Ada Lovelace: Imagining the Analytical Engine Saturday 2 November 2019 6.30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

Emily Howard Ada sketches interval 20 minutes Patricia Alessandrini Ada’s Song Shiva Feshareki Perpetual Motion (in two contrasting movements) Emily Howard But then, what are these numbers? PRiSM Team led by Robert Laidlow Alter Emily Howard curator Marta Fontanals-Simmons mezzo-soprano Britten Sinfonia William Cole conductor Ursula Martin, Sydney Padua & Conrad Shawcross panellists Andrew McGregor compere All the music in this concert apart from Emily Howard’s ‘Ada sketches’ has been commissioned by the Barbican and receives its world premiere tonight Supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations

The music will be introduced by the composers with contributions from the panellists Part of Barbican Presents 2019–20

Please do ... Turn off watch alarms and phones during the performance. Please don’t ... Take photos or make recordings during the performance. Use a hearing aid? Please use our induction loop – just switch your The City of hearing aid to T setting on entering the hall. Corporation is the founder and principal funder of Programme produced by Harriet Smith; the Barbican Centre advertising by Cabbell (tel 020 3603 7930) 2 she hascurated thisevening’s concert.Two mathematics andsowe’re delighted that those parallel interests inmusicand Emily Howard isacomposerwhoshares of thelanguage of musicitself. and was fascinated by thepossibilities interests; sheplayed several instruments important were Ada Lovelace’s musical merely thestuffof dreams. Butjustas in anera whensuchmachines were publishing thefirst computer programme visionary whoisbestremembered for gifts of Ada Lovelace, a19th-century evening we celebrate theextraordinary technology ischangingeverything. This what itmeansto behumaninanera when Barbican’s Life Rewired, whichexplores Welcome to tonight’s event, partof the Welcome Head of Music Huw Humphreys enlightening experience. Ihopeyou enjoy it. It promises to beanextraordinarily ranging panelof creative thinkers. discussion from asuitably wide- In addition to music,there is soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons. by Britten Sinfonia andrisingmezzo- world premiere performances, given by theBarbicanandreceiving their led by Robert Laidlow, commissioned Shiva Feshareki and thePRiSMteam are new piecesby Patricia Alessandrini, both inspired by Lovelace. Alongsidethese of herworks are beingperformed tonight, singing arias from Bellini’s arias singing about wrote and flute, and harp the played (she music for love abundant Her time. her of ahead well perceptions to leading leaps, creative giant such make to her enabled that ones inclinations in combination with her scientific artistic her was it believe Ido interdisciplinarity. Lovelace’s of inherent importance the about think to us encourage also will event tonight’s engineering and My mathematics. hope is that role model for women in science, technology, important an as celebrated now rightly quite is programming, computer of apioneer Lovelace, programme. tonight’s in (2011), hear will you work first the Icomposed since ever scientists, and mathematicians with collaboration of love my on and output, creative my own on influence growing and asignificant had has humanity Ada Lovelace’s contribution to visionary Adaon Lovelace HowardTonight’s Emily curator Lovelace: Imagining the Analytical Engine’ and I I and Engine’ Analytical the Imagining Lovelace: ‘Ada event evening’s Barbican this to contribute and curate to privilege areal been has It extent’. or complexity of degree any of music of pieces scientific and ‘elaborate by composing numbers process than more do eventually might computers that vision programming prescient her communicated she which in language the Lovelace Norma Ada sketches sketches Ada ) gave ) gave share experiences across disciplines that will will that disciplines across experiences share and Lovelace, Ada of spirit the in science, and music together bring may we Sinfonia, Britten and Fontanals-Simmons Marta performers outstanding with work to Music) of College Northern Royal the at based &Music Science in &Research Practice for Centre (the PRiSM from Laidlow Robert by composer led scientists and musicians of team aground-breaking as well as – Shawcross Conrad artist and Padua Sydney graphic author Martin, Ursula mathematician – disciplines different across experts Lovelace renowned with together Feshareki, Patriciacomposers and Alessandrini Shiva leading by inviting that, my hope been has It … thinking is visionary that what Iwonder and something that is going to change everything about now right thinking somebody be must There humanity?’ of future the about implicitly, and technology, of future the about imagining be Lovelace Ada today’s might ‘What mind: my of forefront the at been has question one process, the Throughout project. the in involved been has who everyone thank to like would based atbased the Royal College of Music. Northern &Music Science in &Research Practice for Centre the PRiSM, of Director is Howard Emily Composer Howard © Emily us. of all for insights new to lead

3 Programme notes 4 and they developed a close working new Engine, calculating machine, the Analytical by Babbage’s intrigued was Ada 1833. June in inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage the to Ada introduced who Somerville, Mary scientist eminent the was Ada’s of tutors Another mathematician. a and asocialite both as renown unusual had teens, late by her and, educated well extremely was madly, she badly, even behaved still occasion on Ada While harp. the and flute the play to learnt she and skill important an considered also was Music UCL). (now London of University founded newly the at Mathematics of Professor first the Morgan, De Augustus and geometry, and algebra astronomy, in instruction Ada gave who Frend, They included Cambridge scholar William mind. her discipline to tutors well-qualified of astring in brought that programme educational arigorous her for devised Annabella patterns, behavioural Byronic developing from daughter her prevent to Determined old. 8years was she when 1816 Greece in died and in good for left who Byron, Lord met never Ada mother. by her spread were which of father, many her surrounded that scandals the and by illness beset childhood difficult a had Ada separated, parents her before 1815, 10 on weeks afew December Born just mathematical ability. demonstrated from childhood considerable Milbanke, Annabella Lady mother her of influence the under who, and Byron Lord poet renowned the was father whose someone for description apt science’. an is It ‘poetical undertaking as herself to referred known, commonly is she as Lovelace, Ada myththe sketches’, reveals behind woman the of ‘Ada librettist Tunbridge, Laura AdaMeet Lovelace the next century as a forerunner of computer computer of aforerunner as century next the in hailed Ada’s was that work Engine’ Analytical the to ‘Notes the of basis the on is It profession. a have to awoman for inappropriate considered still was it that reminder a A L: initials the under 1843, September published in Taylor’s was article Her numbers. Bernoulli of table a compute to processed be might algorithm an how proposed and calculation pure beyond go to machine the of potential the explained she G, Ato which in labelled notes, extended with article the supplemented and so did She English. into article the translate to asked was Genève de universelle Bibliothèque the in published was it French; into translated Menabrea, Luigi Italian, ayoung Turin,of which University the at alecture given had Babbage number’. 1840 of In enchantress ‘the as her described famously relationship; Babbage infamies, from Ada’s own extra-marital affairs affairs Ada’s from extra-marital own infamies, by further marked was decade The friendship. a up struck had Ada whom with Augusta) half-sister poet’s the of (daughter Leigh Medora of father the was Byron that revealed Annabella 1841, In rancorous. more ever became mother own her with Ada’s relationship achievements, (1839–1906). Gordon her Ralph all Yet despite (1837–1917) (1836–1862),Byron Annabella and children: three had They Somerset. Combe, Ashley in Manor Worthy and London, in house a Torridon, Loch on estate Surrey, aScottish in Park Ockham residences: several had family The Lovelace. Ada colloquial more the than rather Lovelace of Countess King, Ada Lady as to referred be should Ada technically that meaning 1838, in Lovelace of Earl made was 1835; in he King William Lord married had Ada programming. Scientific Memoirs in 1842. Ada 1842. in Ada

in in decade ago and I subsequently spent a serious aserious spent Isubsequently and ago decade a over was That mathematics. and science in interest my own of because me with strongly resonate might that subject opera an as Lovelace sketches (and musicologist to grateful be always I will history. in position own her contemplate to Lovelace causing own, its of alife gains equation the to solution amusical works, she As computer. first world’s the for aprototype Engine, Babbage’sCharles hypothetical 1842 Analytical by solved equation amathematical explores she as discoveries creative different of a number experiences mezzo-soprano) by the (represented Lovelace as processes creative with concerned of mathematician Ada Lovelace. The work is world inner an imagines that ensemble chamber dramatic 2011, in Composed Marta Fontanals-Simmons sketches Ada Howard Emily hocus-pocus like more seems now mesmerism and phrenology about Ada’s curiosity While system. betting alarge-scale devise to disastrously, system’. attempted, She nervous the of ‘a as calculus described she which feelings, and thoughts produce nerves and brain the how for model amathematical creating in interest her expressed she year following The (& Metaphysician).’ Analyst an be Ishall as Poet a such been) have could (or ever was father my that believe not Ido be. to it for my genius Ifeel do irresistible more the Istudy, more ‘The 1843: in Babbage to wrote She ideas. scientific with imaginatively engage to continued Throughout all this tumult, personal Ada jewels. family even and money of deal agreat lost she which through habit, gambling pronounced her to Luigi Menabrea’s ‘Sketch of the Analytical Engine Engine Analytical the of ‘Sketch Menabrea’s Luigi of Lovelace’s translation with time of amount librettist) Laura Tunbridge for suggesting suggesting for Tunbridge Laura librettist) scena for mezzo-soprano and and mezzo-soprano for Ada sketchesAda

is a short ashort is (2011) (2011) mezzo-soprano (born 1979)(born Ada Ada Invented by Charles Babbage’ (1842), and even (1842), even and Babbage’ by Charles Invented Tunbridge ©Laura note Programme father. her to next vault, family the in buried was she request, her At ancestry. her with Nottinghamshire, and somehow made peace in Abbey Newstead home, ancestral Byron the Yet visited had off. 1850 in Ada broken were Relations with Ada’s husband long-suffering conversion. religious her encouraging and her see could who restricting illness, final her during daughter opium-riddled her over power her reasserted 1852. Annabella 27 November on died she cancer, which of by uterine overtaken were months last her life; her throughout illness of periods several suffered Ada 19th century. the during interests her in alone not was she science, hard than complexity or extent.’ or complexity of degree any of music of pieces scientific and elaborate compose might Engine the adaptations, and expression such of susceptible harmony and of musical composition were of science the in sounds pitched of relations fundamental the that for instance, ‘Supposing, influenced vision of computing modern that strongly prescient following the include These insight. alongside conceptual speculations of great elegant mathematical explanations presented several are There time. her of world scientific male-dominated the in write to permitted not was she paper the for compensate than more Lovelace’s Notes words, 000 20 around At contributions to future computing. far-reaching their with Notes’ ‘Translator’s longer with the accompanying and visionary Ada sketchesAda

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5 Programme notes 6 Harmonically concatenated. related, Fundamentally notes. are there numbers of instead suppose just suppose, sequence afibonacci follow powers The four. Thirty … thirteen, eight, the to on, so And five. of power the to by two three gives squared by two by three cubed by two Three cubed. by two three get to by two by three Again squared. by two three give to by itself by two Three reduced. be can steps of number the But, times. thirty-six by itself answer the multiply and by two three divide could we course, Of operations. the directing for proper cards the engine the into put now We must thirty-six. nequals and two bequals three, aequals that Suppose sketches Ada interval thus:- them We represent may process. whole the complete to multiplications eight and divisions two all, In thirty-six. the to by two three get to squared by two three by afinal Multiply myself. of ahead I’mBut, getting future. the making machine Iam madness Iam music I am celebrated! Universally Calculated! Calibrated! Celebrated! fork? by atuning struck if as resonate Ada Will my name? remember world the will melodies, its composes engine the When in? Ifit will Where Scientific music music. Elaborate music. compose might engine the engine, the Then Text Text nerves to feelings. to nerves and thought, to rise give could brain the how for model system’: amathematical nervous the of a‘calculus develop to wished she that wrote and hypnosis developed by physician Franz Mesmer, of aforerunner mesmerism, in dabbled Lovelace System Nervous ofthe Calculus concerto titled sketchesAda The Lovelace Trilogy Lovelace The 20minutes Mesmerism is one of three works collectively collectively works three of one is and the orchestral work work orchestral the and , alongside the piano (both 2011). Programme note © Emily Howard ©Emily note Programme 7 minutes. approximately lasts work The Studio. House’s Linbury Opera Royal the at (Lixenberg) performance 12 on 2011. staged May London afirst received It Forum, Cultural Austrian the at (percussion) Clifford Adam and (clarinet) Tom(flute), Lessels Sutherland Rowland (Lovelace), Lixenberg Loré sketchesAda was first performed in concert by by concert in performed first was note-by-note segmentsof several recordings a similarityalgorithmto match automatically mixing thedifferent recordings together, Iused exploration of expressivity. Rather thanmanually all made itaninteresting subjectfor an large degree of difference intheinterpretations rendering of apoeticand unusualtext, andthe over theregularly repeating ground pattern, its Hosanna to thehighest On thisoccasion,IchoseHenryPurcell’s means to heighten thedifferences between them. making atranscription of thismix,usingvarious recordings of it,mixingthesetogether andthen involves choosing apiece,finding multiple interpret existing piecesof music.Thisprocess a process related to my previous works which music. Firstof all,IusedAIto create ascore, in relationship to interpretation andexpressivity in and explores AI-assisted composition andits including composingmusic–andlimitations, theorisation of notions of AI,itspossibilities– Ada’s Song the nature of expressivity. learn to compose,how styleisformulated, and using AImay beableto tell usabouthow humans to humancomposition;andwhatmusiccreated may beachieved usingAIbeyond verisimilitude AI: its‘complexity orextent’; whatdistinctqualities questions aboutthenature of musicmade using extent’. Over 150 years later, we are stillexploring pieces of musicof any degree of complexity or machine could‘composeelaborate andscientific abstract scienceof operations’, suchthata relations couldbeexpressed by thoseof the as anexample inwhich‘mutualfundamental to thecreation of music:shechosecomposition imaginings of Artificial Intelligence (AI)applied Ada Lovelace iscredited withthefirst published interactive pianomachine. Ada’s Song Marta Fontanals-Simmons Song Ada’s Patricia Alessandrini to oneinstrumental transcription without voice. takes asaprompt Lovelace’s isfor mezzo-soprano, ensembleand : thefluidity of themelody

(2019) world premiere mezzo-soprano yet inscribesitselfinthesonicworld of the distinct from theperformance of themusicians, by themachine-learning process isphysically they have beenperformed. Themusiccreated just of whatnotes have beenplayed, butof according to whatithas‘learned’,interms not ‘playing’ thepianothrough anautomata system during theperformance andresponds by learning processes ‘listens’ to theinstrumentalists particularities of humanexpression: amachine- learning process tangible, whileexploring the in anattempt to make real-time machine material, In addition to usingAIto generate musical the newly created phrases. second AI process that automatically orchestrated letters onto thenewly created text. Iapplieda I thenmappedexcerpts from Ada Lovelace’s melodic relationships andcombinationsof words. text was completely reordered, creating new harmonic progression was preserved thesung repeated ground becameshuffled; whilethe as various instantiations of themelodyover the This causedaradical reordering of thenotes, discussions of AI. discussions of AI. contributions of herwork informing current and agency isoneamongmany vitally important perform.’ Herrecognition of humanresponsibility can dowhatever we know how to order itto pretensions whatever to originate anything. It we programme: ‘TheAnalyticalEnginehasno relationship between humansandthatwhich keeping withAda Lovelace’s theorisationof the agency indetermining theresults of itisin processes andhighlightingtheperformer’s expressivity perceptible inmachine-learning course of theperformance. Rendering human piano machine’s musicalresponses over the of thisnew material theninturninfluences the for herto singinreal time;herinterpretation learning system alsogenerates new material plays akey role inthisprocess, asthemachine- ensemble’s line-up.Marta Fontanals-Simmons Ada’s Song employs a‘pianomachine’ how

7 Programme notes 8 expresses thepoetrythatsoundaffords usby not projection of sonicenergy to thelistener’s ear, performance but,initscomplete compositionand Feshareki reinforces themechanicalnature of instructions. For Movement Iof as players perform andmake audibletranscribed A musicallynotated score isinherently algorithmic capabilities orthetechnologies we’ve created. find beautyandpoetryineitherourhuman thought andeven creativity withoutstopping to mechanising andreplicating humanlabour, to doso.Today technology consumesitselfby culture, butasLovelace would have implored us contemporary perpetualmotion of technological Shiva Feshareki’s compositioncommentsonthe studies IshallinduetimebeaPoet’. much sothat‘Ifeel nodoubtifIcontinuemy felt ‘immensedevelopment of imagination’ –so nature andtheuniverse. Through herwork she was alanguage whichcouldbeusedto read underpinnings. Shefurtherbelieved mathematics and logicalcompleteness’ intheirmathematical Lovelace understood ‘intrinsicbeauty, symmetry mechanical nature of programming andcode Rather thanbecomingconsumedby the on theunrealised AnalyticalEngine. first algorithmand,more specifically, herwritings programming age, through herdevising of the Artificial Intelligence, inthedawn of the Ada Lovelace reflected onthecreation of movements) two (in Motion contrasting Perpetual Shiva Feshareki the first version of itwas commissionedby Explore Konstantin Leonenko atGoldsmithsHatchlabs; machine was created incollaboration with experimentation andinvention. Thepiano Simmons, withgratitude for herspiritof Ada’s Song isdedicated to Marta Fontanals-

Perpetual Motion (2019) world premiere

(born 1987) (born reproduce itsynthetically andcomprehend itasa in language-making itenablesusto both By exposing thesonicsystem of thevoice atwork assembled into senseandsubstance by humans. unravelling speechastonal codethatcanbe voice, breaking thespellof expression, speech. Thisinturnreveals themechanicsof by AI,composestringsof segmented soundsinto Today sophisticated synthesised voices, enabled environment. the resonance between player, instrumentand of theharmonicseriesare exploited to contour permeating, mathematicalyet ethereal qualities reducing notation to pure information. Instead the Alessandrini ©Patricia note Programme Contemporary MusicFestival. England andsupportfrom theHuddersfield Ensemble withfundingfrom theArtsCouncil by AminaAbbas-Nazari Research, text andnarrative development ‘ultimate line’. musical composition’would beher‘destiny’ or Lovelace’s augurythat‘poetryinconjunctionwith Feshareki offers herown voice to complete and manipulatingtheoriginalrecorded phrase. moving from speechto sound;makingmalleable into new poeticformations, through aprocess of Lovelace’s words, spoken by Feshareki herself, shall induetimebeaPoet’, digitally shaping composer explores Lovelace’s intention that‘I For Movement IIof communication. expressive possibilitiesinvocal formation and material to beshapedandsculpted to create new Perpetual Motion

the the

glimpses through to a fuller conversation conversation afuller to through glimpses tantalising sentences, disconnected seemingly by these struck immediately Iwas 36. of age the at cancer uterine of died Lovelace before 1851, in was it believe year the some written, was letter this when exactly know not do we Although what then, But inquestion. oftroops sort particular the be to cease all, &would at existence no of consist must troops music of sound the to power inirresistible marching ofvast consisting troops; disciplined most be will they that hope the however Ihave divulge. present at not Ido consist, of But way! give to have even may earth the marshalled in time ofmy being despair even not will you productions, you when I think, encouragement. great me gives arrive, may Your & hope, that feel certainly should the give to help ever Icould If soil)! ofthe surface the reached not has yet as watering like aspecial been has topics, general on Oct 29th morn’g, this us between conversation ofthe Some afternoon Weds London twice. underlined are bold in words The Lovelace’s underlinings. own with atranscription is Below mother. her to Lovelace by penned letter alittle-known of setting numbers? these are what then, But Marta Fontanals-Simmons world premiere numbers? these are what then, But Howard Emily not dissimilar to the effect of the texts that have have that texts the of effect the to dissimilar not awhole as sentences these of effect the I found context, Without daughter. and mother between are these these are . Is not this very mysterious? Certainly Certainly mysterious? very this not . Is what an Autocrat, in my own way; before whose whose before way; inmy own Autocrat, an to a certain seed which is sprouting, (but (but sprouting, is which seed acertain to

materials my regiments expectation numbers do bye and bye see certain certain bye bye and see numbers some of the iron rulers of of rulers iron ofthe some I had not lived invain lived not I had ? regiments almost, that such a day aday such that almost, despots , or they can have have can they , or harmoniously (2019) a is numbers are to are to a mezzo-soprano shove my

, I , I , & , & .

underlying patterns in networks, rules which are are which rules networks, in patterns underlying rules the explore they which in Babbage and Lovelace of hands the in manuscript mathematical ideas is exemplified by an undated new with playing in interest Lovelace’s joyous level. highest the at mathematics to commitment serious her and music for love abundant an passions: own her against set be can fortune and family, fame her with relationship complex Her Lovelace’s of life. much indeed and letter, this of nature contradictory the to drawn I am directions. performance as score the into straight way their –made thoughtfully conviction, with enigmatically, fantastical, more ever mysteriously, arrogance, increasing with sincerely, poignantly, vexation, slight with humorously sentence: each for –different me at out sprang that emotions of range the And Roure. De David colleague by my PRiSM led aproject writing, published Lovelace’s on AIs training from resulting been Programme note © Emily Howard © Emily note Programme lasts approximately 10 minutes. and Sinfonia Britten and Marta to dedicated is It work. the of creation the during conversations for Fontanals-Simmons and to Marta work, her and Lovelace about discussions helpful many so for Roure De David and Ursula to place, first the in Lovelace’s letter Ada to attention my drawing for Martin Ursula to thanks Huge discipline in the final act. mother, harmonious her to Lovelace’s words own paraphrasing and, order correct letter’s the progressions, the musical iterations culminate in music moving through similar and variations intelligence. artificial modern Underpinned by of foundation very the form that computing of days earliest the from algorithms using letter this of text the reordered and randomised dissected, Ihave this, towards anod In intelligence. artificial modern in ideas fundamental of precursor the

(2019) (2019)

9 Programme note 10 project liesinimagining thefuture thatLovelace at lengthby Lovelace. Animportant partof this and AnalyticalEngines,thelatter written about after CharlesBabbage’s 19th-century Difference Engine’, ahand-turnedpercussion battery styled The percussionist isdirected to usethe‘Lovelace carbon-based life forms of Britten Sinfonia. becoming atruedigital counterpart to the produced by DeepMind’sWaveNet, andlater first inrecordings of voices thatdonot exist, created ideas.Thepiecealsoincludeselectronics: a simmeringcollage of overlapping machine- ever more prominent until thetexture becomes composed by AI.Material written by AIbecomes sometimes locallywhere entire phrases are behind thescenesto inform large-scale decisions, also usesAIinanumberof ways: sometimes The music(asfar asthetwo canbeseparated) data sciencebehinditsproduction. this way thenarrative of thescenereflects the Internet through OpenAI’sGPT-2 algorithm.In 19th-century writingandfinally theextent of the correspondence. Thisisexpanded to wider At first, itmerely learnsfrom Ada Lovelace’s develops incoherence andphilosophicalscope. the text isentirely written by anAI thataudibly Linking theimagined technology withthereal, retrain anddevelop itself. and perfectionist minddives into itsown codeto creative self.Between each phasethiscurious hazy, unformed conceptionto acomplex and the development of anartificial mind:from intelligence. Through three phases,ittraces Alter Alter PRiSM Team by led Robert Laidlow iswritten about,andutilising,artificial (2019) world premiere Enlightenment team attheBodleianLibraries, Oxford, support from TheAlanTuring Institute, theElectronic Barbican, thePRiSMteam gratefully acknowledges In thecreation of ‘Alter’, commissionedby the guidance throughout thework’s creation. in Science&Music,andprovided curatorial PRiSM, theRNCMCentre for Practice &Research Research Council.EmilyHoward isthedirector of Design Partnership andtheArtsHumanities Jonathan Morriswithassistance from Cambridge The Lovelace Enginewas designedandbuiltby was edited andstructured by Robert Laidlow. Martin (Oxford andEdinburgh University). It Lovelace’s correspondence provided by Ursula Institute, andby OpenAI’sGPT-2, trained upon Roure (Oxford University) atTheAlanTuring developed usingdatasets codedby David De The text was written by artificial intelligence designed andprovided by ChristinePayne. by MuseNetMusicTransformer (OpenAI), Laidlow, partiallyincorporating musicgenerated Laidlow. Themusicwas composedby Robert Alter – andjuxtaposing thatwiththereality of AItoday. computers formed of gears,mechanism,industry and hercontemporaries may have seen–oneof BBC Philharmonic. in AI-Assisted CompositioninAssociationwiththe Composer Robert Laidlow isthePRiSMResearcher England. Cambridge DesignPartnership, andResearch funded by theArtsandHumanitiesResearch Council, West ConsortiumDoctoral Training Partnership and Physical SciencesResearch Council,theNorth the FAST programme grant fundedby theEngineering isaPRiSMcommissionledby Robert Sam Fairbrother a 2012 BritishComposerAward; for pianist Alexandra Dariescu,whichwon Proms 2012); Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelsons,BBC Wien Modern2011; andCityof Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Sir James MacMillan; Calculus of theNervous System Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Collon,2010); BBC Radio 3’s category of the2017 BritishComposerAwards. year’s finest new works’, won theorchestral ‘visionary’ andby commission connection withscience.Her2016 BBC Proms Emily Howard’s musicisknown for itsparticular Emily Howard composers the About mini-­operas Marcus duSautoy, New ScientistLive 2017); and Music of Proof Orchestra/Alondra delaParra; 2017); (Elias Quartet, 2015); Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena;2013); Subsequent works include Paul HamlynFoundation Award for Composers. acclaim inthesameyear thatshereceived the of Culture 2008andfirst won Howard critical commissioned by Liverpool European Capital Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko) was Magnetite brilliantly articulated scientific ideas. major orchestral debut’,hailingitfor its NMC debutdisc Emily Howard (premiered by theRoyal Liverpool Torus Ada sketches Mesmerism (Piatti Quartet, mathematician (PiattiQuartet, mathematician Record Review

Magnetite , describedby sphere (2011), commissioned (Royal Opera House Solar as‘aconfident, (Bamberg Symphony described her describedher (ViennaRadio (London (London The Times Axon as ‘oneof this Afference

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Pete Wood emilyhoward.com Orchestra whichopenedtheir2019–20 season. Sir SimonRattle andtheLondonSymphony and anew orchestral score, curated by thecomposerwithBritten Sinfonia; celebration of thelegacy of Ada Lovelace what are thesenumbers? Festival andtheBBC Philharmonic; commissioned by International soloists withatext by Michael SymmonsRoberts, a majornew work for orchestra, chorusand premieres: Festival commission.Thisyear seesthree world of heropera Aldeburgh Festival 2018 withtheworld premiere Howard was afeatured composeratthe Music 20x12, LondonCultural Olympiad). Linbury Theatre, 2012) and scored composition.A hostof performances Composer Award (2004)withherfirst Composition Prize (2009),aswell astheBBC Academy andtheRoyal Philharmonic Society Composer Award for Innovation from theIvors methodology. Shereceived the2017 British that incorporate classicalcraft andexperimental and perspective through wide-ranging practices output explores electronics, acoustics, context and turntablist, andNTS Radio DJ. Herdiverse Shiva Feshareki isacriticallyacclaimed composer Shiva Feshareki Shiva Feshareki The Anvil: AnElegyfor Peterloo To SeeTheInvisible aspartof today’s Zátopek! Antisphere , anAldeburgh

But then, But then, (New , for ,

11 About the composers 12 www.shivafeshareki.co.uk and EnsembleModern in2020(Frankfurt LAB). Ensemble to bepremiered by Shiva Feshareki composition for Turntables andSpatialised premieres include CO (PRSNew MusicBiennial).Forthcoming from the Orchestre National deLyon andBBC received three more performances thisyear London JazzFestival withtheBBC CO, and at theQueenElizabethHallduringEFG Manipulation andOrchestra was premiered composition the LondonContemporary Orchestra. Her inside London’sPrintworks nightclub with tool to create asurround-sound orchestra (2017) employed space asacompositional sculpture andmovement. physicality of sound inrelation to light, Her compositionalwork explores the Orchestra andOrchestre NationaldeLyon. Symphony orchestras, London Contemporary Orchestra, theAarhus andDüsseldorf recently working withtheBBC Concert She alsocomposesextensively for orchestras, that are askineticthey are delicate. are usedto create complex live compositions minimalism andclassicalorchestral works from drumandbass,garage, gabber, deep manipulations andsamplingtechniques. Cuts sonic palettes usinghyper-physical electronic Her soloturntable performances fusetogether turntabling usingthevinyl discof single release ‘Vapour’, created through herlive into herturntabling experiments –andnew her debutalbum with theUnknown as partof Haroon Mirza’sinstallation (London) andNikolaj Kunsthal (Copenhagen) Southbank Centre ‘Concrete Lates’ Takeover (Hellerau), ThePumphouse(Aldeburgh), Frau MusicaNova (Cologne),AppiaStage The Tanks atTate Modern(London),Artheater/ (Barcelona), Maerzmusik (Kraftwerk, Berlin), Culture (Vienna),Mutek (Montreal), Sonar Macao (Milan),Hyperreality Festival of Club Other recent highlightsincludeSaturnaliaat Festival, where shewas Featured Artist. London JazzFestival andattheSpitalfields Moscow Museumof ModernArt,BBC Proms, followed including,mostrecently, atthe Dialogue NEW FORMS NEW . 2019 alsosaw therelease of Opus Infinity (2018) for Live Turntable GABA-analogue : alarge-scale – a snapshot –asnapshot NEW FORMS NEW Dancing Dancing . Patricia Alessandrini HCMF, Heidelberger Frühling,Gaudeamus, Donaueschinger Musiktage, ElectricSpring, countries, atfestivals suchasArchipel, Americas, Asia,Australia andover 15 European Her works have beenpresented inthe instrument designfor inclusive performance. immersive audiovisual experience, including performs research onembodiedinteraction and and engage withsocialandpoliticalissues.She memory. Herworks are often collaborative, representation, interpretation, perception and with theconcert-musicrepertoire, andissuesof these intermedial formats, sheactively engages most partinteractive andtheatrical.Through and performance situationswhichare for the artist whocreates compositions,installations, Patricia Alessandriniisacomposer/sound Patricia Alessandrini IRCAM, andholds two PhDs–from Princeton Bologna andStrasbourg conservatories and She studiedcomposition andelectronics atthe Lyrique, acentre for digital artsinParis. part of theSoundKitchen seriesattheGaîté with theEnsembleIntercontemporain, as educator infour concertandoutreach events was featured as acomposer, curator and Course in2012. Inthe2015–16 seasonshe Prize inCompositionby theDarmstadt Summer Music withElectronics, andaDevelopment Sond’Arte CompositionCompetitionfor Chamber 2012. She was awarded first prize in2009the with theInternational Contemporary Ensemblein soundSCAPE festival, andfeatured inICELab She was Composer-in-Residence atthe2010 performer andimprovisor of live electronics. Salzburg BiennaleandSonorities.Sheisalsoa Mostly Mozart,MusicaStrasbourg, Rainy Days,

Robert Laidlow Three Entistatios year and broadcast onBBC Radio 3,whilehis Elias Quartet attheWigmore Hallin May this His stringquartet Awards. including anominationfor theBritishComposer received nationalandinternational awards, performed andbroadcast worldwide andhave the compositionalprocess. Hisworks have been a range of cross-disciplinary collaborators, into incorporating originalresearch, conducted with Investment Fund.Hismusicfocuses on Partnership andtheNationalProductivity AHRC NorthWest ConsortiumDoctoral Training Philharmonic Orchestra, supported by the College of Music,inpartnershipwiththeBBC AI-Assisted CompositionattheRoyal Northern Robert Laidlow isthePRiSMResearcher in Robert Laidlow also beconsulted atpatriciaalessandrini.com Her works are published by Babelscores and may Research inMusicandAcoustics (CCRMA). performs research attheCenter for Computer Composition at Stanford University, where she also in 2018 was appointed Assistant Professor of Arts atGoldsmiths,University of London,and University, andhasworked asaLecturer inSonic and CompositionwithTechnology atBangor superiore of theAccademia MusicalePescarese Computer-Assisted CompositionattheScuola (SARC) respectively. Shehastaught Advanced University andtheSonicArtsResearch Centre Symphony Orchestra, PsapphaandtheBerkeley including Ensemble Modern,theBournemouth His musichasalso beenperformed by groups University of Salford Research Festival inJuly. performed by theBBC Philharmonicatthe for Chamber Ensemblewas Aroha was premiered by the means to behumanandcreative today. addressing fundamental questionsabout whatit digital technology andcreative practice, andto real contributionto society, to developing new arts andthescienceswithaview to makinga and reflexive research between thecreative research. PRiSMtakes alead ininterdisciplinary in EnglandFundto supportandaugmentits Research England’sExpandingExcellence in 2019 was awarded nearly£1,000,000 from The Centre was launchedinOctober 2017, and collaborations between thesciencesandmusic. promote world-leading research through creative perception anddata scienceto foster and Artificial Intelligence, mathematics,music and practitioners incomposition,performance, Oxford). PRiSMbringstogether researchers and Professor of Mathematics,University of Professor for thePublicUnderstanding of Science mathematician Marcus duSautoy (Simonyi of Composition,RNCM)andco-directed by of Music,directed by EmilyHoward (Professor Science &MusicattheRoyal NorthernCollege PRiSM istheCentre for Practice &Research in PRiSM www.robertlaidlow.co.uk and Access Contemporary MusicChicago. Society, theCamposdoJordao MusicFestival organisations includingtheRoyal Philharmonic Ensemble andhasbeencommissionedby www.rncm.ac.uk/prism creators of thefuture. asking whatpossibilitieslieahead for the music Intelligence, VirtualReality andLive Coding, new music andtechnology, including Artificial this year andfeatures current developments in annual Future Musicevent atRNCMlaunched Philharmonic andBarbicanCentre. PRiSM’s Festival, Oxford e-Research Centre, theBBC (New ScientistLive Festival), Manchester Science App. PRiSMcollaborators include edge technology includingthePRiSMPerception festival appearances andtheuseof cutting- research publications, alongwithworkshops, PRiSM events includeworld premieres and New Scientist

13 About the composers 14 William Cole About the performers for Britten Sinfonia, alongsideprojects with London andBangkok, and Harpist to HRHThePrinceof Wales, in Her Face Was Full of Woe Symphony Orchestra’s 2017 Composers’Day, include Recent performances of hisown compositions Music Group’s NEXTprogramme. he willtake partin Birmingham Contemporary in musicfrom Xenakis to TheClash.Thisseason from theworlds of dance,sculpture, andfilm collective withwhomhehasworked withartists of Filthy Lucre, animmersive mixed-genre experimental work andisMusicDirector He isalsoacommitted exponent of new and Theatre Wales andthe Grange Festival. Opera, OperáNationalduRhin,Music English NationalOpera, English Touring projects withtheRoyal Opera, Covent Garden, stage, recent andfuture engagements include Active inthe opera houseandtheconcert Quee Royal NorthernSinfonia andPurcell’s Sinfonia, HansAbrahamsen’s highlights includetonight’s debutwithBritten opera to new compositions,other recent this year. Witharepertoire from Baroque the Prototype Festival inNew York inJanuary conducting PhilipVenables’s William Colemade hisAmericandebut William Cole n for Waterperry Opera Festival. The Bellsof Lübeck conductor by AnneDenholm, at theBournemouth Versa Est in Luctum 4.48 Psychosis Schnee withthe The Fairy at

Praised for her‘warm mezzo’( Marta Fontanals-Simmons Music, where hewas aRépétiteur Fellow. William ColestudiedattheRoyal Academy of the BBC Singers. ensembles includingCHROMA, Psapphaand acclaimed houseandrole debutsattheRoyal Fontanals-Simmons recently made critically British-Spanish mezzo-soprano Marta and being‘velvet-voiced’ ( ( Orchestra andAlanGilbert,Second Lady Grand Macabre Recent operatic highlightsincludeAmando ( City of BirminghamSymphony Orchestra. Orchestra andStravinsky’s Elgar’s ( return to theTeatro Real, Madrid, for Vlasta Scene her housedebutasJennieHildebrand ( production of Birtwistle’s Eurydice theWoman inDanielKramer’s new role debutatEnglishNationalOpera as Highlights thisseasonincludeherhouseand Theatre. Higgins’s and asHelintheworld premiere of Gavin Opera House,Covent Garden, asSiébel( Marta Fontanals-Simmons The Magic Flute The Passenger ) for Opéra deMonte-Carlo andher Sea Pictures The Monstrous Child ). Inconcertshewillperform ) with the NDR Elbphilharmonie ) withtheNDRElbphilharmonie ) for GlyndebourneFestival withtheRoyal Philharmonic The Maskof Orpheus The DailyTelegraph Pulcinella mezzo-soprano at the Linbury attheLinbury The Telegraph with the withthe Street Street Faust Le Le ) ), ), , ) 2015–16 season. a Jerwood ArtistatGlyndebournefor the she was awarded theGoldMedal,andwas Guildhall Schoolof Music&Drama, where Marta Fontanals-Simmons trained atthe the Barbican. Witch Bruce’s and hascreated therole of UrsulainDavid She isakeen exponent of contemporary music Vignoles, SimonLepperandIainBurnside. has performed withpianistsincludingRoger Royal PhilharmonicOrchestra. Inrecital she Hall, andHaydn’s Stravinsky’s Cummings attheLondonHandelFestival, Endellion Festival, B minorwithRyan Wigglesworth attheSt Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach’s Massin Stuttgart, Mozart’sRequiem withtheRoyal Denève andtheRadio-Sinfonieorchester Ravel’s with theCBSOatBirminghamSymphony Hall, Last Nightof theProms, Mendelssohn’s Serenade to Music the Royal Festival Hall,Vaughan Williams’s Requiem withthePhilharmoniaOrchestra at with theBBC Symphony Orchestra, Verdi’s Hauntings Nicolson’s include theEuropean premiere of Alasdair On theconcertplatform, recent highlights Park Opera. Butterfly for Diva Opera andKate Pinkerton ( Champs-Élysées, thetitle-role in Garsington Opera andattheThéâtre des Real, Cherubino( Opera, JennieHildebrand attheTeatro Harvey’s by BenjaminEllin);andperformed Jonathan Residence Lewis Murphy and recorded two new song-cycles ( the Royal Opera HouseandGlyndebourne; by GlyndebournethenComposer-in- L’enfant et lessortilèges Nothing ) for GlyndebourneTour andGrange Songs of LiPo attheBarbican,Berlioz’s Shadows ontheWall –Five Les noces , aco-production between The Marriage of Figaro Messiah withSakari Oramo atthe Harmoniemesse at the Queen Elizabeth at theQueenElizabeth with Richard Baker at withLaurence Letters from Home Damsel, Wife, LaCenerentola with Stéphane with the withthe Madama La captive Elijah ) for

Orchestra at Saffron HallinEssex andhas Ensemble here attheBarbican,Resident world’s leading ensembles.ItisanAssociate Today Britten Sinfonia isheralded asoneof the even themostexcluded individualsandgroups. underlying philosophy of finding ways to reach the communitieswithwhichthey work, withan Britten Sinfonia musiciansare deeplyrooted in Center orinLincolnshire’s Crowland Abbey. the orchestra isperforming atNew York’s Lincoln commitment to uncompromising quality, whether collaborators, andalways underpinnedby a by arichdiversity of influences andartistic namesake’s ethos.Itsprojects are characterised strong. ButBritten Sinfonia alsoembodiesits East of England,where Britten’s roots were also in partahomage to itschosenhomeof the The orchestra isnamedafter BenjaminBritten, experience withanunusualintensity. music events thatboth audiencesandperformers conductor; andto create involving, intelligent rather thanfollowing thevisionof aprincipal across thearts,focusing onthemusicians with composers,conductors andguestartists between oldandnew music;to collaborate a uniquevision:to collapsetheboundaries and chambermusicianscametogether with ensemble comprisingtheUK’sleading soloists conventional image of anorchestra. Aflexible established asaboldreimagining of the Just over 25years ago, Britten Sinfonia was Britten Sinfonia orchestra was alsoacommissioningpartner Mehldau andMark-Anthony Turnage. The Barry, Shiva Feshareki, EmilyHoward, Brad with commissionsfrom ThomasAdès, Gerald Tanowitz and theatre director Ivo van Hove, Keaton Henson,dancer/choreographer Pam Recent andcurrent collaborators include Hyperion andHarmoniaMundilabels. and hasaward-winning recordings onthe Europe. ItisaBBC Radio 3Broadcast Partner tours to theUSA, Mexico, Chinaandmuchof to Amsterdam, Paris andBilbao. Thisseasonit worldwide from theSistineChapelandtoured broadcast live to more thanamillionpeople Proms. Over thepastyear theorchestra has and Norfolk andNorwichfestivals andtheBBC UK festivals, includingtheAldeburgh, Brighton Wigmore Hallandappearsregularly atmajor presents anannualchambermusicseriesatthe residencies inNorwichandCambridge.It

15 About the performers 16 Olivia Jageurs Harp Owen Gunnell Percussion Joy Farrall Bass Clarinet Clarinet/ Sarah O’Flynn Flute/Alto Flute Zoë Martlew Cello Jacqueline Shave Violin Corporation the Cityof London project supported by Sinfonia digital of amajorBritten by nkoda aspart scores supplied place usingdigital performance istaking This evening’s Dawn Hardwick Piano Britten Sinfonia Britten The orchestra’s annualOPUScompetitionoffers prisoners andolderpeopleatriskof isolation. people suffering from dementia,life-time pre-school children, teenagers, young carers, work oncreative andtherapeutic projects with Outside theconcerthall,Britten Sinfonia musicians which took place attheBarbicanlastmonth. in theEuropean premiere of

Daniel Regan Daniel Regan AssistantConcerts Hazel Terry Manager & Tours Concerts James Calver DirectorConcerts Nikola White Director Planning Artistic David Butcher DirectorArtistic Chief Executive & Management Team Britten Sinfonia Reich/Richter , workshops andappeared attheLatitudeFestival. improvised withlaptop artists,ledfamily young performers, have performed inmuseums, orchestra’s youth chamberensemblefor talented Members of Britten Sinfonia Academy, the original andexciting UKcompositionaltalent. a professional commissionandunearthsnew, unpublished composersthechanceto receive Communications Communications Elaine Rust Finance Manager Rachel Wilkinson Co-ordinator Creative Learning Sarah Rennix Director Creative Learning Hannah Bates Manager Orchestra Personnel Alice Walton Director Sophie Cohen Sophie Cohen PR Agent& National Press Tara Hill Assistant Communications Milly March Marketing Manager Nick Brealey Director Development