Blog

Steve Martland’s Horses of Instruction remains one of the defining works of his output, combining relentless rhythmic energy with remarkable compositional precision. A 2026 performance by the Bang on a Can All-Stars invites a renewed look at this influential score. 

Richard Wagner’s Rienzi returns to attention through a landmark event in 2026: its first-ever performance at the Bayreuth Festival. The occasion invites a fresh look at the composer’s early breakthrough work and its place within nineteenth-century opera.  

Trio Accanto is a group of three internationally prominent soloists bound together by a unique approach to chamber music. The ensemble has been praised for its "mastery" and "world-class interpretations.” 

The year is 1789. Under the reign of Louis XVI, King of France, the country has descended into chaos, a consequence of dire economic choices in the royal court alongside a bad harvest. Tension foments in the people of Paris, accelerating when Jacques Necker, Chief Minister, is dismissed, sparking fears of a conservative overhaul. On 14th July 1789, frustration boils over. Armed insurgents, mostly civilians with mutineers of the French Guard, storm the Bastille, symbolising royal authority. This siege marked the first stage of the French Revolution, a decade-long upheaval that resulted in the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and claimed an estimated 1.4 to 2 million lives in the ensuring Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars that followed.

Stefan Heucke’s Concert Variations receives its premiere in Münster, bringing a new orchestral work into the spotlight. The performance highlights a composer known for bridging tradition and contemporary language.

Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest transforms Oscar Wilde’s comedy into a sharp, high-velocity operatic experience. Premiered at Garsington Opera with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Douglas Boyd, the work exemplifies Barry’s distinctive musical voice.

A new concerto for accordion: Fazıl Say expands the instrument’s role on the concert stage. Premiered in Elphilharmonie Hamburg with Ksenija Sidorova, the work bridges diverse traditions and contemporary sound.

Atsuhiko Gondai’s opera ZEN abandons narrative in favour of sound as experience. Premiering in Tokyo in 2026, it invites a focused and wordless mode of listening.

Harald Weiss’s Darkness Project explores darkness and silence as spaces of heightened listening. Featured for its world premiere in Bremen on 21 June 2026.

Napoli milionaria is Nino Rota’s restrained operatic portrait of post‑war Naples, centred on survival and moral uncertainty. Work of the Week for the Bologna premiere on 12 June 2026.