Next week is new music week

The week will include a broad range of events and will feature as its international artist in residence Megumi Masaki, professor of piano at Brandon University in Canada.

Masaki’s contribution will be multi-faceted, leading a masterclass on music written since 1950 in the Younger Hall Rehearsal Room on Wednesday, February 24 at 2.30pm and performing with electronic musician Keith Hamel in an innovative multimedia presentation entitled ‘Music 4 Eyes and Ears’ at the same venue on Tuesday, March 1 at 7.30pm.

Her contribution to the regular Music Talks series at 2.30pm on Wednesday, March 2, likewise in the Younger Hall Rehearsal Room, will draw on her experience working with the German Olympics team to tackle issues of performance anxiety in musicians.

Other events include Scotland’s contemporary music group the Red Note Ensemble presenting one of their signature ‘Noisy Nights’ in the Byre Theatre Bar at 10pm on Friday, February 26, during which the public are invited to take part in the ’10 Minute Composers’ Challenge’.

Public participation is also invited in a community workshop in the Younger Hall on the morning of Saturday, February 27 during which Sistema Scotland musician Iain Sandilands will guide musicians of all ages and abilities through Terry Riley’s iconic 1964 composition In C.

The performance of the piece in the Byre Theatre at 3pm on the same day will form part of the first of two concerts featuring American minimalism.

During this first, guitarist Lewis Dunsmore will also perform in Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, whilst University musicians will perform California composer John Adams’ masterpiece Shaker Loops.

The evening concert by the Bingham String Quartet, beginning at 7.30pm will include Steve Reich’s Grammy Award-winning composition Different Trains alongside music by Mozart and Janacek.

New Music Week will also include a lunchtime concert by the St Andrews New Music Ensemble and guests in the Byre Theatre at 1.10pm on Wednesday, March 2, their programme featuring music by Glasgow composer John de Simone and Igor Stravinsky’s chamber concerto ‘Dumbarton Oaks’.

Entrance to all New Music Week events is free with the exception of the Bingham Quartet’s concert (£10) and the March 2 lunchtime concert (£3).

For more information, or to register for participation in the In C workshop, please call the Music Centre on 01334 462226.