Young musicians from Hull to perform in London this weekend

PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial returns

This weekend, brand new music about Hull will be heard across the River Thames as PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial returns to London’s Southbank Centre with a festival celebrating the breadth and talent of new music in the UK.

Freedom Festival Arts Trust is proud to be commissioning a brand new piece about Hull, which will be performed in both London and Hull as part of this year’s New Music Biennial.

Commissioning award-winning clarinettist and composer Arun Ghosh to create the brand-new piece of music, the site-specific piece, entitled AMBHAS, will be performed as audiences gather to look out across the water on the banks of the River Thames and River Humber.

Inspired by water and journeys to the city from across the sea, the commission has given young wind and percussion players the opportunity to perform alongside professional players.

Working with J-Night, rehearsals have been taking place at Hull Music Hub as 28 young musicians were given the opportunity to play alongside professional players.

Mikey Martins, Artistic Director at Freedom Festival Arts Trust, explained: “We’re really excited to see this piece come to life.  It will be a really beautiful and powerful piece where the audience will experience how musical and natural sounds complement each other.

“Giving young local talent the opportunity to perform alongside award-winning artists is exactly what Freedom Festival is all about, nurturing talent all year long.”

James Dickinson, Head of Hull Music Service said  “I’m delighted that young musicians from The Albemarle Music Centre have got the opportunity to not only work with Arun Ghosh and perform as part of the PRSF Festival in Hull, but also on London’s Southbank.”

David Porter, director of J-Night said “ Arun’s new piece of music will be a major event in Hull’s music calendar and we are so pleased to have played our part in bringing this together.”

This piece is one of 20 new works selected for the New Music Biennial 2019, a PRS Foundation initiative presented in partnership with Absolutely Cultured, London’s Southbank Centre, BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings.

The New Music Biennial pieces will be performed across two weekends on 5 – 7 July 2019 at London’s Southbank Centre and 12 – 14 July 2019 in Hull, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 plus available as a download by NMC Recordings following the festivals.

For more information about the New Music Biennial visit www.newmusicbiennial.co.uk

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