The Hallé is delighted to present a three-day festival in collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), celebrating the best-loved works of iconic American composer and master of minimalism, Philip Glass, curated by world leading percussionist and conductor, Colin Currie.
The festival, which takes place at The Bridgewater Hall and RNCM on 13-15 February, gives Manchester audiences a rare and exciting opportunity to hear a series of concerts dedicated to a hugely popular and influential figure of contemporary classical music, known for his film scores for Candyman, The Truman Show, and The Illusionist.
On Thursday 13 February, the Hallé, conducted by Robert Ames, performs alongside five-time Grammy Award winner and global superstar, Angélique Kidjo, to give the UK premiere of Philip Glass’s magnificent Ifè Songs which were written specifically for her.
Philip Glass said of his Ifè Songs and working with Angélique Kidjo: “This has been for me a wonderful musical journey. At the conclusion of our work together, when I could finally hear Angélique singing the text within the musical composition I had completed, I said to her, ‘Angélique, together we have built a bridge that no one has walked on before’. She replied with a burst of laughter as beautiful as any words she could sing."
On Friday 14 February, the Hallé performs a lunchtime chamber concert of one of Philip Glass’s most popular and best-known works, Glassworks. Written in 1981, Glassworks was intended to be ‘walkman-suitable’ and was released as both a ‘home listening’ LP and an ‘on the go’ tape cassette.
The final concert, on Saturday 15 February, is a performance of Philip Glass’s collaboration with Frans Lanting of his LIFE Symphony. This one-hour immersive audio-visual experience is an emotionally-charged journey through time, combining Lanting’s stunning photography projected onto the big screen and accompanied by Philip Glass’s ever-changing musical textures and patterns.