2010 celebrates George Benjamin, who turned fifty on 31 January.
His standing in the international community will be well reflected throughout the year with numerous performances of his works, plus festival residencies and dedicated portrait concerts to celebrate the occasion. Benjamin will be featured composer at the Aldeburgh Festival in the UK, and Music Director at the OJAI Festival in California and he will also be conducting some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and performing some of his piano works to audiences across the globe.
Here are just some of the concerts & residencies to look out for in 2010:
In the UK
4 February 2010
Dance Figures
Royal Festival Hall, London: Esa-Pekka Salonen/Philharmonia Orchestra
7 February 2010
Birthday portrait concert: Viola, Viola~ (choreographed+)/Piano Figures*/A Mind of Winter#/At First Light/Palimpsests
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London: Paul Silverthorne~, Eniko Magyar~ (vla) George Benjamin* (cond & pno)/Claire Booth (sop)#/London Sinfonietta/RAM Manson Ensemble/chor. Matthias Sperling+
June 2010
Featured composer at the Aldeburgh Festival
August 2010 (London)
Duet (London premiere)
Three Inventions for Chamber Orchestra
In the US
George Benjamin undertakes role as Phyllis C. Wattis Composer-in-Residence with the San Francisco Symphony in 2010
7, 8, 9 & 10 January 2010
Dance Figures/Jubilation
San Francisco, CA: David Robertson/San Francisco Symphony
14, 15, 16 January 2010
Duet/Ringed by the Flat Horizon
San Francisco, CA: Nicolas Hodges (pno)/San Francisco SO/George Benjamin
17 January 2010
Viola, Viola/Piano Figures
San Francisco, CA: Members of the San Francisco Symphony/George Benjamin (pno)
18, 19, 20 February 2010
Dance Figures
Avery Fisher Hall, New York: David Robertson/New York Philharmonic
19 March 2010
Octet
Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music, Rochester: University of Rochester/Brad Lubman
17 April 2010
Upon Silence
Boston: New England String Ensemble/Federico Cortese
George Benjamin is Music Director for the OJAI Festival in 2010
9 June 2010
Three Miniatures for Solo Violin
OJAI Festival, CA: Jagdish Mistry
11 June 2010
Into the Little Hill
OJAI Festival, CA: Anu Komsi/Ensemble Modern/George Benjamin/Hilary Summers
13 June 2010
At First Light/Viola, Viola
OJAI Festival, CA: Libbey Bowl/Ensemble Modern/George Benjamin
In Europe
16 January 2010
Viola, Viola
Laeiszhalle Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Germany: Tabea Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit
17 January 2010
Viola, Viola
WDR Studio Neue Musik, Cologne, Tabea Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit
20 January 2010
Upon Silence
Paris, France: Sit Fast
20 January 2010
Flight
Ultraschall Festival, Berlin, Germany: The Sheridan Ensemble
31 January 2010
Dance Figures
Ultraschall Festival, Berlin, Germany: Deutsche Symphonie Orchestra
6 March 2010
Shadowlines
Fribourg, Switzerland: Ueli Wiget
23 March 2010
Upon Silence
Archipel Festival, Geneva, Switzerland: Ensemble Contrechamps/Isabelle Henriquez/Peter Hirsch
24 April 2010
At First Light
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Ensemble Intercontemporain/Susanna Mälkki
6 May 2010
At First Light
Cite de la Musique, Paris, France: Ensemble Intercontemporain/Malkki
9 May 2010
At First Light
Triennale, Philharmonie Cologne, Germany: Ensemble Intercontemporain/Susanna Malkki
3 June 2010
Duet (Netherlands premiere)
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam: David Robertson/Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest/Pierre-Laurent Aimard
4 June 2010
Duet
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam: David Robertson/Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest/Pierre-Laurent Aimard
25 September 2010
At First Light
Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Amsterdam: Members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra/George Benjamin
2 & 3 December 2010
Into the Little Hill (Spanish premiere)/Viola, Viola
Barcelona, Spain: London Sinfonietta (tbc)