-harmonies that melt the heart...” (Richard Morrison, The Times)

We're back for more of our residency at East London’s Shacklewell Arms on 6th February, getting into the Valentine spirit and celebrating the launch of Juice Vocal Ensemble’s single “Heal You” with music by Anna Meredith and lyrics by Philip Ridley. “Heal You” is one of a collection of ten love songs as part of juice’s upcoming album, Laid Bare, which will be released in April.

Juice (‘The 21st century’s answer to the Swingles or the King’s Singers’ The Times) are at the forefront of the UK’s experimental/classical scene, performing new vocal music which draws on classical, world music, jazz, folk, pop, improvisation and theatre. They have featured on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, and were the first UK prize winners in the history of the internationally-renowned Tampere Vocal Festival.

Juice‘s debut album ‘Songspin’ (Nonclassical, 2011) won an international Independent Music Award for Best Contemporary Classical Album in 2012. Featuring remixes by the likes of Camille producer MaJiker and Bjork collaborator Mikhail Karikis, it was reviewed by The Observer as “Eighteen immaculately achieved tracks, spanning Elisabeth Lutyens to Gabriel Prokofiev via folk song and avant garde, enchant and enthrall”.

For the single release launch party, there will also be support and Nonclassical resident DJs spinning the best in contemporary classical, avant-garde electronica and new music.

Check out their website: www.juicevocalensemble.net

We welcome a new duo supporting Juice, Loop Motion. They are Violeta Barrena (violin and loop station) and Martino Schovacricchi (cello and saxophone)

Individually and as an ensemble they have performed in prestigious London venues like The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, The Roundhouse, St. Martin in the Fields, The Bolivar Hall, The ICA as well as Pizza Express Jazz Club and Ronnie Scotts. Specializing in contemporary western classical music, some of it written down, some created and improvised on stage, they make a formidable combination and reference a whole range of influences. Check them out on Soundcloud HERE.

Nonclassical in Totnes & Canada + Gabriel Prokofiev Presents a New Concerto and more ...

NONCLASSICAL TOTNES

On the 31st of January we're at the Barrel House, Totnes for the first in a new series of satellite events there.

This first event will include live performances of music by Stockhausen and Lona Kozik, a homage to Ligeti's famous piece for 100 metronomes, electroacoustic music from Richard Gonski's Digital Music Archives, a new electrocoustic piece by Lucinda Guy, "Le bœuf sur le toit" 1919) for piano/four hands played to Charlie Chaplin's "The Floorwalker" PLUS amazing DJ sets from Nwando Ebizie.

More info on the Facebook Event Page

NONCLASSICAL TORONTO + GABRIEL PROKOFIEV IN CANADA

In other news, Gabriel Prokofiev is in Canada in late January where he's Roger D. Moore Distinguished Visitor in Composition for the University of Toronto Faculty of Music's New Music Festival. He's going to be involved in a series of talks and concerts, with the 28th January having a special NONCLASSICAL event, details HERE.

During his time in Canada he's writing this blog with updates about what's happening over there.

Gabriel will be in Pau, France in February for the premiere of a new piece - another for turntables, this time alongside trumpet and percussion. Details below ...

// 24 Jan – 2 Feb 2014 // University of Toronto – Distinguished Visitor in Composition Talks & Concerts: including Spheres, Concerto for Turntables, Cello Multitracks, String Quartet no.1, and more TBA Toronto, Canad a

28th January - Nonclassical at The Canadian Music Centre //  Details

// 5,6,7,8 February 2014 // Concerto for Trumpet, Turntables, Percussion and Orchestra PREMIERE Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn, France // conductor: Fayçal Karoui // Turntables: DJ Switch Palais Beaumont Centre de Congrès, Pau, France

Nonclassical @ Limewharf: A Hungarian Christmas

We're getting in to the holiday spirit, and celebrating with a FREE chamber music event. We're exploring string duo works for violin and cello by three iconic Hungarian composers — Bartók, Kodály, and Ligeti. These musical pioneers shook up classical music in the 20th century, weaving Magyar folk music with innovations like micropolyphony into their work to create original and expressive soundscapes. In keeping with the theme, there will also be traditional Eastern European folk music, Christmas treats, and a specially-themed DJ set from Nonclassical residents; expect to devour Beigli, dance to folk tunes, and shout “Boldog Karácsonyt!” by the end of the night.

We've invited two very exciting young musicians we've had our eye on to perform-

Violinist ELOISA-FLEUR THOM (" … a young British violinist of the front rank, impressively polished but with a distinctive and refined ear for character which is already making its special mark with audiences.” – Professor Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Principal, RAM)

Cellist MAX RUISI (Principal cellist, European Union Chamber Orchestra)

Individually the pair have been recipients of a long list of awards and together they are set to make a significant impact next year with their group 12 Ensemble, who have just been named Ensemble in Residence 2014 at the Forge in Camden.

PROGRAMME:

Kodály - Duo for Violin and Cello, Op.7 Ligeti - Hommage à Hilding Rosenberg Bartók - Selections from Hungarian Folk Melodies

Doors @ 6.30pm / Music @ 7.00pm Limewharf, Vyner Street E2 9DJ >>> Find this on Facebook eloisafleurthom.wordpress.com maxruisi.com

Thu 9th Jan 2014: Nonclassical Battle of The Bands

//// NEW SEASON OF MONTHLY CLUB NIGHTS @ THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS BEGINS 9/1/14 WITH A FREE ENTRY BATTLE OF THE BANDS ////

We're starting 2014 by moving our Monthly Club to a new venue The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston.

For the first club night of the year we're inviting submissions for entry to take part in our infamous BATTLE OF THE BANDS competition ...

Are you the next big thing in contemporary classical music? Forget all the embarrassing, ritualised humiliation of televised talent contests - Nonclassical's very own Battle of The bands presents the cutting edge of what is happening now in the classical world.

We've held the competition for five years now, with previous winners having even gone on to make excellent albums on Nonclassical Recordings, while both runners up and winners have gained exposure through performing at our events.

It's always one of our favourite nights, representing the full, diverse spectrum of contemporary music-making in London, from classically-inspired improvisation to live electronics, groups incorporating spoken word and extended vocal techniques, as well as more familiar groupings showcasing new work by emerging composers.

Information for Entrants This is a fantastic opportunity to perform at one of the UK’s leading alternative classical nights, and get involved in the scene: we are seeking to support the best in fresh young talent. It is an open contest for contemporary classical music groups, and instrumentation is limited only by your imagination. Any combination of acoustic and electronic instruments will be considered.

To be considered for entry please email: james@nonclassical.co.uk calling your email BATTLE OF THE BANDS.

PRIZES:

1st Prize:

- 1 bottle of Champagne - 10 CDs from the Nonclassical back catalogue - A slot at a Nonclassical monthly clubnight - Feature on Nonclassical website

- Runners Up:

- Feat on website - 3 CDs from the Nonclassical back catalogue - Free tickets to February's monthly Nonclassical Club

Event Details

Doors 8pm/9pm Start

The Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2EB

FREE ENTRY

+Nonclassical Resident DJs

Wed 13th Nov 2013: Steve Noble’s Top Kit Improv Drum Moments

We're really excited to have improv. extraordinaire Steve Noble performing at our Evolution of the Drum Kit night.

It's really incredible how versatile an instrument the drum kit can be and we're delighted to be able to show it as part of our festival.

Also appearing on the night will be in-demand session player Ralph Salmins and Congalese drummer Jean-Claude Webs, each providing their own spin on things

To whet your appetites for what's in store, here's some choice selections of Steve performing:

Here he is with Peter Brotzmann on sax:

With Alex Ward on clarinet:

With Steven O' Malley:

and Solo, on solo snare, cymbals + Percussion:

Fri 22nd Nov 2013: Pioneers of Percussion CLOSING NIGHT: Theatre of Percussion

/// 6pm / Limewharf, Vyner St. E2 9DJ ///

The closing night of the festival puts the spotlight on music in which performance art and extended technique stretch the boundaries of what percussion, and musical performance, can be ... expect plant pots, nudity, tables and tapdancing.

We'll be presenting works from composers including Rzewski, Globokar, Paul Burnell and Thierry De Mey.

We're delighted to be welcoming back some familiar faces from the Pioneers of Percussion series. Calie Hough, George Barton, and Catherine Ring, alongside Abstruckt and improv tapdancer Junior Laniyan.

They'll be performing:

Thierry de Mey - Silence Must Be

Francois Sarhan - Homework

F. Rzweski - Lost and Found

F. Rzweski - To the Earth

Serge Vuille - Modulation for two players on one snare drum

Vinko Globokar - ?Corporel

Thierry de Mey - Musique de Tables

Matthew Shlomowitz - Letter Pieces No.1

Paul Burnell - And She Flew

Paul Burnell - Psst

Get Tickets

Sun 10th Nov 2013: The West African Influence: Drumming Workshop

/// 1PM  / St. Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL ///

WORKSHOP

We're presenting  a workshop exploring the interaction between african drumming and Steve Reich's 1970's music. The workshop will be lead by African drummer Abass Dodoo (Ginger Baker),  and educator, and contemporary percussionist Serge Vuille.

The participants will get first hand participatory experience and essential theoretical knowledge of african drumming and rhythms, as well as of Steve Reich's 1970's music, influenced by his trip to Africa. Everyone will get to play drums and learn both traditional african and classic Reich rhythm and patterns. Abass and Serge will also share knowledge about the history of both these musical styles, reflect on how they can inform and influence each other and show scores, pictures and videos about Reich's Drumming, Music for Pieces of Wood and Clapping Music, and traditional and contemporary African Culture.

BIOGRAPHIES

Abass Dodoo was born into a family of well known royal drummers and from the age of 6yrs, he was inspired by his grandmother who taught him the drums by singing the rhythms. He was formally trained by his uncle, the famous Ghanaian master drummer Mustapha Tettey Addy, playing with the Royal Obonu Drummers from the age of 10years. Abass has been delivering workshops, performance and team building events for the past 30 years, nationally and internationally. He leads One-drum's dynamic performance work in a wide range of Africa’s drumming traditions.

Abass brings great understanding and awareness of his African cultural heritage to our contemporary, multicultural society through One-drum's educational workshops.

Serge Vuille is a freelance percussionist established in London. He founded and directs the ensemble We Spoke  since 2008 with which he regularly performs in London, Switzerland as well as Paris, Berlin, Florence, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro and Lima. He also plays with many ensembles including drums with the Martin Creed Band, percussion with the London Sinfonietta, and baroque percussions with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Serge is a professor for percussion at the Royal College of Music as a coach for the percussion ensemble and lecturer in experimental music.

Wed 6th Nov 2013: Nonclassical Pioneers of Percussion – NY/London: What’s Happening Now

MUSIC FROM: DAVID LANG / STEVE MARTLAND / TANSY DAVIES/DAVE MARIC / DAVID T. LITTLE / JUDD GREENSTEIN + NONCLASSICAL DJs

Very excited to be opening Pioneers of Percussion festival with a night in collaboration with New York's famous indie-classical label New Amsterdam.

Tracing the creative ties between these two great cities, it will be an overview of some of the most exciting new percussion-focused music currently being composed.

Music includes: David Lang: The Anvil Chorus Steve Martland: Starry Night Tansy Davies: Dark Ground Dave Maric: Run Chime David T. Little: Speak Softly Judd Greenstein: We Shall Be Turned

PLUS: The announcement and Premieres of our prize-winning piece for solo percussion. Competition details here.

Performers include: Catherine Ring (Colin Currie Group), James Larter (BBC Young Musician 2012 finalist), Tom Lee + Ryedale Players String Quartet: Mark Lee (Vln, Edward McCullagh (Vln), Joe Fisher (Vla), Gemma Kost (Cello) and special guests The Fellowship of The Ring.

Tickets: £5 Adv. / £6 on the door

Sat 16th Nov 2013: Nonclassical Presents - Pioneers of Percussion @ Scala

Saturday 16th November: Pioneers of Percussion / Scala, 275 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL

At the centre of Pioneers of Percussion festival, we're taking over Scala for our BIGGEST EVER EVENT. With three rooms of live music and DJs surveying a whole spectrum of percussion-led music throughout the night: tracing the history of percussion in musical modernism, and weaving in music from around the world to tell the full, rich, story of its development. From classics by Varese, Bartok, and Reich to virtuosos from the Indian and Japanese traditions. Meanwhile DJs from BBC's Late Junction and Nonclassical complete this vivid picture with sets throughout the night.

Performers of the scored works include: Serge Vuille (percussionist with London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra among others) & RCM Percussion Ensemble, George Barton, Emma Arden, Joe Richards, James Leveridge.

FEATURING:

STEVE REICH: Drumming. Reich's hypnotic 1971 masterpiece is given a rare complete performance, dramatically re-situated in Scala's main club space

EDGARD VARESE: Ionisation. One of the first works of its kind, Varese's Ionisation exploded the sonic possibilities of percussion writing. With its sleigh bells, temple blocks, whips and sirens, it remains an astonishing display of rhythm and sound colour

JOHN CAGE: 2nd Construction. Cage's 2nd Construction brings together four percussionists and a dazzling ensemble of water gongs and thundersheets alongside more familiar instrument

AMADEO ROLDAN: Ritmicas. Inspired by the Afrocubanismo movement in the early 1930s, Roldan's stunning Ritmicas stand as some of the earliest scored works for percussion

JOJI HIROTA. Award-wining Japanese taiko drummer performs with his ensemble.

SHAHBAZ HUSSAIN. Fast emerging as one of the most promising tabla virtuosos of his generation, Shahbaz Hussain has performed alongside such celebrated master musicians as Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali.

ABASS DODOO. Ghanaian percussionist Dodoo (who currently plays with Ginger Baker) leads a five-piece incarnation of his ensemble ONE-DRUM, drawing on Ghanian and other West African traditions.

SOUTHBANK GAMELAN. Since its establishment in 1987, Southbank Gamelan has gained an international reputation for its performances of traditional Javanese gamelan as well as contemporary works.

DUMTAK. Middle Eastern percussion duo Elizabeth Nott on arabic percussion and Sara Fotros on Iranian percussion, create a fresh and unique soundscape of Middle Eastern rhythm dialogues and their own original compositions.

ALSO FEATURING THE FOLLOWING WORKS:

Karlheinz Stockhausen Zyklus

George Crumb: Music for a Summer's Evening

Henry Cowell: Ostinato Pianissimo

Bela Bartok: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion

Joel Rust: Skeins

John Cage: 1935 Quartet / Credo In Us / Child of Tree

Leon Michener: Klavikon

G. Prokofiev: Import/Export (Film)

Iannis Xenakis: Okho

Javier Alvarez: Temazacal

John Psathas: One Study

G. Prokofiev: 9 Triangles (London Triangle Orchestra)

Junk Orchestra Jam

Nick Luscombe (BBC Late Junction / DJ)

Joel Cahen (DJ), Andrew Dobson (DJ)

Nonclassical DJs: Gabriel Prokofiev / Nwando / James Greer / Sam Mackay

Tickets: £6/10/12 –  (Wegottickets)

Sat 9th Nov 2013: Nonclassical Presents - Pioneers of Percussion and Orchestra

Saturday 9th November: Pioneers of Percussion and Orchestra / Oval Space, 32 The Oval, E2 9DT

Bartók’s masterpiece Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta broke new ground in the 1930s, placing the percussionist at thecentre of the classical orchestra. From its vibrant flashes of syncopation to its ominous, brooding atmospheres, and the unmistakable streak of traditional Hungarian melody, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is among the essential works of early Modernism in music. Among the piece's champions was Stanley Kubrick, who used Its haunting slow movement to chilling effect in The Shining

Following his Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra, which received its acclaimed Proms debut in 2011, G Prokofiev turned his attention to another unfamiliar solo instrument: the orchestral bass drum, for his Concerto for Bass Drum. His Concerto elicits an astonishing palette of sounds, from the delicate scraping of the drum skin to the booming resonance of the low end. This innovative sound world is woven into Prokofiev's trademark hybrid musical language, informed by both modern classical and urban electronic forms.

Xenakis' Psappha (1976) for solo percussion takes its influence from the ancient Greek poetry of Sappho - "the first to introduce changes or metabolae in the rhythmic formulas she used" (Xenakis). Scored for sixteen unpitched instruments, divided into 'wood' and 'metal', and paying particular importance to contrast of attack and silence, the piece focuses no the rhythmic side to percussion and the exciting variety of sounds and effects that this can produce.

Young composer Kate Whitley's Split, for solo clarinet, solo percussion and string orchestra brings us up to date with the emerging generation of young composers. With Rozenn Le Trionnaire (clarinet) and Jude Carlton (percussion) as soloists.

Tickets: £8 /10 HERE (Wegottickets)

Wed 13th Nov 2014: Nonclassical Presents - Pioneers of Percussion: Percussion on Screen

Wednesday 13th November: The Evolution of the Drum Kit | Sunday 17th November: Filmphonics / Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, E8 1HE

We're teaming up with Hackney Attic once again on a couple of special film nights.

The first is on Wednesday 13th November and we're focusing on The Evolution of The Drum Kit. At the centre of the evening's proceedings is a screening of the award-winning 2012 documentary Beware of Mr Baker, which tells the story of how Ginger Baker became a pioneer of modern drumming, through his foundations in jazz and rock to his discovery of Afrobeat and African percussion. Featuring interviews with those he worked with over the years (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce ... ) the film also reveals how beyond the prodigious talent, it is also Baker's fiery personality that has made him one of the most infamous musicians of his generation.

Here's the TRAILER for the film:

http://youtu.be/W5seWMYG9kk

The screening is followed by a sequence of short performances and talks from London’s most adventurous kit players, including Ralph Salmins (Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, George Martin, Elton John, Madonna, James Brown ... ). Jean-Claude Webs (D.R. Congo: Kanda Bongoman, Sam Magwana) and Steve Noble (N.E.W., DECOY, Rip Rig & Panic ... ).  Full line-up to be announced soon.

Tickets HERE from Hackney Attic Website

Filmphonics on Sunday the 17th of November features films inspired by the theme of percussion. African Drum, Beyond the Beat (2012) looks at the various social functions of the drum in West African society, and is followed by a live discussion with director Tariq Richards. Meanwhile Ballet Mécanique (1923) is a rarely-screened Dadaist masterpiece, famous for its extraordinary percussive score by Georges Antheil.

Tickets Available HERE (wegottickets)

Fri 18th Oct 2013: Nonclassical @ Limewharf: Aisha Orazbayeva & Lucy Railton + Nonclassical DJs

Music from: Cage / Xenakis / Edmund Finnis / Chantilly Codex / G.P. TelemannUK PREMIERES from Gunnar Karel Masson + Jan Flessel / + Nonclassical DJs

We're welcoming old friends Aisha Orazbayeva -  a "profoundly radical and inventive" violinist (Sound Projector ) - and Lucy Railton, the outstanding young cellist who is one of the busiest and most familiar faces on the scene at the moment through being director and founder of Kammer Klang, LCMF and more.

It's going to be a varied feast of music in a variety of flavours; encompassing Telemann to Cage, alongside some of their own original work with film and live electronics. We have a couple of UK Premieres to look forward to as well: I am watching me watching you watching me by Icelandic composer Gunnar Karel Masson for violin and cello, and a piece by Jan Flessel for violin.

With DJing from our residents, food, and a bar open from 6pm, it's the perfect way to spend what will be the last of our Limewharf evenings before British Summer Time ends. But let's not dwell on that now ...

Advance Tickets: £5 / £6 On The Door

Wed 2nd Oct Nov 2013: Nonclassical @ The Macbeth: House of Bedlam Album Preview + Slip Discs + Nonclassical DJs

House of Bedlam / Slip Discs / Nonclassical DJs

The Macbeth / 70 Hoxton Street, N1 6LP

Facebook Event Page

Tickets

We're thrilled to be welcoming House of Bedlam for the preview party of their upcoming album on Nonclassical Recordings.

HOUSE OF BEDLAM

Led by Larry Goves, the band links elements of both electronic and instrumental music with spoken word, taking influence from rock, folk, electronica and contemporary classical music.

The all-star cast also includes Oliver Coates, Tom McKinney and Matthew Welton.

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SLIP DISCS

Sliip discs is an experimental music label. Releases focus on new acoustic and electronic music spanning contemporary composition, electronica and the murky ground somewhere in between.

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In between sets, as usual Nonclassical's resident DJs will be playing the best in contemporary classical, new music and electronica.

6th – 22nd Nov 2013: Pioneers of Percussion Festival

Our second festival of the year charts the explosion of percussion music in the twentieth century, with talks, screenings, live music, DJs and workshops.

Wednesday 6th November, 8pm: New York / London: ‘What’s Happening Now’ The Macbeth, 70 Hoxton Street, N1 6LP We open the festival with a night in collaboration with esteemed New York label New Amsterdam, tracing the creative ties between these two great cities. Music including David Lang's classical The Anvil Chorus, and works by Steve Martland, Judd Greenstein and others, plus the premieres of our competition winners. More information / Tickets: £5 (Wegottickets)

Saturday 9th November, 7pm: Percussion and Orchestra Oval Space, 32 The Oval, E2 9DT Bartók’s masterpiece Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta broke new ground in the 1930s, placing the percussionist at the centre of the classical orchestra. Here it is heard in the contemporary surroundings of East London's Oval Space, alongside Gabriel Prokofiev’s recent Concerto for Bass Drum,  a pivotal solo work by Iannis Xenakis - Psappha - and a large-ensemble piece by acclaimed young composer Kate Whitley entitled Split. Multi-Story Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Stark. Soloist: Joby Burgess. More information / Tickets: £8 / £10 (Wegottickets)

Sunday 10th November, 1pm: Reich in Ghana - Drumming Workshop St Margarets House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL In the early 1970s, Steve Reich travelled to Ghana to immerse himself in West African drumming traditions: in the process, he created a new, compelling musical language full of complex and shifting polyrhythms. For this workshop, participants will be joined by Ghanaian master drummer Abass Dodoo and classically-trained percussionist Serge Vuille to explore the profound influence of West African drumming on Reich's music of the 1970s. Tickets £8 / £5 (Wegottickets)

Wednesday 13th November, 7:30pm: The Evolution of the Drum Kit Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, E8 1HE A night celebrating the evolution of the drum kit over the last century and its huge influence on music across many genres. Featuring a screening of the award-winning Beware of Mr Baker (2012), which  tells the story of how Ginger Baker became a pioneer of modern drumming, through his foundations in jazz and rock to his discovery of Afrobeat and African percussion. The screening is followed by a sequence of solo performances and talks from internationally acclaimed drummers Ralph Salmins (Van Morrison, McCartney, Madonna ... ), Jean-Claude Webs (D.R. Congo: Kanda Bongoman, Sam Magwana) and Steve Noble (N.E.W., DECOY, Rip Rig & Panic ... ) + DJs Gabriel Prokofiev and Sam Mackay More information / Tickets: £7 (Hackney Picturehouse)

Saturday 16th November, 8pm - 3am: Pioneers of Percussion Scala, 275 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL At the centre of the festival, Nonclassical takes over Scala to present iconic repertoire including: Edgard Varese’s Ionisation, (the earliest large-scale percussion ensemble work) and John Cage’s Constructions, virtuoso musicians Joji Hirota, Shahbaz Hussain and Abass Dodoo, and a complete performance of Steve Reich's seminal Drumming. With three rooms of live music and DJs surveying a whole spectrum of percussion-led music throughout the night, this is the unmissable centrepiece of the series. More information / Tickets: £6 (limited) / £10 / £12 (Wegottickets)

Sunday 17th November, 7pm: Filmphonics Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, E8 1HE A film evening inspired by the theme of percussion. African Drum, Beyond the Beat (2012) looks at the various social functions of the drum in West African society, and is followed by a live discussion with director Tariq Richards. Meanwhile Ballet Mécanique (1923) is a rarely-screened Dadaist masterpiece, famous for its extraordinary percussive score by Georges Antheil. Tickets Available HERE (wegottickets)

Friday 22nd November, 6pm: Theatre of Percussion Limewharf, Vyner Street, E2 9DJ The closing night of the festival puts the spotlight on music in which performance art and extended technique stretch the boundaries of what percussion can be. With pieces by Thierry De May, Rzewski, Globokar and others, and performers including George Barton, Catherine Ring, and Calie Hough. Tickets: £5 advance (Wegottickets)

Fri 20th Sep 2014: HEAT THE BEAT @ Limewharf

Nonclassical presents HEAT THE BEAT, a showcase of new music by some of the most promising young composers – MMus and Phd students from London’s premier music institutions: the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, King’s College London and Goldsmiths. These emerging composers will present gripping compositions combining acoustic and electronic music, including the UK premiere of 'the Facts they deserve to know' by Brian Mark marking the 50th year anniversary of John F. Kenedy’s assassination. The event will have Nonclassical’s resident DJ’s Nwando from 6.30pm and live music from 7.30pm, with food provided by LimeWharf’s chefs and selected drinks from local producers. £6 on the door /

Find this event on Facebook

READ MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSERS in the mini website: http://heatthebeat.co.uk/

Wed 11th Sep 2014: Nonclassical Berlin No. 2 @ Chalet

Piano & live electronics: John Kameel Farah (Toronto) Various recorders, including Paetzold contrabass recorder: Julia Andres, Yeuntae Jeong and Gineke Pranger

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DJs: Gabriel Prokofiev (London / Nonclassical) Nwando (London / Nonclassical) Gagarino (a.k.a. Jürgen Grözinger) Joey Hansom (Expatriarch) Balzer & Hossbach (Certain People)

We're back in Berlin on Wednesday the 11th of September at Chalet, the 150-year-old mansion that's been transformed into a nightclub with an outdoor garden area.

Onstage, Toronto's John Kameel Farah will perform solo piano and live electronics, combining contemporary classical, free improvisation, jazz, electro–acoustics, middle-eastern modes and ambient minimalism and distilling them into cohesive, imaginative surrealistic structures.

Recorder performers Julia Andres, Yeuntae Jeong and Gineke Präger will play pieces including Luciano Berio's “Gesti” from 1966, and “Binary Opposition”, a new work by Stella Veloce that defies the strict dichotomy of sound versus noise.

Completing the lineup will be some of Berlin's most progressive DJs: Jürgen Grözinger—an experimental musician who plays percussion in some of Germany's top orchestras—will create an audio atmosphere as Gararino, the alias he's already introduced into different contexts such as Yellow Lounge at Berghain and Watergate. Joey Hansom will layer early electronic and computer music with an all-vinyl set, and renaissance duo Balzer & Hossbach—known for their DJ residency at Berghain's Certain People concert series—will present their own forward-thinking selections.

And of course, London resident DJs Gabriel Prokofiev and Nwando will be there, digitally weaving together tracks and remixes from the Nonclassical record label catalogue, alongside the best in contemporary classical, left-field electronic music and anything in between.

Nonclassical @ The Shacklewell Arms Wednesday 4th September: Workers Union Ensemble /// Kate Symonds-Joy /// Nonclassical DJs

UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS MOVED AND WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS, 71 SHACKLEWELL LANE, DALSTON E8 2EB We're delighted that our first monthly event after the summer will be in a NEW VENUE for us, The Shacklewell Arms. Headliner Workers Union Ensemble are an exciting new music ensemble dedicated to performing new works. For example, they've currently joined forces with LSO Soundhub for a special PRS scheme ‘Constructing a Repertoire’, which helps emerging composers gain exposure and have new work performed.

We're very lucky to be having them perform very recent works, including a pre-premiere from Joe Cutler as well as performances of recent work by Larry Polansky, Matthew Shlomowitz, Laurence Crane and Ryan Latimer.

Performing will be:

Oboe – Anna Durance

Saxophone - Ellie Steemson

Double bass – Mercedes Carroll

Percussion - Joley Cragg and Caz Wolfson

With special guest on Piano Yshani Perinpanayagam.

Conductor: Ben Oliver

Kate Symonds-Joy is an emerging young mezzo-soprano, who first came to our attention when she won the annual Nonclassical Battle of the Bands last year with a performance of Berio's Sequenza III. She'll be performing that again, alongside Berberian's incredible Stripsody and more. She'll be accompanied by Yshani Perinpanayagam from the Workers Union Ensemble on piano.

As always the performers will be joined by Nonclassical resident DJs Gabriel Prokofiev + Nwando, spinning the best in contemporary classical, electronica and anything in-between.

71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London, E8 2EB (directions)

8pm-Late

Tickets

http://www.workersunionensemble.co.uk/

http://www.katesymonds-joy.com/

WEDNESDAY 3RD JULY: NONCLASSICAL @ THE MACBETH FT. LIGETI QUARTET + RARESCALE

We're pleased to be ending the Summer round of gigs with two of the most active and prolific ensembles on London's contemporary classical scene.

The LIGETI QUARTET were formed in 2010 to perform the music of Gyorgy Ligeti and within only 3 years have become one of the most important contemporary quartets in the country. Among many achievements they've performed over 20 world premières, trained with the Kronos Quartet and been selected as Park Lane Group Young Artists 2012-13. They're currently working on an album of new commissions for string quartet and trumpet.

Their programme for the 3rd is:

Christian Mason - Sai Ma John Adams - Fellow Traveller Anna Meredith - Songs for the M8 Arvo Pärt - Fratres Béla Bartók - Quartet No. 4 (finale)

www.ligetiquartet.com

RARESCALE is a flexible-instrumentation contemporary chamber music ensemble, which since its formation by Carla Rees in 2003 has gained an international reputation for its work promoting and creating new repertoire for alto and bass flute. Carla is the UK's leading contemporary exponent of cutting-edge flute music; she'll make you throw away your preconceptions of what a flute can do, blending electronics and more to redefine the flute, with composer Michael Oliva handling electronics.

Lorenz Dangel – Soundtracking Michael Oliva - Apparition and Release Elizabeth Brown – Antarctica Dan Di Maggio – Same Old Monsters (world premiere) Michael Oliva – Bereft Adrift Bret Battey – Paternoster’s Tricyclic Companion Scott Miller – Anterior/Interior Michael Oliva – A Memory of Spring

www.rarescale.org.uk

Advance Tickets at £5 Here

We will return to the Macbeth on the 4th of September with the Workers' Union Ensemble giving a special evening of premieres.: Tickets.