21 - 24 April 2022

The Bridge Festival


This April, The Bridge Festival brings some of Europe’s most adventurous ensembles to Glasgow for four days of inspiring, thought-provoking music spread right across the city.

First scheduled for May 2020, we’re beyond thrilled that thanks to our partners and the assistance of Creative Europe, it has been possible to find new dates for this inaugural Festival, running from 21-24 April.

We are welcoming three incredible groups to Glasgow: Norway’s Grammy-nominated Trondheim Soloists, renowned for their distinctively clear and open orchestral sound, Germany’s always innovative, always pioneering, Ensemble Resonanz and the Estonian PLMF Music Trust, an talent development organisation that provides incredible opportunities for musicians without setting age limits.

Each ensemble will perform a concert showcasing their work, and we will also combine to open the festival in grand scale and style at Glasgow’s iconic Barrowland Ballroom, with a performance that will include two world premieres – and keep an eye out for to-be-announced pop-up performances across the city too.

We absolutely can’t wait to have you join us for The Bridge Festival.

  • Nachtmusik at Barrowland Ballroom
    Ensemble Resonanz + PLMF Music Trust + Scottish Ensemble + Trondheim Soloists
  • Estonia! at The Merchant’s House
    PLMF Music Trust
  • Anno at Tramway
    Scottish Ensemble
  • urban string at The Glad Cafe
    Ensemble Resonanz
  • Nordic Flavours at The Mackintosh Church
    Trondheim Soloists
  • Derya’s Songbook at Saint Luke’s
    Ensemble Resonanz
  • Thu 21 April 8:00 pm
    Glasgow  Barrowland Ballroom

    Nachtmusik | Presented by: Ensemble Resonanz + PLMF Music Trust + Scottish Ensemble + Trondheim Soloists

  • Fri 22 April 12:30 pm
    Glasgow  The Merchants House

    Estonia! | Presented by: PLMF Music Trust

  • Fri 22 April 6:00 pm
    Glasgow  Tramway

    Anno | Presented by: Scottish Ensemble

  • Fri 22 April 8:00 pm
    Glasgow  Tramway

    Anno | Presented by: Scottish Ensemble

  • Fri 22 April 9:30 pm
    Glasgow  The Glad Cafe

    urban string | Presented by Ensemble Resonanz (No booking required. Pay what you decide)

  • Sat 23 April 8:00 pm
    Glasgow  The Mackintosh Church

    Nordic Flavours | Presented by Trondheim Soloists

  • Sun 24 April 8:00 pm
    Glasgow  Saint Luke’s

    Derya's Songbook | Presented by Ensemble Resonanz

Derya's Songbook - Trailer

Watch a preview of this pan-European musical journey - presented by Ensemble Resonanz and playing at Saint Lukes on 24 April.

Festival Events

Explore the programme in more detail.

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.

urban string - Trailer

Ensemble Resonanz present their award-winning club night urban string at The Glad Cafe on 22 April. Watch a preview here.

Booking Information

Tickets
(For all events except urban string).

Standard: £16.00
Concessions:
Carers and Children under 16
free with any paid ticket
Unemployed, students, under 30’s, disability allowance, G40 postcode
£6 tickets

Urban String
How much does it cost? You decide. Pay what you thought your night was worth as you leave.

Festival Multi-buy deal

10% off when buying tickets for 2-3 shows
20% off when buying tickets for 4-5 show

How to Book

Book Online with RCS Box Office
Over the phone at 0141 332 5057

Tickets are also available from venue box offices for shows at Tramway (0845 330 3501) or Saint Lukes. (Booking Fees apply and multi-buy deal not available from these vendors).

More about The Bridge

Find out more about the festival programme and the Bridge network string ensembles at our dedicated website.

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