Bristol New Music

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*** Due to the ongoing impact of Coronavirus, Bristol New Music will not be taking place as scheduled. They are working to reschedule events where possible. ***

Returning for its fourth edition, from 23-26 April 2020 Bristol New Music proposes an adventurous exploration of the city through sound, with artists from across the radius of contemporary music gathering for four days of newly commissioned works, sonic responses to rarely used spaces, landmark concert hall programmes, club nights, gallery exhibitions and film programmes.

The much-anticipated weekend will offer audiences the opportunity to take in a bespoke performance in the vaults below the Clifton Suspension Bridge, witness the intricacy of 100 keyboards playing simultaneously across the floor of St George’s and experience the work of musician, mystic and laughter meditation practitioner Laraaji.

Artists featuring at this year’s festival include Japanese conceptualist Asuna, Oscar nominated composer Mica Levi leading a graphic scores workshop and Manchester based sound artist Kelly Jane Jones – whose commission will appear in the suspension bridge vaults. Cutting-edge UK club/electronic alchemists Beatrice Dillon and James Massiah will be appearing, as well as Welsh new music ensemble Uproar, Bristol-based provocateur Miguel Prado and local musician Yas Clarke, who presents The Thicket – a sound piece for four vocalists.

Bristol New Music is a collaboration between five key organisations in the city: Colston Hall, Arnolfini, Spike Island, St George’s Bristol and the University of Bristol. The 2020 edition is produced by Qu Junktions.

Tickets:
Festival Passes
Early Bird Festival Pass - £50
Festival Pass (2nd release) - £70
Festival Pass (3rd release) - On Sale Soon
Festival Pass (concession)  - £50

Day Passes
Thursday 23 April: Opening Concert (Midori Takada) - £18.50
Friday 24 April: Day Pass - £20
Saturday 25 April: Day Pass - £35
Sunday 26 April: Day Pass - £25

Individual Event Tickets
On sale now!

Selected highlights of the 2020 Bristol New Music programme:
Asuna: 100 Keyboards, St George’s Bristol, Friday 24th April, 8.30 pm
Maverick Japanese conceptualist Asuna presents a sonically and visually arresting site-specific live work featuring over one hundred battery-powered analogue keyboards laid out in formation across the floor of the St George’s Bristol concert hall, each emanating sound waves on the same frequency to create an astonishing moiré pattern of sound interference.

Beatrice Dillon + Klein + Carl Stone + Viridian Ensemble, Arnolfini, Friday 24th April, 9.45pm — 2am
A heavyweight late-night line-up of cutting-edge performances in the Arnolfini theatre, with some of the freshest UK electronic and improv protagonists alongside an American sample culture and sound art auteur.

Kelly Jane Jones: Sedimentary Stone Tape, Clifton Suspension Bridge Vaults, Saturday 25th April, hourly from 12.00 - 6.00 pm
Artist Kelly Jane Jones creates a new, bespoke performance for intimate groups, retrieving deep time resonances from the rock in a vaulted chamber long hidden under Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Note: this event is not included in day or festival passes. Tickets for this event will be available soon

Laraaji, Arnolfini, Sunday 26th April, 8.00 pm
Bringing Bristol New Music to a close is a performance by charismatic cult New York ambient/new age legend Laraaji, who comes to Bristol for the first time in five years. Support from new London collective caroline.