News Release
Once more – all together
Endangered instruments focus culminates in concert bringing all five together in special soundfestival commissions:
- festival also sees the return of Breton piper extra-ordinaire, Erwan Keravec with his quartet, Sonneurs
- festival runs from 26 – 30 October 2022
soundfestival has released the first details of the 2022 programme today, 7 July. The festival will run from 26 – 30 October in venues across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire with a programme of concerts, composition and performance workshops and family events, and feature Scottish, UK and World Premieres including pieces specially-commissioned by sound.
Since 2017 the acclaimed new music festival has been highlighting “endangered” instruments starting with the bassoon followed by the viola, the oboe, the horn and the double bass. For the 2022 festival sound now brings these five instruments together. Former artists-in-residence Garth Knox (viola, 2018), Nicholas Daniel (oboe, 2019) and Ben Goldschieder (horn, 2020) return and are joined by Emily Hultmark (bassoon) and Elise Dabrowski (Double Bass). Each musician will give a recital as well as coming together in a concert featuring specially-commissioned works by Daniel Kidane, Electra Perivolaris and Lisa Robertson.
Also returning to soundfestival this year is the virtuoso Breton piper, Erwan Keravec. In addition to giving a solo recital Keravec will perform with his quartet, Sonneurs, which makes its UK debut in a concert featuring the World Premiere of a new work by Laura Bowler. Sonneurs brings together the instruments of the Breton piping tradition: the historic bombard (a precursor of the oboe), biniou kozh (one of the earliest Breton bagpipe) and the Scottish bagpipes along with the specially invented trélombarde (played by Erwan’s brother Guénolé) which acts as a counterpoint to the pipes and bombard.
“This year we will conclude our focus on endangered instruments in series of solo performances and with a very special concert bringing together all five instruments in works we have commissioned for this very unusual ensemble from three young and exciting composers, Daniel Kidane, Electra Perivolaris and Lisa Robertson,” says soundfestival Director, Fiona Robertson.
“We are delighted to welcome back three of our former artists in residence, Garth Knox, Nicholas Daniel and Ben Goldscheider along with Emily Hultmark and Elise Dabrowski.”
“Through the concerts, composition workshops, focus days and events with young people, we hope that over the years we have helped to raise awareness of the special qualities of these five instruments and encouraged more young people to consider taking them up.”
“Also returning this year is the astonishing Breton piper Erwan Keravec with his quartet, Sonneurs. I am pleased to announce that for the quartet’s UK debut we have co-commissioned a new piece from Laura Bowler, whose piece ‘Distance’ for soprano Juliet Fraser in Aberdeen with Talea Ensemble live streamed from New York was a highlight of 2021 soundfestival.”
Full details of the 2022 soundfestival will be announced later in the summer.
