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Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is the largest festival of its type in the UK, a truly international focus on the best in contemporary and new music. Founded in 1978, in the thirty plus years since, it has hosted numerous luminaries in the world of contemporary composition, including John Cage, Steve Reich, Harrison Birtwistle and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Over the next five weeks, Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Robert Worby will be bringing you highlights from the 2010 festival, including World Premieres from Richard Barrett and Brian Ferneyhough and UK Premieres from Karlheinz Stockhausen, Peter Adriaansz and the festival's composer-in-residence Rebecca Saunders, alongside a host of other concert performances. Plus reports on some of the more unusual events at the festival, including a concert on a train, a musical powerpoint presentation from composer Trond Reinholdsten and a 12 hour performance of John Cage.

In tonight's programme, string music features heavily, with Mauricio Kagel's String Quartet II, the UK Premiere of a new work by Enno Poppe for four string quartets, and Martijn Padding's violin concerto 'White Eagle'. Robert Worby will also be talking to Michael Finnissy about the UK Premiere of his new work 'Gedachtnis-Hymne' and Sara Mohr-Pietsch explores noise art from the Low Frequency Orchestra.

PLAYLIST

ENNO POPPE Wald (UK Premiere)
Ensemble Resonanaz

MARICIO KAGEL
Streichquartet II
Quatuor Bozzini

MARTIJN PADDING White Eagle
Ensemble 10/10

MICHAEL FINNISSY Gedächtnis-Hymne (UK Premiere)
New London Chamber Choir
Rascher Quartet