Featuring Joanna MacGregor / Elaine Mitchener / Tom Arthurs / Oliver Coates / Isambard Khroustaliov.

Graphic Scores encompasses a celebration of music and art featuring live performance from illustrious pianist Joanna MacGregor together with vocalist Elaine Mitchener, trumpeter Tom Arthurs, cellist Oliver Coates and electronic artist Isambard Khroustaliov. Performing a programme of contemporary classical, experimental and jazz this super group of artists reflect the range of composers who have explored the representation of music through the use of visual symbols.

Avant-garde and experimental composers such as Ligeti, Stockhausen, Xenakis, and Cage began using symbols in their work during the 50s and 60s. This programme features works by Stockhausen’s former assistant Cornelius Cardew, George Crumb, Cathy Berberian, Fred Frith, John Cage, Wadada Leo Smith and Jennifer Walshe against the extraordinary visual backdrop of their projected scores. The concert will also feature works by British artist and composer Tom Phillips RA, an instrumental figure in bringing John Cage to the UK and introducing Brian Eno to ideas which focused his development of ambient and generative music.

A pre-show talk will start the evening, hosted by Joe Scarffe who is a performer and researcher, currently in the final year of a PhD at Birmingham Conservatoire, exploring the performance practice of abstract notation and graphic environments. Joe is also the UK representative for the Notations 21 project, founded and directed by Theresa Sauer, and is currently involved in cross disciplinary projects with Theresa. Notations 21 profiles 160+ composers from around the world, demonstrating how widespread the practice of graphic scores has become.

More information at http://www.ocmevents.org/ocm/events/graphicscores