Four full length and three short length pieces have been selected from our recent call out.
DIVERGENCE explores south Asian classical music in change, progress, transition and influence and this selection of new commissions represents a bold diversity of ideas, approaches, experiences and audaciousness.
Full length
ADESH SUNDARESAN – A wholesome, original exploration of improvisation in Carnatic music, including the ‘Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi
GIULIANO MODARELLI – Research and exploration into ancient forgotten ragas trough a contemporary aesthetic.
WILLIAM REES HOFMANN – Baadal Dvaar se Nazar (A Glimpse Through the Cloud Door), is a work for sarod and viola exploring both tradition and solitude through the dhrupad idiom on the sarod, and openness and experimentation through explorations of consonance, dissonance, harmony, timbre, and resonance on the viola.
DEEPA NAIR RASIYA AND MISHRA – Hindustani vocal concert experience reimagined: taking the traditional format and forms of a classical vocal recital as a framework for new instrumental explorations, developing the scope for accompaniment through arrangements drawing from UK folk and contemporary popular music influences.
Short Length
GEORGE HOWLETT – An all-acoustic trio setting of Raag Parameshwari, led by sruti-tuned steel-string guitar – plus an open-access ‘learning zone’ demystifying the raga for global listeners
AL MACSWEEN – This new work will explore ways of combining electronics, live-production, sampling and analogue synthesis, with Hindustani musical structures and instrumentation. It aims to sonically re-contextualise a Hindustani classical performance, exploring how an expanded sound world can enhance the mood, excitement and intensity of Indian classical music; whilst creating space for the musicians to interact with computer software and electronic instruments.
ROOPA PANESAR (untitled)
The zerOclassikal project has been a platform for emerging musicians from diverse heritages developing ‘British SACC (south Asian contemporary classical)’ musicianship, offering a radical approach by facilitating progressions, experiments and developments in the genre since 2013. The project challenges the conventions of ‘traditional’ labels of south Asian music by making sense of the contemporary that surrounds it.
Our project supports a very critical area in the SACC genre and UK contemporary classical music sector – of a generation of growing young musicianship trained from conservatoire standard teaching institutions but for whom professional development infrastructures have been limited.
Commissioning of new work has been our main activity, a genre innovation enabling progressive artistic interventions. In the last five years we have commissioned nine full length new works touring them to six national destinations of a touring circuit that we built ourselves, while our monthly showcases have platformed emerging artists and work in progress commissions as part of our Artist Development programme – aiming to build industry hitherto not existent due to culture and sector issues forming barriers to involvement. The programme has also supported a successful Sky Award and individual ACE funded tours for many artists.. more here
We are now entering our second phase with new commissions, re-launching our regular showcases, increase touring, setting up artist management and a recording label.
