Sound Out Leeds 2024/25
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.
Born out of a desire to challenge the historic conventions of the classical music scene, the series reimagines how and where music can be experienced, with a diverse array of artists performing everywhere from pubs to churches, as well as Leeds’ finest concert halls. The idea is to break down barriers that might prevent people from connecting with classical music, whether that’s placing it in a more informal setting or by featuring artists and composers who reflect the rich tapestry of modern Leeds. Here we present some of our highlights from the series, which stretches right through to summer 2025.
Coming up at Leeds Conservatoire on 16 October, experience the unique musical partnership between Antal Zalai, a classical violin virtuoso of Roma background, and Adam Heron, a brilliantly talented pianist of Nigerian-Filipino descent. Sharing their friendship and heritage through music, they’ll perform works by composers including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Keith Jarrett, whose varied stories find some resonance in the artists’ own.
At Howard Assembly Room on 2 November, watch Rushil Ranjan present his new composition Māyā with Manchester Camerata, Abi Sampa (veena, vocal), Praveen Prathapan (Indian classical flute and konnakol), and Janan Sathiendran (mridangam & tabla). The piece, recently commissioned by Manchester Camerata, offers an orchestral exploration of Carnatic music, widely considered to be the most ancient and pure form of music from the Indian subcontinent.
More cultural cross-pollination comes courtesy of Manchester Collective and cellist Abel Selacoe and their internationally acclaimed show Sirocco, in which original South African folk rubs shoulders with western music. Taking place at Howard Assembly Room on 13 November, expect the unexpected as classical strings dance to the beat of African drums and electric bass guitar. And do keep an eye out for other appearances by Manchester Collective – they’re bringing three different shows to the series!
Into the new year and Meliora Collective’s flexible ensemble of wind and string players take to The Old Woollen at Sunny Bank Mills with an all-female programme featuring indigenous storytelling and music by ethnically diverse composers. The wide-open landscapes of Australia are depicted in Aboriginal Australian Deborah Cheetham’s tapestry-inspired Ngarrgooroon, while on the other side of the world, a quintet by Valerie Coleman vividly depicts the bluesy dialect of the Mississippi delta region.
As for those non-traditional venues we were talking about, try the Chineke! Orchestra at The Wardrobe on 23 February and Aaron Azunda Akugbo (trumpet) with Milo Harper (harp) at Hyde Park Book Club on 7 May. We also thoroughly recommend Leeds-based turntablist, DJ and producer NikNak and her brand new work Parable commissioned by Leeds International Concert Season and featuring Chike! Orchestra. Taking place on 1 May at TESTBED, a cavernous space that often plays host to some of the city’s most exciting club nights, this unique work is written for turntables and orchestra, and features responses and reflections on the graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. It’s fair to say you won’t have heard anything like it before.
And that’s the beauty of Sound Out Leeds – it feels like a new and utterly contemporary expression of classical music, one that will appeal to both longstanding classical fans and those who’ve never been to a traditional concert before. That’s pretty special.
Explore the full programme via the button below.
