After a successful launch in May, the multimedia programme returns to welcome first-time contemporary classical listeners into the world of the inspiring Japanese composer.
After sharing a powerful upcoming 2022-23 season, the London Sinfonietta will launch a new module of its Couch To Concert programme, which will span from 2 November to 27 November, culminating in a concert at Kings Place.
The programme uses a hybrid experience of podcasts, playlists and musical route maps to guide new listeners to their first contemporary classical concert – to which they will receive a free ticket and a complimentary drink on arrival.
The podcast, released in 3 parts for this new series, is hosted by BBC Radio 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews and seasoned music journalist Paul Morley, with each episode taking on each work in the concert programme, discussing what to listen out for, and illustrating the historical and musical context of the time in which it was written.
- This module will explore the work and influence of Tōru Takemitsu in a colourful programme based on the composer’s love for nature, including works by Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, Anton Webern and Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky; the concert itself will also include rare footage of Takemitsu explaining his pieces, with the piece Rain Coming conducted by the brilliant young talent Chloe Rooke.
- Takemitsu had an especially close relationship with the London Sinfonietta, expressed through some extraordinarily beautiful ensemble scores which are now amongst the composer’s most celebrated works, including the 1982 commission Rain Coming.
- The Couch to Concert launch in May saw a two-part podcast series alongside programme playlists, culminating in the ‘Turning Points: Organised Sound’ concert at Kings Place, which was presented by Sarah Mohr-Pietsch and conducted by Gerry Cornelius with music by Edgard Varèse, Pierre Boulez, Morton Feldman, Luciano Berio and Tansy Davies.
- Described as “an excellent idea with something for everyone” by journalist Mark Berry and “a neatly packaged collection of modern gems” in a 4-star review by The Guardian, the programme indeed drew in new faces from the digital realm, with 40 of the Couch to Concert sign-ups attending the concert.
- The Couch to Concert series will see one more iteration in June 2023, building up to the Turning Points: Sound Unwrapped concert (24 June), with a programme that charts the turning point in contemporary music as composers explored the possibilities of electronics and live sound processing in music.
- Through this programme, London Sinfonietta will engage a wider audience than attends contemporary classical music concerts currently, by providing a fun and engaging route into the repertoire, with a clear pathway towards first-time attendance and sustained activity to keep audiences coming back in future.
Key Dates
- Wed 2 November 2022 Couch To Concert podcast, Series 2 Episode 1
- Wed 9 November 2022 Couch To Concert podcast, Series 2 Episode 2
- Wed 16 November 2022 Couch To Concert podcast, Series 2 Episode 3
- Sun 27 November 2022 Turning Points: Takemitsu concert at Kings Place, 7:30pm
Sign up to Couch to Concert here!
Sign upPublished: 11 Oct 2022
