It’s out!!
— Benjamin Oliver (@benolivermusic) July 25, 2022
New film, ANIL SOOD, by Alys Scott-Hawkins featuring new piece, A-listers, by me.
Played by @CliodnaShanahan, mixed by @Drew_soundslike, synth built @PROTODOME
Big thanks to @Ldn_Sinfonietta and especially Anil for sharing his story… https://t.co/cP7k71odd8
Tag Archives: Turner Sims
Playing the piano…
Back in March I played piano with the Dan Mar-Molinero orchestra on a strange gig bringing together AI and jazz. I’ve had a bit of a strange relationship with the piano over the years. I love playing jazz music in particular but also spent a lot of my 20s around serious players and lost confidence about my playing. Piano has remained central to my compositional practice though. More recently my mate Dan Mar-Molinero keeps asking me to do gigs like this one at Turner Sims. Playing with Jasper Hoiby and Julian Arguelles as well as many other great musicians in this project was fantastic. I like it. I want to do more. Here are some great photos from Ash from whatabouttheash.
Jazz as Social Machine
Excited to be playing piano as part of the Dan Mar-Molinero Jazz Orchestra at Turner Sims on 19 March. Super interesting project with another colleague from the University of Southampton Tom Irvine. We’ll be playing charts from Dan’s new album, sometimes with a jazz robot! What’s not to love!
Tickets available on Turner Sims website.
Conducting Stravinsky
I’m really excited to be musical director and conductor for the Performing Arts Collaboration South production of Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale. Lovely Turner Sims, great lineup of musicians, some wonderful actors and an awesome dancer. Should be pretty wonderful. Tickets: https://www.turnersims.co.uk/events/the-soldiers-tale/
In the Alps
I had blast directing the Hartley Loop Orchestra in a major University of Southampton Music Department project at Turner Sims, IN THE ALPS. We performed Richard Ayres’ masterpiece No 42. (In the Alps: an animated concert) featuring soprano Juliet Fraser (wearing an amazing garment made by students at Winchester School of Art), as well as Carnival of the Animals with soloists David Owen Norris and Verity Brooks and a brand new work, Shadows, by Zoe Sones. Was fantastic to work so closely with Southampton students and colleagues on the project and Juliet was AMAZING. Here are some pics by the massively talented Ash Sealy and a short audio excerpt.
eavesdropping.london · Juliet Fraser sings Richard Ayres ‘No. 42 — In the Alps’ (extract)
‘Changing Up +’ Video
Video now online of the premiere of my Changing Up + for solo percussionist and large ensemble from the recent SHIFTS project at Turner Sims. Joley Cragg totally nailed the percussion as did the HARTLEY Loop Orchestra, which features students and staff from the University of Southampton Music Department.
‘The Virus Within: Hearing HIV’ at Turner Sims
It was great to perform The Virus Within: Hearing HIV with Workers Union Ensemble and Chad Swanson at Turner Sims as part of the University of Southampton Science and Engineering Day 2019.
Some lovely feedback from the audience including:
” A fascinating window in composition”
” Amazing innovation. Meaningful. Science in musical language”
“Intellectual synethesia ending with hope”
My colleague Jeanice Brooks got some fantastic photos too…
SHIFTS
Had a fantastic time last week doing SHIFTS with students and colleagues from University of Southampton Music Department and brilliant percussionist Joley Cragg. Videos to come soon but here are a few pics, thanks to Amy Williamson.
Lois Vierk’s Red Shift 
Joley in my Changing Up +
SHIFTS
Super excited about a project I’m directing next month, SHIFTS, which will feature students from the University of Southampton Music Department performing as part of the Hartley Loop Orchestra at Turner Sims. We’ll be performing music by Steve Reich and Lois V. Vierk as well as new pieces by my super cool colleagues Drew Crawford and Brona Martin. I’ve written a new version of a solo percussion piece I wrote for the London Sinfonietta a few years ago – this time featuring large ensemble and called Changing Up + (rather than Changing Up!). Fellow Workers Union family member Joley Cragg is coming to play the solo part. More details on the poster below!
Live video of ‘Piano Trio (with whistles)’
On 27 November Aisha Orazbayeva (violin), Alice Purton (‘cello) and Mark Knoop (piano) performed my Piano Trio (with whistles), which I wrote in 2014 as part of their concert at the University of Southampton Music Department professional concert series. I’m pleased to have uploaded to Youtube a video of their fantastic performance:
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