Soundings is a unique platform for contemporary music, founded by the Austrian Cultural Forum in 2004, to promote creative exchange between young composers and musicians from Austria and the UK. It provides composers and musicians with a unique opportunity to get to know each other and each other’s work.

This year, Soundings workshops and performances will explore latest trends in contemporary composition, music performance and stylistic development in Austria and the UK.

Soundings I was highly successful in 2004. From 12 to 16 May 2004 composers, musicians and other music professionals from Austria and the UK met at the Austrian Cultural Forum. Students from the RNCM with their teacher and conductor Clark Rundell joined for workshops, discussions and concerts at the Forum and the Wigmore Hall. The programme concluded with a plenary discussion moderated by Annette Morreau.

In November 2004, Soundings I presented the composer Olga Neuwirth, Klangforum Wien and the countertenor Andrew Watts at the Wigmore Hall. They performed to great acclaim and earned 4 stars from the Guardian. A recording of the concert with an interview by Paul Kildea of Olga Neuwirth was broadcast on February 5 in BBC Radio Three’s Hear & Now programme.
Soundings II offers another opportunity to meet today’s leading composers, watch them at work and hear their latest compositions, performed by some of the finest young musicians.

The programme will feature world premieres by Johannes Maria Staud and Johanna Doderer as well as first UK performances. In closed and open workshops the composers will rehearse their compositions with musicians. The two concerts in the salon of the Austrian Cultural Forum will take place on Wednesday May 18 at 12.00 noon and Thursday May 19 at 6.45pm (see programme). An exhibition of scores will also be shown in the Austrian Cultural Forum’s gallery.

Soundings will close with a plenary discussion led by the author and critic Annette Morreau on Friday May 20. Soundings is organised and curated by Andrea Rauter, Austrian Cultural Forum.

Artists
Mary Dullea, piano
Loré Lixenberg, mezzo–soprano
Clemens Kölbl, baritone
Darragh Morgan, violin
Rose Redgrave, viola
Robin Michael, cello
Roger Heaton, clarinet & bass clarinet
Rowland Sutherland, flute

Composers
Joe Cutler
Tansy Davies
Johanna Doderer
Reinhard Fuchs
Bryn Harrison
Marcel Reuter
Nick Shardlow
Johannes Maria Staud