Aurora Orchestra – Resident Ensemble
Since its creation in 2005, Aurora has rapidly established itself as the most significant new British chamber ensemble in a generation, and one of Europe’s leading chamber ensemble. With its signature creative ethos, Aurora combines electrifying live performance with a uniquely adventurous approach to programming and presentation. Collaborating widely across art forms and musical genres, the ensemble has worked with an exceptional breadth of artists from Ian Bostridge to Wayne McGregor to Björk. In recent years it has pioneered memorised performance, and is thought to be the first ensemble worldwide to perform whole symphonies in this way.
Based at Kings Place since 2009, and formally appointed as Resident Ensemble in 2013, Aurora has played a pivotal role in Kings Place’s music programme, launching the critically-acclaimed Mozart’s Piano, an exploratory late-night series The Lock-In, and imaginative storytelling concerts for families and young audiences Far, Far Away.
‘It’s an absolute privilege to have Aurora as our Ensemble in Residence. Their dynamism, imagination and fresh thinking have had an immeasurable impact both on us and our audiences at Kings Place.’ Peter Millican, Executive Chair
Mozart’s Piano
Staged over five years (2016-20), Mozart’s Piano is an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime journey through the complete cycle of all 27 Mozart piano concertos in a single series for the first time in the UK. Featuring exceptional guest soloists, Aurora presents the piano concertos as a starting point for a kaleidoscopic experience across centuries and diverse repertoire, illuminating Mozart’s life, music, and legacy in new and unexpected ways.
The Lock In
Grab a drink and settle in for a revelatory late-night series curated and performed by Aurora Principal Players. Each intimate and informal performance takes you on a journey of musical discovery across diverse genres and art forms. Expect eclectic musical encounters that unfold in new and surprising ways, from entering otherworldly dimensions in electronic music to learning the steps of a rip-roaring hoedown.
Far, Far Away
Aurora’s series of immersive concerts full of spectacle and wonder for children and families. Each concert explore the works of a different composer, weaving together brilliant live performance with an imaginative story by Aurora Writer in Residence Kate Wakeling. Audiences are invited to listen, sing, dance, and enter a magical world of music, discovery and play.
Aurora in Unwrapped
Aurora continues its electrifying performances in Kings Place award-winning Unwrapped series. This year, the orchestra explores ancient notions of time with composer Nico Muhly and countertenor Iestyn Davies, and brings its extraordinary memorised performance style of whole symphonies to Kings Place for the first time.
Aurora and Poet in the City
A vibrant cross-arts collaboration, Aurora and Poet in the City create dynamic platforms to spark fascinating dialogues across multiple disciplines. In 2018, they bring together new technology, poetry, and music to explore our relationship with memory in Memento.
