Open Circuit 2018

This year’s Open Circuit Festival of New Music opens with a barnburner doubleheader on Saturday Match 10th featuring British improvising legend Evan Parker and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ensemble 10/10. There will also be a new installation by French composer and installation artist Gilbert Nouno, the 2018 ICCaT composer-in-residence on display in the VGM café. On Monday we will be joined by superstar cellist Jonathan Aasgaard for afternoon concert of virtuosic music for cello and electronics followed by Pixels Ensemble’s evening concert featuring acclaimed young guitarist Sean Shibe. Our annual Electronic Music and Video Showcase offers up the sounds and sights of new fixed media works on Tuesday followed by an evening concert centred around interactivity, improvisation and audience participation with the Merseyside Improvisors Orchestra. The festival finale is on Wednesday afternoon when we are once again joined by Pixels Ensemble, the 2018 ICCaT ensemble-in-residence, who will perform exciting new collaborations with PhD candidates from the University of Liverpool. Please reserve tickets early as seats will go fast. All events are FREE.

Saturday, 10^th March 2018

concert (Mini) Rocket Science - 5:30pm

Rocket Science has been performing in trio and quarter formations since their premiere at the Vortex in London in 2012. This unique combination of instrumental mavericks sets the stage for electro-acoustic mayhem never before improvised. As Mark Corroto stated in All About Jazz, "With a unit like Rocket Science, Evan Parker can finally realize his improvising conception of real time electronic processing, improvisation, and extended technique." Reserve a ticket.

Featuring Evan Parker, saxophones; Peter Evans, trumpet; Sam Pluta, electornics

concert Ensemble 10/10 - 7:30pm

The RLPO's new music ensemble 10/10 performs a concert of American and British contemporary music curated by ICCaT in conjunction with RNCM conductor Clark Rundell. Recent pieces by Wubbels, Meredith, Mincek, Horne and a new work by Liverpool composer Matthew Fairclough. Reserve a ticket.

PROGRAMME

Matt Fairclough	New Work
Eric Wubbels	katachi
Anna Meredith	Flak
Alex Mincek	Poco à Poco
David Horne	Disembodied Instruments

Monday, 12^th March 2018

concert Cellophonics - 1:00pm

Superstar cellist Jonathan Aasgaard, Principal Cello of the RLPO, presents an evocative and highly virtuosic program giving homage to two of the most important figures of western music of the past 50 years — Henri Dutilleux and Pierre Boulez. Reserve a ticket.

Featuring Jonathan Aasgaard, cello; Ben Hackbarth, electronics

PROGRAMME

Henri Dutilleux	trois strophes sur le nom de Sacher
Stephen Pratt	entre nous cello and electronics
Giovanni Sollima	alone and hell 1 cello and tape
Kaija Saariaho	petals cello and interactive electronics
Manuela Blackburn	Come Closer cello and interactive electronics
Pierre Boulez	messagesquisse version with performer and mutiple videos

concert Electric Odyssey - 7:30pm

Described by its composer as a ‘Fairytale’, Almost Nowhere (2014) is a stunning creation from a bold new voice in 21st century chamber music. The sonic landscape is intriguing and ingenious, technically complex; but Marco Momi always holds his listeners by the hand, guiding them carefully through the unfolding story. Guitarist Sean Shibe takes us on an epic voyage deep into the darkness in Georges Lentz’s Ingwe (Night, 2003-9), where the vast barrenness of the Australian outback serves as metaphor for the void of the universe. A contemplation of the radiant night sky, but equally of the darkness and loneliness of ‘the night within’; Ingwe is a tour-de-force from composer and performer alike. Reserve a ticket.

Featuring Pixels Ensemble: Rob Buckland, alto saxophone; Sean Shibe, electric guitar; Simone Rebello, percussion; Ian Buckle, piano; Ben Hackbarth, electronics

PROGRAMME

Marco Momi	Almost Nowhere (25') for alto saxophone, percussion, piano, electric guitar and electronics. UK premiere
Georges Lentz	Ingwe for solo electric guitar (55')

Tuesday, 13^th March 2018

concert Electronic Music and Video Showcase - 1:00pm

Oli Carman will present a new audio visual work in collaboration with composer, sculptor and visual artist Mark Pilkington. The concert will also feature a work by composer/sound designer Danny Saul who recently worked on the highly acclaimed production of Beowulf at Unicorn Theatre, London. New electronic compositions will also be presented by current Liverpool Music Technology undergraduates. All sound will be projected in the concert hall through multiple loudspeakers creating 'a cinema for the ear.' Reserve a ticket.

PROGRAMME

Oli Carman/Mark Pilkington	Dialogues
George Gill	Untitled
Lee Fraser	New Work
Joe Little	rewind
Danny Saul	Iteration/Banger

talk Managing a portfolio career as a freelance composer and performer - 2:30pm

Composer and sound artist Danny Saul works in several areas including rock music, electroacoustic composition, theatre composition, sound design and technical director roles. He has performed and recorded internationally and has several years experience working in independent music promotion, production and distribution. Danny will provide insight through his own experiences into gaining work as a freelance composer and performer, developing professional practice and self-promotion from outside the mainstream music industry.

concert Interactive Traces - 6:30pm

Interactive Traces features technological mediations of real-time musical authorship—i.e. improvisation, both structured and free. These include dynamic visual scores, game-like interactions, and visualisations of human physiological data taken during live performance. The performance takes place in FACT theatre 3. Reserve a ticket.

Featuring Ged Barry, MIO director; Kevin Davis, cello; Richard Harding, electric guitar; Paul Turowski, clarinet

PROGRAMME

Paul Turowski	GENNI
Amy Brandon	Hidden Motive
Giovanni Santini	LINEAR
Naima Fine	I miss science
Cory Latkov	AutoGenesis:x
Free improvisation and visualizations by Eduardo Coutinho	Conduction

Wednesday, 14^th March 2018

concert Emerging Voices - 1:00pm

Pixels Ensemble, the 2018 ICCaT ensemble-in-residence, performs new works by PhD candidates from the University of Liverpool. The concert includes electroacoustic works and audiovisual collaborations from composers Liam Carey, Ian Costabile, and Dan Fallon. Reserve a ticket.

Featuring Pixels Ensemble: Fiona Fulton, flute; Mark Simpson, clarinet; Sophie Rosa, violin; Jonathan Aasgaard, cello; Simone Rebello, percussion; Ian Buckle, piano