Aldeburgh Festival extends by a week to pump out new music

Next summer’s Aldeburgh Festival will occupy the entire month of June.

It will include 41 first performances, including a debut opera by Tom Coult, several works by the UK-Lebanese composer Bushra El-Turk and a tribute theme for the late Oliver Knussen. Roger Wright has nailed a coat of many colours to his seaside mast.

See the staggering list of new stuff below. Much of it is so new it has yet to be titled.

ALDEBURGH FESTIVAL 2022 New music – premieres and commissions
Britten Pears Arts commissions
 Tom Coult: Violet – first performance, BPA commission
 Laura Bowler: Houses Slide (new version) – first performance, BPA commission
 Joanna Ward: installation – first performance, BPA commission
 Laura Shipsey: New work for soprano & small ensemble – first performance, BPA commission
 Robin Haigh: The Dreamers – first performance, BPA commission
 Kogg (Selena Kay/Cerys Hogg): new work – first performance, BPA commission
 Aine Mallon: new work for ORA – first performance, BPA commission
 Jasmine Morris: Animal Farm – first performance, BPA commission
 Omri Kochavi: new work for BBC Singers – first performance, BPA commission
 Graham Fitkin: new work for 2 pianos/8 hands – first performance, BPA commission
 Gavin Higgins: Faerie Bride – first performance, BPA commission
 Farzia Fallah: This Burning Mass, A Feast of Colours – first performance, BPA commission
 Bushra El-Turk: Percussion Concerto – first UK performance, BPA commission
 Bushra El-Turk: new work for string quartet – first performance, BPA commission
 Emily Hazrati: new work – first performance, BPA commission
 Francisco Coll: Piano Trio – first UK performance, BPA commission
 Mark-Anthony Turnage: Songs of Sleep and Regret – first performance, BPA commission
 Colin Matthews: O for soprano and ensemble – first performance, BPA commission
Other first performances
 Oliver Knussen: Cleveland Pictures
 Blair Boyd: Behind the Pattern
 Laura Shipsey: The Time Being
 Alex Paxton: Spudspangle
 Euchar Gravina: with tunes of maybe-elation
 Theo Chandler: In the Divining Lair
 Ryan Wigglesworth:  Five Waltzes (orchestral version – first public performance)
 John Hopkins: Corona di Sonetto (excerpts)
 Nahre Sol: new work for Ema Nikolovska
 Hilary Campbell: new work for BBC Singers
 Gavin Higgins: Exstasis
 Zoe Martlew: Salamander – first public performance
 Soosan Lolovar: undone – first public performance
 Alexander Goehr: Four Duos for violin and viola
 Magnus Lindberg: Promenade for piano
 Esa-Pekka Salonen: new work for solo cello
 Tansy Davies: new work for solo cello
 Charlotte Bray: new work for solo cello
 Sean Shepherd: new work for solo cello
 Rob Zuidam: new work for solo cello
 Helen Grime: new work for solo cello
 Ryan Wigglesworth: new work for solo cello
 Zoe Martlew: new work for solo cello

 Augusta Read Thomas: new work for solo cello
 Hans Abrahamsen: new work for solo cello
 Harrison Birtwistle: new work for solo cello
First UK performances
 Bushra El Turk: Ostina-bush-to
 Kaija Saariaho: Lullaby
 Brad Lubman: For Anssi for OK
 Mark-Anthony Turnage: Song for Big Owl
 Jo Kondo: A Song for the Owl
 Poul Ruders: Last Post – a tune for Olly
 Gregor A. Mayhofer: Recycling Concerto
 Philip Cashian: The Art of Memory
 Colin Matthews: Three Fragments
 Detlev Glanert: Little Letter for Olly
 Julian Anderson: Maisema