Crash Ensemble are the ensemble in residence at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2012, opening the festival with a portrait concert of ensemble Artistic Director Donnacha Dennehy and playing a further two concerts of works written for the group by American and Irish composers.
Named by the Guardian as one of the best classical concerts happening this autumn hcmf// opens on Friday, November 16th with a portrait concert of Donnacha Dennehy, Irish composer and Artistic Director of Crash Ensemble, featuring one of his landmark pieces, Grá agus Bás (2007), written for Irish sean nós singer Iarla Ó’Lionáird and the Crash Ensemble. Released by Nonesuch Records on an album of the same name in May 2011 the work has drawn acclaim internationally.
On Sunday 18th Crash presents work written for the ensemble by some of America’s most individual composers Glenn Branca, Nico Muhly and Arnold Dreyblatt. American Originals features the UK Premiere of Thought by Glenn Branca, jointly commissioned by Crash Ensemble and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. Branca is one of the world’s leading composers, best known for his symphonies for orchestras of electric guitars and percussion. Thought was premiered at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin earlier this month. The concert will also feature the UK premiere of works by Nico Muhly’s Drones, Variations, Ornaments, written for Crash in 2011 and Arnold Dreyblatt’s Resonant Relations written for Crash in 2007.
On Monday 19th Crash’s Irish Mavericks concert presents some of the most important creative voices in Irish contemporary music, including esteemed composers Gerald Barry and Kevin Volans (UK Premiere of Looping Point written for Crash 2012) , as well as some of the most exciting voices from the younger generation: Ed Bennett, Linda Buckley and Andrew Hamilton (UK Premiere of music for people who like art, written for Crash 2011).
hcmf// is the UK’s foremost festival of new music, in 2012 it takes place from Friday 16 – Sunday 25 November.
For more information on hcmf// see www.hcmf.co.uk and www.twitter.com/HCMFUK
