New music for horn, string quartet and electronics, curated by Ben Nobuto. Ben Goldscheider, ’one of Britain’s leading horn players’ (Classical Music), joins trailblazing quartet Brother Tree Sound to present works by Edmund Finnis, Alex Groves, Lara Agar, Yuri Umemoto, John Croft and a world premiere by Nobuto.

The horn and string quartet is an unusual combination. Aside from Mozart’s Horn Quintet from 1782, very few pieces have been written for this pairing. On the surface they seem completely opposed, their sound, their connotation. The image of the horn player amongst the quartet feels like a character airdropped in from another world, a surreal crossover. This programme tries to make sense of that situation.

Two works that focus on indeterminacy: Brother Tree Sounds’ Aurea takes inspiration from the Japanese art form kintsugi, and Lara Agar’s Canon and Chaconne crafts a world, sets things off and watches them collide in different ways.

Two works that draw from nature: Alex Groves’ Single Form (Dawn) is a ‘slow-motion, sonic sunrise’ for horn and live electronics, and Edmund Finnis’ String Quartet No. 1 evokes ‘the shape of a valley; the image of clouds … a sense of sounds breathing.’

Two works that think about time and stasis: the shimmering, microtonal drones of John Croft’s Voi sete la mia stella, and the hypnotic, anime loops of Yuri Umemoto’s look at me, senpai.

A new work by Ben Nobuto, about joy and renewed hope.

This event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval.

Reviews

‘Goldscheider has a natural charisma on stage, holding the attention, and his fluid legato and changes of sound were perfect for the piece … a pleasure to hear.’ The Arts Desk
‘I love Brother Tree Sound’s earthy approach … all performed with a similarly unfettered passion and sense of forward momentum.’ BBC Music Magazine
‘Ben Nobuto’s music defies categorisation, leaping across stylistic boundaries and creating exhilarating sonic juxtapositions.’ BBC Music Magazine

About Ben Goldscheider

Ben Goldscheider is a horn player and former BBC Young Musician finalist. Nominated by the Barbican as an ECHORising Star for the 2021/22 season, Ben has given recitals at major concert halls across Europe including at the Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Pierre Boulez Saal, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Köln Philharmonie and Wigmore Hall, amongst others. Ben is a member of the Boulez Ensemble and Principal Horn of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Heholds a professorship at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp and is the Artist in Association at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

About Brother Tree Sound

Formed in 2017 out of a love for the powerful intimacy of the string quartet, Brother Tree Sound are deeply connected by a passion to explore the vast string quartet repertoire as well as staying tuned to the continuous shifting landscape of todays classical music scene. Dedicated to the performance of new music, the group regularly commissions new works from established and emerging composers. With three albums generating over 10 million streams worldwide, recent recipients of the Vaughan Williams Foundation grant and a recently released recording of French string quartets from the early 20th century which has been praised by the critics, Brother Tree Sound is a trailblazing string quartet inspiring audiences through their scintillating performances.

About Ben Nobuto

Ben Nobuto is a British/Japanese composer based in London. Described as ‘utterly contemporary’ (ManchesterCollective) and ‘sonically dazzling’ (RPS Awards), his music explores themes of attention and fragmentation, drawing from internet culture and popular idioms in a playful, ironic and surreal manner. Previous commissions include works for the BBC Proms, Manchester Collective, Nonclassical, National Youth Choir, BBC Singers and Colin Currie Quartet. He is currently working on a debut album with the support of Sound and Music’s New Voices scheme, which will release in the near future.