The Bridge Festival

Beneath the hallowed ceiling of the Barrowland Ballroom, almost fifty musicians from the best ensembles in Europe assemble, armed with music to make you feel.

Music for the future, and the past, by people with serious vision: Mica Levi , Erkki-Sven Tüür and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead). Penderecki, Mahler, Hidelgard von Bingen and Gabrieli. Music to make you feel everything: elated, at one with the moment, temporarily confused, a little bit scared, excited, overwhelmed, at peace, inspired. There are things these composers can do: chilling, body-encompassing, goosebump-inducing, heart-breaking things, and then some.

Join us for a night of pan-European music celebrating the infinite possibilities of music for strings, kick-starting The Bridge Festival.

Gabrieli Sonata XVIII
Hildegard von Bingen O Ecclesia! (arr. T. Coult & D. Pioro)
Mica Levi Flag (world premiere)
Mahler Adagietto from 5th Symphony
Erkki-Sven Tüür Deep Dark Shine (world premiere)
Penderecki Polymorphia
Jonny Greenwood 48 Responses to Polymorphia

Catherine Larsen-Maguire conductor

–

90 minutes with interval.
Suitable for age 14+.
Access via stair climber, with wheelchair viewing platform (limited availability). Visit the Barrowlands website for further information.

22 April, 12.30pm
Merchant’s House

Chamber music: music for close inspection, and cosy quarters; for witnessing epic teamwork, and for discovering the joy of the finer details.

Performing works from across the spectrum of their country’s ever-rich, ever-fascinating musical output, some of Estonia’s finest soloists are joined by young talent from across the country to offer an afternoon slice of escape across Baltic vistas.

Surprising, intriguing, powerful, bold: come and experience a musical snapshot of Estonia.

Jaan Rääts Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
Erkki-Sven Tüür Symbiosis
Artur Lemba String Sextet
Heino Eller Five Pieces for Strings

Note change to programme.

–

60 minutes with no interval.
Partially accessible via chair lift and lift. Max width of lift is 1.21m length x 58.42cm width.
Suitable for all ages.

22 April, 6pm & 8pm
Tramway

Anno is a powerful immersive experience that puts Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons into a vibrant new context alongside new music for strings and electronics by Anna Meredith.

Entertaining, surprising, and fresh, Anno takes you on a powerful journey through the passing of a year.

Audience and performers are sat at close quarters, with the Ensemble silhouetted against giant screens pulsating with the distinctive visuals of Eleanor Meredith.

Combining old and new, acoustic and electronic, popular and classical, Anno ultimately defies and questions our need for any such categorisation.

–

70 minutes with no interval.
Fully accessible.
All ages.

22 April, 9.30pm
The Glad Cafe

In the cosy hideout that is Glasgow’s Glad Cafe, Ensemble Resonanz transports its award-winning club night — and four of its top musicians — from their own club in a Hamburg bunker to late-night Glasgow: an evening of unadulterated entertainment exploring minimalism from John Cage, to Lou Reed to Julia Wolfe, with experimental rhythmic beats by Glasgow DJ Charlie Knox.

–

60 minutes + post-show DJ set.
Fully accessible.
Age limit tbc.

23 April, 8pm
Mackintosh Church

The exceptional Trondheim Soloists show off “that Trondheim Sound” — distinctive, pure, clean — with music by Grieg, Sibelius Byström and more.

This is music infused with the richness of the country’s folk heritage. Vistas of Scandinavian landscapes are summoned up, and Norway’s traditions and ways of life are evoked in a selection of folk melodies.

An evening offering a smorgasbord of musical delights — all crafted by Grammy-winning Trondheim Soloists

Grieg Two Norwegian Airs
Britta Byström A Walk to Gade
Sibelius Valse Triste
Grieg Two Melodies
Gjermund Larsen Trondheimsfjorden
Gjermund Larsen Osa suite for Hardanger fiddle, voice and string orchestra

and folk melodies for fiddle and voice.

Mari Midtli voice
Einar Olav hardanger fiddle and violin

–

120 minutes with interval.
Suitable for all ages.
Accessible at ground floor level.

24 April, 8pm
Saint Luke’s

A stage full of the sounds of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Greece. Tunes passed on by centuries of mouths and ears — tunes that have been twisted, warped, fondly echoed and deftly weaved to shape nine utterly new, modern pieces. A song cycle, brought to you by Hamburg’s Ensemble Resonanz.

Written for sensational vocalist and bağlama (a long-necked lute) player Derya Yıldırım and performed by a crew of virtuosic musicians across bağlama, strings, duduk, hand drums and drum kit. Live music, steeped in history, remixed with immediacy, vibrancy and virtuosity in the hands of some of Europe’s finest composers and musicians.

–

90 minutes with interval.
Suitable for age 14+.
Fully accessible.