Pulse and Presence: John Adams' Chamber Symphony
In a portrait of modern creativity by the London Sinfonietta, three voices of contemporary music converge in striking contrast and resonance.
Opening the concert, Alex Paxton’s sound world is frenetic and multilayered – a high-bandwidth flood of sound that dazzles the ear.
By contrast, Tansy Davies writes with ritualistic poise, her meditative sonorities unfolding in slow arcs, always with a sense of direction and flow.
Louis Andriessen’s Zilver is a motoric work, moving through serene bursts of sound, rhythmic motion and a dancelike climax. As Bach did for organ, Zilver‘s creation is a chorale variation. It’s elegant, punchy and constantly engaging.
Completing the journey, John Adams’ chamber ensemble piece is witty and energetic, a classic construction that sparkles with invention, and serves as a virtuosic showcase for the London Sinfonietta.
Performers
London Sinfonietta
Christian Karlsen conductor
Repertoire
Alex Paxton: Scrunchy Touch Sweetly to Fall (UK premiere)
Tansy Davies: Soul Canoe (London premiere)
Interval
Andriessen: Zilver
John Adams: Chamber Symphony
Need to know
Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer at 6.30pm: pre-concert talk with composers Tansy Davies and Alex Paxton, led by CEO and Artistic Director of the London Sinfonietta, Andrew Burke. Admission free.
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.