Manchester Contemporary Orchestra: The Expanding Universe / Wed 21 Jan
Across three events each year, Manchester Contemporary Orchestra offers a front-row seat to fearless, original music fresh off the page, shaped by a city and conservatoire rooted in the radical legacy of the Manchester School.
No longer confined to traditional orchestral formats, today’s composers explore a wider range of ensemble configurations, often incorporating electronics and expanded instrumentation. Manchester Contemporary Orchestra mirrors this shift, providing a dynamic platform for students to experiment with large-scale forces in new and unexpected ways.
This evening’s performance is inspired by American composer and electronic innovator Laurie Spiegel’s groundbreaking album, The Expanding Universe.
Programme
Laurie Spiegel Old Wave (electronics)
Dan Baczkowski Aurora Borealis (visual collaborators Stephen Ball, Sam Roberts and Dr Jason Taylor)
interlude Emily Dunbar Early Source Material
Peter Damon-Cronmiller Evoe
interlude Chloe Grove and Callista Wang Dionysus Dreams
Kámea Németh Smudged Lipstick II (film by Kámea Németh)
Annah George Unconditional
interlude Frank Adlam and Harry Baines
Harry Baines Empty Streets (film by Jacob Crow)
Emily Howard Sphere
* there will be a short electronic piece as an interlude beforehand
Performers
Mark Heron, Steph Godwin, Julius Mauldin, Juan José Muñoz Borja conductors
Manchester Contemporary Orchestra:
first violins
Ben Holland
Amit Ilan Segev
Olivia Trezise
Mae Baker-Tuxworth
Daniel Patten
Chloe Wood
Mary Ann Coogan
second violins
Ailsa Burns
Joanne Teo
Molly Barber
Gabby Kohler
Joshua Gill
Tori Li
violas
Carol Ella
Maggie Zhou
Daria Kurtii
Hannah Killick
cellos
Amy Jolly
Celilo Swain
Shiney Zhou
Teresa De La Espada
Immie Harpin
Nieve Mannion
double bass
James Manson
Zoe Chen
Eric Harris
Duarte Colaco
flutes
Josephine Connor
Wendy Cao
Ed Blackwall (piccolo)
oboes
Katy Brear
Yanyan Peng
Isabel Street (cor anglais)
clarinets
Cheuk Yan Chu
Will Freeman
Alfie Ward (bass clarinet)
alto and tenor saxophones
João Luís
bassoons
Rob Kearley
Julie Beech
Leonardo Bizzotto (contra bassoon)
horns
Ziying Chen
Tom Farrar
Barry Lo
Lily Tabb
trumpets
Tilly Crutchley
Maddie Goatman
Amelia Butler
trombones
Adam Warburton
Sarah Petropoulos
Malachy Cullen
tuba
Jiaming Yang
percussion
Will Savage
Oliver Jackson
Zhongyu Shi
Steph White
piano and celeste
Yanru Ke
harp
Kimberly Wong
