Phaedra Ensemble presents Shaker Loops / Phrygian Gates
with Ben Smith
| John Adams | Phrygian Gates (for solo piano - 24') |
|---|---|
| Meredith Monk | Ellis Island / Parlour Games (arr. by Phillip Granell) |
| Gabriella Smith | Divertimento (for Violin, Cello, Bass 6’) |
|---|---|
| John Adams | Shaker Loops (for septet - 28’) |
Dynamic and genre-defying, Phaedra Ensemble showcases the original pairing of Shaker Loops and Phrygian Gates, with pianist Ben Smith, alongside works by Meredith Monk and Gabriella Smith.
Phaedra Ensemble celebrates the music of John Adams with a rare performance of his iconic Shaker Loops in its original string septet version. A landmark of American Minimalism, this electrifying work is paired with Phrygian Gates – a mesmerising solo piano piece originally released alongside Shaker Loops in 1980 on the cult avant-garde label 1750 Arch, Inc. Don’t miss acclaimed pianist Ben Smith bring this seldom-heard gem to life in a thrilling opening to the programme. The concert also features works by legendary vocal artist Meredith Monk and the highly acclaimed Gabriella Smith.
This event will last approximately 90 minutes, including an interval.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets for attendees aged under 30 are available for certain shows. To purchase an ‘Under 30s’ ticket, please choose the ‘Under 30s’ price type when selecting your ticket(s). If the option does not appear, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out or are not available for this performance. Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue. The £10 offer does not apply to premium price categories.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
Review:
‘Cross-genre collective Phaedra are part of a new breed of ensembles tearing up the rules of classical and creating a trailblazing hotpot of sounds in their wake.’ M Magazine
About Phaedra Ensemble:
Phaedra Ensemble is a London-based collective pushing the boundaries of contemporary chamber music making in bold and creative ways. Known for their innovative performances, they curate cutting-edge new music alongside modern classics from the last 50 years.
Their collaborations include performances with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw at the Barbican, vibraphonist Masayoshi Fujita (Erased Tapes), Mercury Award-nominated British-Asian singer Susheela Raman, as well as long-standing collaborations with UK artist The Magic Lantern and multi-sensory dance company Bittersuite, with whom they have created four large-scale immersive experiences.
Phaedra’s VOX project, which explores the radical use of the human voice in music and performance, has led to a dozen new collaborative commissions, performed alongside works by composers such as Leo Chadburn, Jennifer Walshe, Florent Ghys, Cassandra Miller, Kevin Volans, and David Lang, among many others.
Phaedra celebrates a new upcoming recording with composer Meredith Monk on Cantaloupe Records.
About Ben Smith:
Ben Smith is a pianist and composer specialising in contemporary and experimental music. Hailed as one of ‘the finest new-music pianists in London’ Tempo, and a player of ‘extraordinary precision and insight’ The Guardian, he is in demand both as a soloist and chamber performer (An Assembly, Apartment House, Athelas Sinfonietta, Explore Ensemble, London Sinfonietta, Riot Ensemble, Uproar Ensemble).
Known for daring and virtuosic performances which traverse the extremes of the contemporary repertoire, he has given dozens of world premieres across the UK and Europe (Aldeburgh Festival, BBC Total Immersion, Cafe OTO, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, INN:PUST Festval, London Contemporary Music Festival, Musicon, Ny Musik i Birkerød, Spitalfields Music, Transit: Festival voor nieuwe muziek, and at London venues Ambika P3, Barbican Hall, Hackney Round Chapel, Kings Place, Milton Court Concert Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Wigmore Hall). In recent years he has conducted premiere performances of Sarah Angliss’s Giant (Royal Opera House; Aldeburgh Festival), Alastair White’s RUNE, (Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival) and regularly works as an Associate MD on Operation Mincemeat (Fortune Theatre).
Recording projects include works by Leo Chadburn (Library of Nothing), Nomi Epstein and Paul Newland (Another Timbre), Brian Ferneyhough and Alastair White (Métier), and the complete piano works of Evan Johnson (All That Dust).
Ben was a Junior Fellow at Guildhall School of Music & Drama from 2020-2022, where he previously studied with Laurence Crane, Rolf Hind, and James Weeks.