The Konserthuset in Stockholm kicks off Steve Reich's 75th birthday year with Tonsättarfestivalen: Steve Reich, five days of concerts, starting tonight, featuring the Stockholm Royal Philharmonic, Kroumata, Amadinda, Synergy Vocals, and the composer himself, who performs Clapping Music on tonight's program. The concerts will be broadcast on Swedish Radio P2. This week's festival is the first of a year's worth of events around the world honoring the composer's 75th birthday on October 3.
The Konserthuset in Stockholm kicks off Steve Reich's 75th birthday year with Tonsättarfestivalen: Steve Reich, five days of concerts, starting tonight, featuring the Stockholm Royal Philharmonic, Kroumata, Amadinda, Synergy Vocals, and the composer himself. The concerts will be broadcast on Swedish Radio P2.
Tonsättarfestivalen launches in the Stockholm Concert Hall's Great Hall tonight. The composer opens the proceedings with a performance of his Clapping Music. Also on the Opening Night program are You Are (Variations) and Tehillim, with the British vocal group Synergy Vocals performing as well. Reich will also participate in a post-concert discussion.
Tomorrow night's program will be dedicated entirely to Reich's classic 1971 piece Drumming, featuring the Kroumata percussion ensemble and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's own percussion group.
The weekend's events begins when members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are joined again by Kroumata and Synergy Vocals, as well as the Dahlkvist Quartet, for another all-Reich program Friday night, with three works from the 1990s: Triple Quartet (1998), Proverb (1995), and City Life (1995).
On Saturday, the Amadinda percussion ensemble performs Mallet Quartet, which the group premiered a year ago in Budapest, on a program that also features the two pieces on Reich's latest Nonesuch release, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet and 2x5, as well as Electric Counterpoint.
Closing out the festival on Sunday, Amadinda, members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Synergy Vocals perform three of Reich's most well-known works: Different Trains, Sextet, and Music for 18 Musicians.
For more information on Tonsättarfestivalen: Steve Reich, visit konserthuset.se.
This week's concerts are the first of a year's worth of festivals and events in 2011 honoring the composer's 75th birthday on October 3. Additional celebratory events are taking place around the world this year, including recently announced LSO concerts at the Barbican, an all-Reich program at Carnegie Hall, a birthday concert at Cité de la Musique in Paris, Opening Night of the Sónar Festival in Barcelona, and the weeklong Sacrum Profanum Festival in Kraków. Check back with the Nonesuch Journal for more information throughout the year as these events unfold.
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