PIANO CIRCUS

Steve Reich: Music for multiple keyboards

at Cambridge Music Festival

March 9, 2023

Piano Circus returns to Cambridge for one of its most intense and concentrated programmes, charting the development of Reich's compositional technique between 1968 and 1973. Featuring Phase Patterns, Four Organs, Clapping Music, and Six Pianos.

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Celebrating RWCMD as Europe's first Steinway Exclusive Conservatoire

October 23, 2020

Marking the purchase of 24 new pianos, Piano Circus give a 6pm concert of classics: Steve Reich's Six Pianos, Graham Fitkin's Log, Adrian Sutton's Aerobatics Over Lake Wanaka, and Neil Georgeson's reworking of Bach's Triple Keyboard Concerto in D minor, expanded and elaborated for six pianists. They will also play an arrangement of Julia Plaut's specially-commissioned piece for 24 pianos, following a day of workshops with the RWCMD students.

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30th Anniversary Return to Edinburgh

June 19, 2019

To mark its 30th anniversary, Piano Circus returns to where it all started with a concert and workshop at Edinburgh University. Welcoming back original member Kirsteen Davidson-Kelly, they perform Steve Reich's Six Pianos and Graham Fitkin's Totti. There will be a workshop on the 28 pianos newly acquired by the university, working on Max Richter's Mazuzu Dream, Michael Nyman's The otherwise very beautiful Blue Danube, and a brand new piece written for the occasion - for 28 pianos - by Richard Blaquiere.

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Korean Tour: Daejeon Arts Center

March 26, 2019

Piano Circus completes its Korean tour with a concert at the Daejeon Arts Center with a full and varied programme including some classics of their repertoire: Steve Reich's Six Pianos, Graham Fitkin's Log and Totti. They will present a new elaboration of J S Bach's Triple Keyboard Concerto, by Neil Georgeson, as well as Marc-Andre Hamelin's riotous Circus Galop, arranged by James Young. Also featuring Adrian Sutton's beautiful and scintillating Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka.

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Korean Tour: Yangsan Culture and Arts Center

March 23, 2019

Piano Circus continues its Korean tour with a concert at the Yangsan Culture and Arts Center with a full and varied programme including some classics of their repertoire: Steve Reich's Six Pianos, Graham Fitkin's Log and Totti. They will present a new elaboration of J S Bach's Triple Keyboard Concerto, by Neil Georgeson, as well as Marc-Andre Hamelin's riotous Circus Galop, arranged by James Young. Also featuring Adrian Sutton's beautiful and scintillating Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka.

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Korean Tour: Andong Arts Center

March 21, 2019

Piano Circus makes its Korean debut with a concert at the Andong Arts Center with a full and varied programme including some classics of their repertoire: Steve Reich's Six Pianos, Graham Fitkin's Log and Totti. They will present a new elaboration of J S Bach's Triple Keyboard Concerto, by Neil Georgeson, as well as Marc-Andre Hamelin's riotous Circus Galop, arranged by James Young. Also featuring Adrian Sutton's beautiful and scintillating Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka.

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Bach at Brunel

February 27, 2019

Piano Circus present an evening concert at Brunel University, where they are Artists in Residence, featuring the first performance of the complete Bach Triple Concerto BWV 1063 in D minor in a new elaboration by Neil Georgeson, alongside works by Steve Reich, Graham Fitkin, Adrian Sutton and Marc-Andre Hamelin.

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Brighton masterclass and evening concert

November 7, 2018

Piano Circus gives a masterclass and concert at Brighton College, featuring Steve Reich's Six Pianos and works for six pianos by Graham Fitkin. Also featuring the first venture of their ongoing J S Bach project, with Neil Georgeson's reworking of the first movement from the Triple Concerto BWV 1063.

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Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama workshops 

September 19-20, 2018

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Members of Piano Circus return to Cardiff for two days of workshops with composers and pianists.

Southwold Festival concert 

June 23rd, 2018

A full evening concert of Piano Circus hits, including Steve Reich's Six Pianos, Graham Fitkin's Log Line Loud and Totti, David Lang's Face so pale and Adrian Sutton's Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka.

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Edge Hill University residency and concert 

April 17-18, 2018

Concert programme includes Steve Reich's Six Pianos, David Lang's Face so pale, John Cage's The Beatles 1962-70 and James Young's arrangement of Marc-Andre Hamelin's Circus Galop - as well as the winning piece from the Oklahoma City University Composition Competition, by Hannah-Sapphire Helbig. On the 17th there will be creative workshops with music and dance students.

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Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Close-up Concert Series

April 8, 2018

John Cage's The Beatles 1962-70, an idiosyncratic take on Beatles hits for six pianos, features in a concert of some of their most seminal repertoire, such as Graham Fitkin's three-movement six-piano symphony Log Line Loud, Steve Reich's Six Pianos and David Lang's Face so pale. Also, the premiere of James Young's brilliant arrangement of Marc-Andre Hamelin's Circus Galop.

Snape Maltings Residency, with Graham Fitkin, John Psathas, and Micaela Haslam, in partnership with Markson Pianos and Yamaha UK

February 17-24, 2018

A week in the Britten Studio on six grand pianos - courtesy of Markson Pianos and Yamaha UK - working with Graham Fitkin on his 1990's commissions for the group, Log Line Loud and Totti; with John Psathas on his new piece for the group Voices at the End; and with Reich expert Micaela Haslam on Six Pianos. There will be a concert performance on Saturday 24th at 6pm.

Piano Day performance at the Barbican Centre, in partnership with Spotify and Feurich-Wien

March 28, 2017

As part of the global annual festival Piano Day, founded by Nils Frahm, London's celebrations include a special event at the Barbican Centre where Piano Circus give two free concerts, in partnership with Spotify, with six grand pianos from Feurich-Wien. The repertoire will feature a world premiere for six pianos by composer Angus MacRae, an exclusive new arrangement of Nils Frahm's Hammers, Steve Reich's Six Pianos, David Lang's Face so pale, and Graham Fitkin's Log. Curated by Manners McDade, with the Barbican Centre.

Cambridge Music Festival

November 18, 2016

A selection of pieces commissioned by Piano Circus over the years, including Julia Wolfe's my lips from speaking, based on an Aretha Franklin riff, David Lang's Face so pale, a reworking of a 15th century Dufay chanson, and Graham Fitkin's Totti, inspired by iconic Italian footballer Francesco Totti.; also featuring Steve Reich's seminal Six Pianos.

Piano Day at Brunel University

November 12, 2016

A concert concentrating on the many and various multi-piano works by Graham Fitkin, including Sciosophy for two pianos eight hands, Fract for two pianos, Cliche for four hands, and Totti for six pianos. Also, there will be a masterclass in the afternoon for all-comers - on minimalist and post minimalist music of all levels including Reich's Six Pianos.

Concert and workshop at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

September 26, 2016

Mazuzu Dream by Max Richter and Sciosophy by Graham Fitkin feature in a short evening concert, which comes after a full-day workshop for students.

Concert and workshop at Birmingham Conservatoire in partnership with Steinway and Sons

April 16, 2016

A concert of commissions, including a 2015 commission from Adrian Sutton, Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka, David Lang's Face so pale and Graham Fitkin's Totti (inspired by the iconic Italian footballer, pictured) and Log; as well as Steve Reich's Six Pianos. And in the afternoon, a workshop for all levels on Reich's Six Pianos as well as on Modules, a piece devised by Piano Circus for 18 players on 6 pianos. 

St David's Hall Concert Series

January 30, 2016

An overview of some of the group's favourite repertoire, featuring two pieces commissioned by the group in 2015 - Dave Maric's In Adversity and Adrian Sutton's Aerobatics over Lake Wanaka, as well as Log by Graham Fitkin, and Steve Reich's Six Pianos.

Christmas @ Hoxton Hall #falalalala

December 5, 2015

Featuring a piece specially written for the evening by Yshani Perinpanayagam Falalalala, this concert concentrates on the lighter and brighter side of Piano Circus' repertoire, including Max Richter's celebratory Mazuzu Dream, James Young's brilliant arrangement for six pianos of Marc-Andre Hamelin's note-saturated player-piano piece Circus Galop and David Lang's hypnotic reworking of a Dufay chanson, Face so pale. Also featuring the classics Log by Graham Fitkin and Six Pianos by Steve Reich.

De Staat and Log Line Loud at King's Place

November 29, 2015

Piano Circus gives the premiere of James Young's new arrangement of Louis Andriessen's seminal post minimalist work for six pianos and four voices, De Staat, with the acclaimed vocal group Juice (pictured) intoning the Ancient Greek text from Plato's Republic. The second half features Graham Fitkin's epic symphonic work for six pianos, Log Line Loud and David Lang's mesmeric Face so pale opens the concert.