PIANO CIRCUS

"This zany combination of six pianists is pure musical theatre. The effects mesmerize"

                                                                                                                    The Observer

 

A Piano Circus performance is one of the music world’s unique experiences. In their trademark circular setup, combining classical virtuosity and precision with an incisive, contemporary approach, the intensity of their onstage rapport has a singular and compelling effect; in the words of Gramophone Magazine, “Piano Circus invite the listener into the music itself”.

 

Recognised as one of the world's leading contemporary music ensembles for more than three decades, Piano Circus performs new and reimagined works by a wide variety of composers alongside classic works of 20th century minimalism. Formed in 1989 to give a performance of Steve Reich's Six Pianos, the group quickly found a unique position in the contemporary music scene and began building a legacy of well over 100 new commissions, creating a model emulated by other ensembles inspire by Piano Circus' eclectic repertoire, unique playing style and commitment to new music.

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The group began its 30th anniversary celebrations in 2018 with a residency at Snape Maltings working with composers Graham Fitkin, John Psathas and Reich expert and vocalist Micaela Haslam, followed by its first tour of South Korea in 2019. Piano Circus has previously commissioned works from composers including Graham Fitkin, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Kevin Volans, Dave Maric, Adrian Sutton and Shiva Feshareki amonst many others, as well as creating their own reimaginings and reworkings of music by J S Bach, Thomas Adès, Louis Andriessen, Terry Riley, Nico Muhly, Heiner Goebbels, Brian Eno and "impossible" music by Marc-Andre Hamelin and Conlon Nancarrow.

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Piano Circus has performed throughout the UK and internationally, at venues including the Lincoln Center, the BBC Proms, the South Bank Centre, and festivals in Edinburgh, Bath, Hong Kong, Huddersfield, Singapore, and Banff. They have toured extensively in the USA, South Korea, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Piano Circus' discography includes highly acclaimed première recordings on Decca, a collaborative project with Yes drummer Bill Bruford and a recording of Stravinsky's Les Noces with the Berlin Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

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Piano Circus' education work is essential to its ethos and includes workshops in many schools and universities across the UK, most recently Edinburgh University and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Piano Circus is based in London, holding the position of Artists-in-association at Brunel University.

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