大象传媒

Tectonics Glasgow enters its second decade with a spotlight on genre-defying vocalists & composers

Day and Weekend Passes available from 10am, Tuesday 13 February

• Spotlight on voice, electronics & improvisation, including British Afro-Caribbean vocalist Elaine Mitchener and leader of a Japanese experimental rock band, Koichi Makigami.
• 3 World Premieres & 3 UK Premieres with conductor Ilan Volkov and the 大象传媒 Scottish Symphony Orchestra, including 大象传媒 Commissions by Jack Sheen and Charles Uzor.
• Award-winning composer and turntablist Mariam Rezaei performs the UK premiere of 6 scenes for turntables and orchestra, composed with Matthew Shlomowitz.
• Violinist Ilya Gringolts performs 2 UK premieres by composers Salvatore Sciarrino and Mirela Ivi膷evi膰 (I&I Foundation commission)
• Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kate Armitage and her entourage perform 6 improvisations in the Recital Room, asserting that “common sense will not prevail”.

Tectonics Glasgow boldly marches into its second decade of experimentation and collaboration following a year when audiences were as strong and curious as ever. Tectonics co-curators Ilan Volkov (Principal Guest Conductor, 大象传媒 SSO) and Alasdair Campbell (Counterflows) say that’s largely down to the audience’s commitment to showing up with a thirst for discovery and surprises.

In 2024, the festival remains committed to pushing boundaries, blurring musical genres and celebrating the widest array of artists who are questioning what music can be. It is staged annually by the 大象传媒 Scottish Symphony Orchestra, with highlights featured on 大象传媒 Radio 3 and available to watch on the 大象传媒 SSO’s website. Artists from across the globe will join UK-based artists in Glasgow.

Several of this year’s genre-defying artists are known for their daring use of voice, electronics and improvisation: vocal and movement artist Elaine Mitchener reflects and responds to the circumstances which birthed the centuries-old hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ and its contemporary resonances; Leader of a Japanese experimental rock band, Koichi Makigami, performs with the legendary drummer Roger Turner; New York based vocalist Ka Baird combines their live performances within minimalistic, visceral compositions; and air becomes sound with another Japanese improviser, recorder player Eiko Yamada.

In Tectonics’ long-standing spirit of collaboration, Belfast-born Brian Irvine assembles amateur musicians of all ages and abilities to conjure spontaneous joy from THE IMAGINARY ORCHESTRA, with its concoction of notes, words, sounds, laughter and noise. And throughout the weekend in the Recital Room, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kate Armitage is joined by her four ‘favourite outcasts’ for a series of improvisations across the weekend (featuring THF Drenching, Dave Jackson, Helmut Lemke and Vymethoxy Redspiders).

International influences combine with traditions that are closer to home. In the Old Fruitmarket, award-winning duo Sarah-Jane Summers (fiddle) and Juhani Silvola (guitar) interweave Scottish traditional music with Scandinavian influences alongside the 大象传媒 SSO strings. And Edinburgh-based artists Euan Currie and Marlo De Lara present a live improvisation drawing on voices, electronics and field recordings.

Ilan Volkov will conduct the 大象传媒 Scottish Symphony Orchestra in three World Premieres and three UK Premieres, including 大象传媒 Commissions by British composer Jack Sheen and Swiss-Nigerian composer Charles Uzor. Plus, award-winning composer and turntablist Mariam Rezaei is the soloist in 6 scenes for turntables and orchestra, co-composed with Matthew Shlomowitz.

Composer Marc Yeats makes a welcome return to Tectonics Glasgow for the World Premiere of his work. Each orchestral player is a soloist in this timecode-supported polytemporal work, which fluctuates between states of perceptual obfuscation and clarity.

Also in the Grand Hall, Yaron Deutsch performs two major contemporary works for solo electric guitar by Pierluigi Billone and Andreas Dohmen. Both performances are UK Premieres of works written especially for Deutsch.

Ilan Volkov says: “On both evenings my friend and admired colleague, violinist Ilya Gringolts will join us to perform two UK premieres. This includes a fresh set of ‘Capricci’ for solo violin by Salvatore Sciarrino (just shy of 50 years after his first renowned series), and a work for violin and orchestra by Mirela Ivi膷evi膰, commissioned by the I&I Foundation.”

The I&I Foundation was founded by Ilya Gringolts and Ilan Volkov with a mission to bring together performers and composers, generating fully funded commissions which will lead to the creation of a diverse body of new music and the cultivation of enthusiastic audiences for new music around the world.

The majority of performances will be recorded for broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 3, while many performances will also be available to watch online (full details to be confirmed).

FESTIVAL PASSES £32 / £26 concession*

Book festival pass

A limited number of advance passes are available for the Festival. They allow entry to all events across the two days and are the best way to save money. Passes are only available to buy until Friday 26 April 2024 and subject to availability.

No refunds are available for partial use and passes are not transferrable.

DAY PASSES £22 / £16 concession*

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Book Sunday Pass

Day Passes allow access to events on just Saturday or Sunday. Please note that it is not possible to book for individual events in the festival. Concessions are available to students, unemployed and registered disabled. Proof of status is necessary.

Separate tickets for Kate Armitage in the Recital Room are booked on a first come, first serve basis at the beginning of each day from the City Halls Box Office. In order to book this free ticket, you must also have purchased either a Day Pass or Weekend Pass.