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Guide to contemporary music

Articles and interviews
Interview
Accessing the future with Kronos Quartet
“When I was starting out in high school, there was no such thing as African string quartet music”. We speak to David Harrington, founder of the intrepid Kronos Quartet, to discuss the group's Fifty for the Future project, which aims to build a new string quartet repertoire for the 21st century. Find out how the group is helping young string quartets to play Inuit throat music and Egyptian wedding rave.
Unsuk Chin © Priska KettererUnsuk Chin on literature, creativity and solitude
Talking to the idiosyncratic composer about the difficulty of being seen as an individual.
Julia Wolfe © Peter SerlingBang on a Can’s utopia in a crazy world
Looking back on 30+ years of new music-making with Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon.
© Dilip BhatiaAn Indian classical maestro on his sarod concerto
We talk with renowned sarod master Amjad Ali Khan.
Patricia Kopatchinskaja © Julia WeselyPatricia Kopatchinskaja on new music and innovation
Patricia Kopatchinskaja enjoys challenging the limitations of traditional concert formats.
© George Grantham Bain Collection/Fred Palumbo/Dutch National ArchivesTen works that shaped contemporary music
These are the most influential works of the last century.
Charlemagne Palestine © Agnès GaniaCharlemagne Palestine’s Strumming Music
Charlemagne Palestine ushered in a unique piano style that is still striking today.
Arne Nordheim in 1968 © Wikimedia Commons | Municipal Archives of TrondheimAt Home Guide: Norwegian contemporary music
Norwegian composers make some of the most interesting music on the contemporary scene.
John Constable, London Sinfonietta
Talking to London Sinfonietta Emeritus Principal Piano.
Top 10 Living Women Composers
Talking about gender has become more important than ever. According to online showcase/podcast Listening to Ladies, during the 2015–2016 season, the top 89 symphony orchestras in the US dedicated only 2% of their programs to music composed by women. Here, we look at some of the most boundary-pushing female artists working today, from Yoko Ono to Annea Lockwood.
Contemporary festivals
Trojan Women © National Theatre of KoreaTechnology and spirituality at Holland Festival
Esoterica from Armenia, video game operas, algorithmic audiovisuals and more.
Music for 18 Musicians at Bergen International Festival © Paal Audestad/NMH/Bergen International FestivalContemporary music festivals for 2018
We run down some of the festivals that no self-respecting new music fan should miss out on.
John Harris © Wattie CheungNew Music Dublin: iconoclastic and eclectic
An introduction to the latest iteration of Dublin’s foremost contemporary music festival.
Festival Messiaen au pays de la Meije © Colin SamuelsA guide to contemporary music festivals
Contemporary music lovers often find it hard to quench their thirst for new music.
Introduction to contemporary music
Upcoming eventsSee more...

LondonSongs from the Road, part of SoundState

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sun 20 Jan at 16:00
Mahler, Yun, Traditional
Aurora Orchestra; Nicholas Collon; Jennifer Johnston; Ali Sethi; Sam Amidon
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LondonMusic Of Today: The Next Generation, part of SoundState

© Seiji Okumiya
Purcell Room, Sun 20 Jan at 20:00
Fujikura, Norman
Philharmonia Orchestra; Dalia Stasevska; Claire Chase
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GlasgowChamber Series: Brilliant Brass

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: New Auditorium - RSNO Centre, Sun 20 Jan at 14:30
Bach, Lauridsen, Dukas, Arnold
Chamber Ensemble from the RSNO
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Latest reviewsSee more...

SoundState: A bright future for new music at the Southbank

Marin Alsop © Adriane White
Timmy Fisher, 16 Jan

 Marin Alsop lead the London Philharmonic in a thrilling showcase for contemporary composition at the Southbank Centre's SoundState festival. 

****1
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Akram Khan's Until the Lions returns to the Roundhouse

Akram Khan Company, Until the Lions © Jean-Louis Fernandez
Graham Watts, 11 Jan
Three years after its première, Until the Lions returns to the Roundhouse, still an extraordinary theatrical experience: mesmerising, atmospheric, sensory and strangely sensual 
****1
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Starman dimmed? Glass’ latest Bowie/Eno opus proves no Life on Mars

John Adams © Vern Evans
Néstor Castiglione, 10 Jan
A rare misfire showcasing the music of minimalism’s all-stars. 
**111
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