04/04/2025 RNCM MIUAWGA Ensemble with Fred Thomas (piano)
Spontaneity and instinct are the building blocks of the RNCM’s innovative Make-it-up-as-we-go-along (MIUAWGA) Ensemble. Under the direction of Head of Jazz and Improvisation Steve Berry, this ensemble explores the art of musical improvisation, creating music entirely in the moment.
This year, MIUAWGA collaborates with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger Fred Thomas. Described by Gramophone Magazine as a ‘boundary-blurring composer and improviser,’ Thomas is celebrated for his eclectic artistry, spanning reimaginings of J S Bach to cutting-edge contemporary styles. This is his second appearance at the RNCM this year after he opened our new Inspirational Artists series with fellow collaborators Alice Zawadzki and Misha Mullov-Abbado.
Programme
Make It Up As We Go Along
Fighting, Bickering, Playing, Loving
Mesmer (Paul Motian)
Improvisation I
Dog Lead (Oren Marshall)
Improvisation II
Taking a Nap, I Pound the Rice – Movement V. John Cage (Fred Thomas)
Improvisation III
Fearless Soul (after Ali Farka Touré)
Circle Dance (Paul Motian)
Performers
violins
Nina Doig
Joe Steel
violas
Jeanette Szeto
Emily O’Dell
cellos
Elena Edwards
Ruaraidh Williams
saxophones
Ted Ford
Oliver Pritchard-Jones
Aidan Bryson
Sam Nuttall
clarinet
YuTing Cao
trombone
Emily Mason
piano (keys)
Isobel Archer
Nye Hughes-Watts
guitar
Andrew Slaven
percussion
Sam Milton
Nathan Jackson
voices
Aaron Peters
Katerina Kaifa
