solem quartet + alice zawadzki
29 march 2024 / 8pm / belgrave music hall, leeds
100% funded (sold out)
Solem Quartet are joined by Alice Zawadzki to play music by Steve Reich and Kate Bush in Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds
7pm: doors open
7.30pm: last entry
8pm: solem quartet + alice set
what are noisenights?
noisenights are our vision for the future of classical music: crowdfunded gigs taking world-leading musicians to iconic independent venues.
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At the centre of every noisenight is a one-hour classical set. We platform international soloists and ensembles while also giving opportunities to outstanding new artists. All noisenights take place in gig venues where you get to experience classical music up close.
Live music needs your backing more than ever. Backing a noisenight means getting tickets to hear the world's best performers in grassroots venues and being part of a community working for a positive future for live music. Putting it simply, you giving your backing will make this gig happen and secure you a ticket.
After a noisenight reaches its funding target, we'll e-mail all backers to confirm it and a small amount of extra tickets will be made available. Tickets are released in four stages, which increase in price the closer to the event they're purchased. Book early to get the best price.
Please note that due to the venue's license, this noisenight is strictly 14+.
the venue:
Located in Leeds’ Northern Quarter, Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen first opened its doors in 1934 as Leeds Children’s Palace; a 3-storey recreation hall and nursery built to provide childcare support for the working families of Leeds.
After many years of neglect, the building has been restored to its former glory, boasting two bars, a roof terrace, and a room which hosts live music and local artists' exhibitions.
the music:
Solem Quartet will present their latest collaboration with Alice Zawadzki, featuring Steve Reich’s Grammy-winning Different Trains for string quartet and tape, and songs by Kate Bush, newly arranged for the ensemble by violinist William Newell.
solem quartet:
Praised for their “immaculate precision and spirit” (The Strad) and “cultured tone” (Arts Desk), Solem Quartet have established themselves as one of the most innovative and adventurous quartets of its generation.
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A 2020 awardee of the Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund, one of 33 artists selected from more than 1200 applicants, the Solem Quartet takes its place amongst some of the UK’s brightest artistic voices, with award recipients spread across practices including music, theatre, opera, circus, dance, live art and performance.
They enjoy a busy concert schedule, ranging from international tours in Asia and Europe to performances at venues such as London’s Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth Halls, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Oxford’s Holywell Music Room, and have built a strong following since winning the Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Competition 2014.
Passionate about collaborating with the composers of their time, the Quartet have worked closely with Anna Meredith, Colin Matthews and Thomas Adès and recently gave the UK premiere of Jonny Greenwood’s Suite from “There Will be Blood” (for string quartet) at the V&A Museum. The success of their ground-breaking ‘Solem Lates’ concept, created in 2019 with the aim of presenting classical music in a fresh way and reaching broader audiences, has underlined the Quartet’s position as leading exponents of new music. Past ‘Solem Lates’ projects have included bringing music for quartet + electronics to nightclubs around the UK, performing Bartók’s 3rd Quartet from memory, and collaborating with Picturehouse Cinemas to bring Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster to life through live score performances alongside the iconic film.
The Solem Quartet are widely known for their thoughtfully curated programmes. In ‘Beethoven Bartók Now’, the group’s current ‘Solem Lates’ project, they present the works of these two giants alongside six major commissions, bringing new life and relevance to these iconic masterpieces; a wealth of digital content and educational activity surrounds each performance. One such component of this far-reaching project is ‘Writing for Quartet’, generously supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society, a biannual online workshop for composers of all backgrounds.
alice zawadzki:
Loosely connected to the jazz world but realistically inhabiting her own realm, Alice Zawadzki is a vocalist, violinist, songwriter and composer based in London, with considerable repute as “a genuine original” (The Guardian), and a distinctive and individual presence on the creative European music scene.
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Alice’s rich musical background and “whimsical hyper-creativity” (MOJO Magazine) create a sound which draws upon her early exposure to New Orleans jazz and gospel with the legendary Lillian Boutté who took Alice under her wing and on tour as a teenager, an extensive classical training as a violinist, and a continuous exploration of improvisation, poetry, and folk music from diverse traditions, “all propelled in a voice of velvet suppleness and gutsy emotional power” (The Arts Desk).
She performs extensively as both a soloist and as a collaborator, with headline performances at major UK venues and festivals, including the Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, the London Jazz Festival, the Vortex, Celtic Connections, and internationally at festivals from Taipei International Jazz Festival (Taiwan) to Coventry Calling (Massachusetts, USA) to Sűdtirol Jazz Festival (Italy), Ottawa Chamber Music Festival (Canada), Musicá Impopular (Brazil), Usina Del Arte (Argentina) and many more.
Her 2019 release, ‘Within You Is A World Of Spring’ (Whirlwind Recordings), was described by Jazzwise Magazine as 'a cornucopia of delights', and features a who’s-who of celebrated players, including guitarist Rob Luft, bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado, pianist, drummer and producer Fred Thomas, taegum player Hyelim Kim, and the Amika string quartet. This second solo album was met with vigorous critical praise, including being awarded Contemporary Album of the Month by The Guardian newspaper in October 2019, making the Top 20 Albums of 2019 from John Fordham and Jazzwise Magazine, as well as a host of other warm national and international reviews, BBC and Jazz FM radio play, live radio sessions, and a nomination for British Vocalist of the Year from Jazz FM.
Rewards: standing tickets to noisenight95 at 8pm on Friday 29 March 2024 at Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds. First-come, first-served for the best views.
In order to qualify for a concession ticket, you must be in receipt of Universal or Pension Credit, in full-time education, a Blue Badge holder, or under the age of 25. There are a strictly limited number of concession tickets available for each event. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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