UK first

“Hodges is a refreshing artist; he plays the classics as if they were written yesterday, and what was written yesterday as if it were already a classic.”

– Tempo Magazine

Venture into the unknown with BCMG and enjoy a concert packed with premieres (two world and three UK) and awe-inspiring soloists!

Widely acknowledged as an expert in the field of contemporary and French music, conductor Franck Ollu brings a host of UK premieres to this concert, introducing a clutch of composers new to BCMG. Dalbavie, Dusapin, Durieux and Gaussin – all noted French composers – can list the composing greats Messiaen, Xenakis, Donatoni and Boulez amongst their various teachers.

In the spirit of adventure, BCMG opens this concert with the premiere of a new piece by Swedish composer Ivo Nilsson, who studied when young with Allain Gaussin in Paris. His music is full of nervous energy, with a bright, glittering surface and Rapidità, commissioned by BCMG at Ollu’s recommendation, will form the first of an eventual six-part series of works for European ensembles.

Nilsson’s wonderfully titled Doppler Wobbler, a double concerto for viola, bassoon and ensemble, is one of several soloistic pieces in the programme. Nicolas Hodges, a pianist with a special prowess in contemporary music, joins BCMG for the UK premiere of Dusapin’s Jetzt Genau. Gaussin’s Mosaïque Céleste is a chamber concerto showcasing the world-class players that make up the ensemble.