LCO Imagined Occasions Deck (Draft)

IMAGINED OCCASIONS SERIES 2013 ALDWYCH UNDERGROUND | ROUNDHOUSE | OVAL SPACE

ABOUT THE LCO Formed in 2008, the LCO has established itself as one of the most innovative and respected ensembles on the European music scene – promoting the best new music to a wider, younger and more engaged audience.

Drawing together London’s brightest young talent, the LCO has collaborated with a distinguished array of musicians and artists, including Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood (on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Academy Award-nominated film The Master), United Visual Artists, Biosphere, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Mira Calix, Matmos, Belle & Sebastian, Mara Carlyle, Mike Figgis, Jimmy Page and Foals (on their third album Holy Fire).

We aim to stimulate and enlighten audiences through our fresh approach and breathtaking performances. We believe that music is more than just a concert. It’s an experience.

“LCO pushed the boundaries of orchestral performance and even a few weeks after, it still sends chills down my spine.”

It’s Nice That

“Young, free and singularly special… there’s a new kid on the block.” Daily Telegraph PHOTO: © Jane Stockdale 2008

UNITED VISUAL ARTISTS COVENT GARDEN NOVEMBER 2008

Soon after rounding off our first season with a sell-out concert at LSO St Luke’s, the LCO was engaged by Jackie Cooper PR and Covent Garden London to launch their Christmas Lights festival, joining forces with United Visual Artists to stage an interactive audio-visual installation.

The event sparked off widespread media coverage in The Daily Telegraph, London Evening Standard and on ITV London Tonight.

PHOTOS: © Jane Stockdale 2008

REVERB ROUNDHOUSE JANUARY 2010

Part of the Roundhouse’s genre-defying Reverb festival, the LCO presented a latenight concert of music from Steve Reich, Biosphere (aka Geir Jenssen), Cage and the first performance of Shiva Feshareki’s turntable concerto TTKonzert.

“It was the London Contemporary Orchestra’s programme that worked the magic at their Roundhouse show. It was a brilliantly contrived mix that delivered coolness, daring experimentalism, classic high-seriousness and cosmic spiritualism, all at once.”

Daily Telegraph

“The furious panache of the LCO’s performance, expertly channelled by the conductor Hugh Brunt, was overwhelming.”

PHOTOS: © Bruce Atherton / Jana Chiellino 2010

The Times

MATMOS VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

METROPOLIS ROUNDHOUSE

LCO joined forces with experimental electronic music duo Matmos to stage a sonic arts exploration over two nights at Village Underground, with orchestrations from young composer Anna Meredith. Support sets included pianist Sarah Nicolls and a new audio-visual work from Micromattic and Howard Quin.

Reconstructed and restored for the big screen, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the cult 1927 German sci-fi classic, was shown in the Roundhouse Main Space to capacity audiences on three nights, with the original soundtrack performed live by the LCO.

FASTER THAN SOUND ALDEBURGH MUSIC / LATITUDE

FRANK ZAPPA ROUNDHOUSE

In partnership with Faster Than Sound, the LCO showcased works by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Mira Calix and a new song cycle by Emily Hall and Toby Litt.

Celebrating one of the 20th century’s most remarkable musicians, the LCO returned to the Roundhouse for the UK premiere of Frank Zappa’s The Yellow Shark.

FOALS GLASTONBURY

DONOVAN / JIMMY PAGE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Shortly after a live BBC 6 Music session with Foals at Glastonbury, the LCO collaborated with the Mercury Prize nominated band on their single Spanish Sahara (subsequently awarded NME Awards Best Track 2011).

LCO teamed up with folk-psych-pop legend Donovan for a complete performance of his classic 1966 album Sunshine Superman, with special guest Jimmy Page.

SPITALFIELDS FESTIVAL VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

DELOITTE IGNITE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Marking the orchestra’s Spitalfields Music debut and a return to Village Underground, the LCO peformed music by Vivier and Schnittke, alongside a live score to Brothers Quay’s iconic film Street of Crocodiles.

Part of Just Tell The Truth curated by Mike Figgis, the LCO was invited by the acclaimed film director to perform at the festival’s closing event, alongside legendary jazz saxophonist Peter King and flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena.

BELLE & SEBASTIAN LATITUDE / UK TOUR

MELTDOWN FESTIVAL SOUTHBANK CENTRE

Following a successful collaboration with Belle and Sebastian at Latitude Festival performing to an audience of 30,000, the LCO rejoined the band for a mini-tour taking in The Sage Gateshead, O2 Apollo Manchester, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

LCO made its debut appearance at the Southbank Centre with a performance of William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops, closing the 2012 Meltdown Festival, curated by Antony Hegarty.

MAY 2009

MAY / JULY 2010

JUNE 2010

JUNE 2010

JULY / DECEMBER 2010

OCTOBER 2010

NOVEMBER 2010

JUNE 2011

SEPTEMBER 2011

AUGUST 2012

LCO SOLOISTS THE OLD VIC TUNNELS MAY 2011

Playing to a capacity audience, the LCO Soloists showcased new works by Jonathan Cole and Colin Alexander commissioned specially for the labyrinthine spaces of The Old Vic Tunnels, alongside works by Thomas Adès, Feldman, Laurence Crane, Xenakis and John Woolrich. Experimental DJs Micachu and Shiva Feshareki led the aftershow.

“London Contemporary Orchestra has recently been demonstrating a willingness to go where other such ensembles fear to tread – witness this event at The Old Vic Tunnels beneath Waterloo Station and an environ ideal for performances of an overly experimental nature, for which this programme admirably fitted the bill.”

Classical Source

PHOTOS: © Bruce Atherton / Jana Chiellino 2011

RON ARAD: CURTAIN CALL ROUNDHOUSE AUGUST 2011

As part of internationally renowned architect and designer Ron Arad’s Curtain Call, the LCO presented an evening of modern music on ancient themes, exploring the Roundhouse Main Space sonically and spatially, with live 360° visuals from SDNA. The programme included works by Vaughan Williams, John Adams and Arvo Pärt, interspersed with a selection of Tallis’s choral masterpieces.

“LCO at #curtaincall at the Roundhouse were awesome this evening, a proper sonic and spatial experience.”

Rohan Six (@RohanSix) via Twitter

PHOTOS: © Bruce Atherton / Jana Chiellino 2011

REVERB 2012 ROUNDHOUSE MARCH 2012

LCO returned to the Roundhouse to perform works by some of the 20th century’s most iconic composers, including Xenakis’s Metastasis and Vivier‘s Orion. The programme also featured Doghouse by Jonny Greenwood – a 20-minute orchestral work forming part of the composer’s film score to Norwegian Wood – and the European premiere of Gabriel Prokofiev’s Concerto for Bass Drum and Orchestra.

“Brunt delivered a punchy rendition of Xenakis’s Metastasis – a model of Modernist clarity, economy and directness – and a Ravelian account of Vivier’s Orion that was nothing short of ravishing.”

The Arts Desk

“As soon as the performance started, a sort of reverent rapture seemed to descend on the 1,000-odd souls… I felt that music had gained a new excitement out of the blue.”

PHOTOS: © Bruce Atherton / Jana Chiellino 2012

The Sunday Times

RECORDINGS

FOALS: Spanish Sahara (Radio Edit)

JONNY GREENWOOD: The Master

FOALS: Holy Fire

Label: Release date: Producer: Arrangements: Awards:

Label: Nonesuch Records Inc. Release date: 10 September 2012 Producers: Jonny Greenwood / Graeme Stewart Awards: Chicago Film Critics Association – Best Score

Label: Release date: Producers: Arrangements: Chart position:

“Jonny Greenwood’s score is superb.” The Times

“Holy Fire brings new words to mind. Sharp. Emotive.

Massive.” NME

Warner Music UK Limited 12 September 2010 Luke Smith Hugh Brunt NME Awards 2011 – Best Track

“...beefed up to even greater thunder by the presence of the London Contemporary Orchestra.” The Guardian

Warner Music UK Limited 11 February 2013 Flood / Alan Moulder Hugh Brunt iTunes Albums Chart - No. 1

QUINTESSENTIALLY FOUNDATION WAR CHILD FUNDRAISER NOVEMBER 2012

LCO was invited to perform alongside James Morrison, the London Community Gospel Choir and Laura Mvula at Quintessentially Foundation’s Christmas fundraising concert at St James’s Piccadilly. Sponsored by Fortnum & Mason, the event raised £130,000 for War Child.

“It was truly brilliant, and fantastic working with the LCO throughout the process.

Quintessentially Foundation

PHOTOS: © Marcus Dawes 2012

CAROLINA HERRERA NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FEBRUARY 2013

Tom Hodge’s Capriccio for Carolina, recorded by the LCO at Abbey Road Studios, was played at the launch of Carolina Herrera’s Fall Collection 2013. The collaboration sparked off international press coverage from The New York Times, The Huffington Post, ELLE Magazine, CNN and the Charlie Rose Show.

“Let the little guys fuss over pop hits and designer DJs. Herrera required the full symphonic talents of the London Contemporary Orchestra.”

Style.com

PHOTOS: © New York Fasion Week 2013

IMAGINED OCCASIONS REVERB ROUNDHOUSE ALDWYCH UNDERGROUND STATION JANUARY MAY 2013 2010

***** “Beguiling...”

The Independent on Sunday

“A haunting study of the anonymity and danger of the city…” Time Out

“Inspired by @LCOrchestra concert last night in disused underground station. Tunnel choir beautiful, & Vivier too…”

Jonny Greenwood (@JnnyG) via Twitter

LCO’s Imagined Occasions Series presents three site-responsive, immersive performances focusing on the music of Claude Vivier (1948– 1983) in partnership with production design team Harry Ross and Helen Scarlett O’Neill.

The series seeks to engage the audience in a participatory narrative, in which the audience are observers, creators, protagonists and the observed.

“Cleverly curated and beautifully delivered… Immersive music-making comes of age” PHOTOS: © Jana Chiellino 2013

The Arts Desk

The series began in the abandoned Aldwych Underground station with a performance of Vivier’s Glaubst du an die Unsterblichkeit der Seele (‘Do You Believe in the Immortality of the Soul?’), his last, unfinished work: a dramatised monologue set on the Paris Metro. The programme also featured works

by Harvey, Cage, Philippe Manoury, Feldman, a new commission from Gregor Riddell, and a screening of the Brothers Quay’s collaboration with Stockhausen, In Absentia.

“Inspiring @LCOrchestra in the unused Aldwych underground 350ft below London: fabulous music in 5 different spots” PHOTO: © Jana Chiellino 2013

Jon Snow (@JonSnowC4) via Twitter

IMAGINED OCCASIONS COMMUNICATION DESIGN

DESIGN: © Baxter & Bailey 2013

DESIGN: © Baxter & Bailey 2013

IMAGINED OCCASIONS PRESS COVERAGE

LCO AUDIENCE STATISTICS

LCO website (Apr-Jun) Twitter Visits: 6,803 Followers: 3,415 Page views: 17,444 Following: 90 New visits: 71.63% Ratio: 38:1

Facebook Gender and age of ‘likes’:

Mailing list YouTube LCO: 48,000+ Views: 300,000+ Roundhouse: 100,000+ Broadcasts and screenings The Master film screenings + DVD release worldwide BBC Radio 6 Music WQXR New York Foals Holy Fire – No. 1 iTunes Albums Chart Carolina Herrera Fall Collection 2013, New York Fashion Week PHOTO: © Jana Chiellino 2011

UPCOMING PRIMROSE HILL / ROUNDHOUSE THURSDAY 22 AUGUST 2013

August’s performance at the Roundhouse continues with Stockhausen and a number of works from his epic KLANG – Die 24 Stunden des Tages (‘Sound – The 24 Hours of the Day’), a cycle of compositions each representing one hour of the day.

The evening will be prefaced with a performance on Primrose Hill at sunset of Vivier’s Zipangu, referencing the island that Kubla Khan sought to conquer, and to which the composer represented “the symbol of immeasurable wealth, lying just out of reach”. A sound-walk from Primrose Hill to the Roundhouse will be accompanied by an electro-acoustic score from the LCO’s new Composer-inAssociation, Edmund Finnis.

PHOTOS: Primrose Hill © Fabio Lugaro 2011; Oval Space / Aldwych Underground station © Mike Massaro 2013

OVAL SPACE

THURSDAY 3 OCTOBER 2013

The concluding programme takes place at Oval Space in October with performances in the venue itself and outside in the surrounding derelict structures. The concert includes the final world premiere in the series, from Alastair Putt, alongside works by Varèse, George Benjamin, Thomas Adès and Pousseur, as well as a new film commissioned to accompany Vivier’s Variation I for electronics. www.lcorchestra.co.uk/imaginedoccasions

“…a grass-roots perspective and a wide-eyed enthusiasm that could only exist in an orchestra run by young people for young people.”

Classical Music Magazine

LCO Chairman Simon Ambrose

(winner of BBC’s The Apprentice Series 3)

If you are interested in a partnership with the LCO, please contact Hugh: hugh@lcorchestra.co.uk / 020 7498 7651 www.lcorchestra.co.uk Press reviews: www.lcorchestra.co.uk/press/reviews MP3s, videos and photos: www.lcorchestra.co.uk/media/mp3s-videos Facebook: London Contemporary Orchestra | Twitter: @LCOrchestra

Artistic Directors Company Secretary & Treasurer Robert Ames John Tress Hugh Brunt Board of Directors Principal Conductor Simon Ambrose (Chairman) Hugh Brunt Nicholas Mumby Stuart Nicholas Leader Alice Tullo Daniel Pioro Stephanie Wongsam

London Contemporary Orchestra Limited | Registered in England & Wales | Registered Office: 9 Angel Mews, London SW15 4HU | Company no: 6895875 | Registered Charity no: 1129768

PHOTOS: Robert Ames (left) and Hugh Brunt © Peter Eason 2008; Simon Ambrose © Paul West 2007

www.lcorchestra.co.uk