In association with Music in the Round.
Pianist and composer Xenia Pestova Bennett has earned an international reputation as a leading proponent of uncompromising music.
Receiving First Prize at the Xavier Montsalvatge International Piano Competition in Spain, as well as prizes in competitions in Paris and New Zealand, she has earned her reputation as “a powerhouse of contemporary keyboard repertoire” (Tempo). Pestova Bennett pushes the boundaries of performance, having played in tropical rainforests, caves, ponds and countless weird and wonderful spaces, and of classical music with electronics, toy pianos, synthesizers and the Magnetic Resonator Piano.
In her performing career, Xenia has featured at festivals and venues around the world including appearances at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Philharmonie Luxembourg, and Voix Nouvelles Royaumont in France. Her ten studio albums includes a reimagining of J.S.Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Karlheinz Essl, and the complete piano works of Annea Lockwood – whose music features heavily in this performance.
As a composer Xenia is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland. Highlighted in Bandcamp’s ‘Best of Contemporary Classical’ in 2020, her full length album ‘Atomic Legacies’ features Ligeti Quartet and the Magnetic Resonator Piano.
Composer and sound artist Annea Lockwood brings vibrant energy, ceaseless curiosity, and a profound sense of openness to her music. In recent years Lockwood and her music have received widespread attention, including a feature article in The New York Times, a SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award and a documentary film by director Sam Green.
Pre-concert Q&A, 6.45pm – 7.15pm
Join us for a pre-concert discussion with Annea Lockwood (joining online from her home in the US) and pianist Xenia Pestova Bennett. Tickets: £5 / free to all ticket-holders, though booking is required.
Doors 7.30pm, show 8pm
Programme:
Annea Lockwood – Ear-Walking Woman (14’)
Xenia Pestova Bennett – Iridescence (7’)
Xenia Pestova Bennett – Tapetum lucidum (8’)
Annea Lockwood – Red Mesa (15’); Ceci n’est pas un piano (12’); electroacoustic interlude – Buoyant (6’); RCSC (4’); Gone (variable)
