UYMP - News

February 2006

Thomas Simaku – Premières in York, Stuttgart and Miami

The Ensemble 10/10 of the Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Clark Rundell will give the UK première of Simaku's Réflexions de la Croix I for Chamber Ensemble in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York on 1st February 2006. This is the first piece of a tritptych of the same title – Réflexions de la Croix II and III being for large ensemble, and violin and ensemble respectively.
On 18th July, Réflexions de la Croix III will be performed at the ISCM – World Music Days Festival in Stuttgart by MusikFabrik – one of Germany's leading ensembles of modern music, conducted by Peter Rundel. A specialist in contemporary music, Mr Rundel regularly conducts the Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Recherche and Ensemble Intercontemporain, among others. Réflexions de la Croix III was given its world première by the Copenhagen Sinfonietta in 2005, and the main Danish newspaper Politiken described it as follows:
"This work was written for the brilliant Sheppard Skaerved, whose virtuoso violin playing fascinated the audience as it penetrated the ensemble's dynamic, streaming energy. The music is tumultuous and glistening, with a deeply convincing inner strength, structural integrity and an impressively thunderous character."
The internationally acclaimed cellist Madeleine Shapiro will give the American première of Simaku's Soliloquy II at the New Music Miami ISCM Festival on 8th April 2006. Based in New York, Ms Shapiro has performed both as soloist and member/director of the Consort Ensemble. She has toured the United States and Europe, and has participated in numerous première performances of works by such eminent composers as Cage, Wuorinen and Davidovsky.
Members of the London-based Uroboros Ensemble will give the London première of Ed e' subito sera for cello and piano on 31st May 2006. Based on the famous poem by the Nobel Prize-winning Sicilian poet Salvatore Quasimodo, this piece has now been performed across Europe. Most recently, it was performed at the 3rd Mediterranean Contemporary Music Festival.

About Thomas Simaku
Thomas Simaku's website