Chetham's School of Music

What changes did Lockdown 2020 bring to your life? Do you think and feel like a different person from your pre-pandemic self? How important are our identities and what shapes them? This contemporary classical music project was born out of these questions, particularly from a British East Asian point of view, in response to the sharp increase in hate crime against people of East and South East Asian heritage at the start of the pandemic.

This relaxed performance will be the world premiere of a brand new work for wind quintet by the London based American composer Tonia Ko, commissioned by Magnard Ensemble with support from PRS Foundation’s Women Make Music Award and Haworth Trust. The event will also feature a Japanese traditional instrument, Shamisen, performed by Dr Yui Shikakura.

Tonia is a recipient of some of the highest honours for young composers including a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship, and has been frequently featured on BBC Radio 3 for her work with the Riot Ensemble / Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Northern Chords Festival, and Tangram Collective. Magnard Ensemble has established a reputation for world class concert performances and innovative education projects over the past decade. As an alumnus of prestigious schemes including Making Music UK and a residency at Snape Maltings, their highlights include a recital at Wigmore Hall and an animated video adaptation of Rob Biddulph’s ‘Odd Dog Out’, available on YouTube.

Image Credit: Kaupo Kikkas