Arctic Circle presents an evening of metamorphosis and transmutation as bird song is set free, insects dodge the hitting of a hammer and the shimmering colours of the piano keys combine in strange and addictive configurations.
During this evening sit back, close you eyes and listen to a minimalistic masterpiece from Philip Glass (Metamorphosis), extracts from Messiaen’s Catalogue d'oiseaux (‘catalogue of birds’) and the sonic landscapes of jazz pianist and composer Elliot Galvin.
On the 88th Day of the year we’d like you to join us to celebrate Piano Day, an evening of music from the beloved and often underappreciated pianoforte, an instrument that tonight will be given the space, time and setting to be experienced at its most beautiful.
Elliot Galvin is one of the rising stars of UK and European jazz. A superbly gifted composer and pianist based in London, with a maverick imagination and magpie like ability to blend a disparate world of influences into his own unique musical vision. He is also a key member of the mercury nominated band Dinosaur and plays with a number of internationally acclaimed musicians and bands including Laura Jurd, Binker Golding, Led Bib, Mark Lockheart and others. He recently released his debut solo piano record to widespread critical acclaim receiving 4 star reviews in the Time, The Financial Times, Mojo, Jazzwise and was named Jazz album of the month in the Guardian. Tonight Gavin explores the boundaries of the piano through freely improvised sonic compositions, morphing between percussive, rhythmic cycles to ethereal, sonic landscapes and everything in between.
elliotgalvin.com | https://youtu.be/zku-e0lhL4c
Yshani Perinpanayagam is a multi-genre chamber musician, orchestral pianist and music director, Yshani has performed at venues including Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Barbican Theatre and various West End Theatres. Yshani is currently music director for Olivier nominated Goat by Ben Duke for Rambert Dance Company, and both King John and The Whip for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is the pianist of the Del Mar Piano Trio and Carismático Tango Band. She also has a strong interest in contemporary music; her commissions for piano, Commodore 64 and bespoke 8-bit synthesisers have been performed at the National Theatre Riverstage, The Place Theatre and the All Your Bass National Videogames Arcade festival. She will perform one of composer Philip Glass' most recognised works, Metamorphosis, for solo piano inspired by the 1915 novella The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
yshani.co.uk | https://youtu.be/tn8LpRy-nxU
Kerry Yong is a performer, composer and arranger based in east London. He trained as a pianist and now also performs on keyboards and electronics. His piano repertoire includes unusual classical repertoire (such as the Alkan’s arrangement of Mozart’s D minor Concerto K 466 for solo piano alone), and his own project Cover Me Cage: electronic arrangements of various prepared piano works by John Cage. He performs in groups such as Apartment House, Plus-Minus Ensemble and WeSpoke, and has appeared in many new music festivals including Audiograft, Borealis, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, LCMF, MaerzMusik, ISCM World Music Days, Ultima; in series such as Kammer Klang, Music We’d Like To Hear and NonClassical; on BBC Radio and recording labels Another Timbre and Wirripang.
Yong performs extract from Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue d'oiseaux is a work for piano solo composed of thirteen pieces, written between October 1956 and September 1958. Each piece is inspired by a French province. It bears the title of the bird-type of the chosen region. He said the work was inspired not just by the songs of these creatures but by the hours of day and night that change this landscape they inhabit with their colours, their temperatures, the magic of their perfumes.