Balladeste x Ana Silvera
Difficult Loves
Songlines Encounters
| Ana Silvera | Voice, Synth, Harmonium |
|---|---|
| Preetha Narayanan | Violin, Voice |
| Tara Franks | Cello, Voice |
| Nikò O'Brien | Live Electronics, Sound Processing |
Difficult Loves is a new song cycle by acclaimed string duo Balladeste (Preetha Narayanan, Tara Franks) and singer-songwriter Ana Silvera, exploring the many faces of love. Shifting lithely between folk, improvised and neo-classical worlds, their interwoven strings and voices create an evolving, immersive odyssey of the heart – all enhanced by live electronics from Nikò O’Brien.
Balladeste (Preetha Narayanan and Tara Franks) and singer-songwriter Ana Silvera present Difficult Loves, a new song cycle that brings together three women artists exploring the intersection of composition and songcraft. Shifting lithely between folk, improvised and neo-classical worlds, the work invites listeners on an immersive odyssey of the heart.
The song cycle traces the many faces of love: romantic connection, familial devotion, ecstatic encounters with the natural world, and the darker shadows of grief, loss and longing. Balladeste’s lyrical strings intertwine with Ana’s luminous voice, creating a palimpsest of feelings as panoramic as they are tender.
Created through a deeply collaborative process, the music emerges from single melodies or lyric lines, improvised exchanges, and string motifs reimagined and unravelled. Loosely inspired by Italo Calvino’s book of the same name, the ‘very beautiful, complex’ song cycle (Soho Radio) reflects a spirit of creative exploration and meticulous artistry.
For this special Kings Place performance, producer and electronic artist Niko O’Brien (Upcycled Sounds) transforms voices and instruments in real time, creating evolving, emotive soundscapes. Presented in the round with surround sound using the d&b Soundscape 360° system in Hall Two, Difficult Loves is a deeply affecting sonic journey.
This event will last for approximately 110 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 are available for certain shows to attendees aged under 30. To access Under 30s tickets, update your account with your Date of Birth. Please visit the account centre to add your Date of Birth.
If £10 tickets are available, the ticket discount will apply automatically at checkout. If the discount does not apply, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out for the performance.
Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue.
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.
About Balladeste
Balladeste are known for their experimental yet melodic approach, drawing on Indian classical music, contemporary minimalism and folk traditions to create cinematic, emotionally rich compositions: ‘songs without words’ that speak volumes. Their work has featured on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and Night Tracks, Soho Radio, NTS, Dutch National Radio, and as theme music for BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. They have performed at venues and festivals including the Barbican, Café OTO, Brighton Festival, Art Night UK, Wilderness, El Chopo (Mexico City) and CCB Lisbon.
About Ana Silvera
Ana Silvera is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer known for her vividly imaginative songwriting and innovative work across genres and disciplines. With music described by The Guardian as ‘stunning… magical storytelling’, she has performed at major venues and festivals including Southbank Centre, The Glasshouse, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Aldeburgh Festival and SXSW. Her albums include The Fabulist (2022) and Oracles (2018), a BASCA-nominated choral song cycle. Current projects include Songs We Carry with Palestinian oud virtuoso Saied Silbak and Difficult Loves, a collaboration with the acclaimed string duo Balladeste. She has received commissions from the Royal Ballet, Jewish Music Institute, Roundhouse, Concerto Caledonia and the Estonian TV Girls Choir.
About Nikò O’Brien
Nikò (Nicholas) O’Brien (electronics / multi-instrumentalist) is an award-winning sound engineer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He has recorded everywhere from world-class studios to the Himalayas, with a portfolio spanning albums, EPs, live sessions, soundtracks, documentary and feature-film audio, as well as composition and sound design for theatre and film. He has worked with the BBC, ITV, RAK Studios and Pinewood Studios, and has built several recording studios. His work has been supported by Arts Council England, DPA, Sennheiser, RME and Bubblebee Industries, and featured in Audio Media International, Clash Magazine, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC 6 Music and Paris Music Hack in partnership with UNESCO World Music Day.
Reviews
‘Compelling… mesmerising.’ Songlines
‘Beautiful and complex.’ Soho Radio
‘An extraordinary and beautiful listening experience.’ KLOF (on Balladeste)
‘A captivating British singer-songwriter…summoning sorcery within seconds of starting’ The Arts Desk (on Ana Silvera)
`
The curation of Songlines Encounters is supported by the 1900 Building
