This year’s Aldeburgh Festival brings real treats for Bushra El-Turk fans with 2 premieres across three programmes in an especially extended, 24-day celebration of music and the arts.

On Thursday 16 June El-Turk’s 2002 piano miniature Ostina-bush-to gets its first UK airing. This concert features pianists Graham Fitkin, Clare Hammond, Kathryn Stott and Ruth Wall in a programme of music built from minimal materials.

Percussion virtuoso Vivi Vassileva gives UK premiere Ka for percussion and strings on Sunday 19 June 7:30 with Britten Sinfonia, cond. Gregor A. Mayrhofer.

The concept behind Ka connects percussion soloist’s Viva Vassileva’s passion for ancient myths and legends alongside the commemoration of my late father, a year after his passing. Stemming from my constant questioning as to where my father’s soul is, ancient Egyptians believed that the soul had nine parts. In our times, the concept of the Ka is similar to that of the soul or spirit. However, the Ka symbolised much more, and this symbol has no western equivalent. It was believed that the Ka would go on living after death, separate from the body and was nourished and sustained through food and drink.

Bushra El-Turk

Ka is commissioned by Britten Pears Arts with support from Wien KammerOrkest.

On Tuesday 21 June the Adelphi Quartet gives the world première of Painting Secrets and also perform Saffron Dusk.

Painting Secrets is a sister piece to Saffron Dusk. I am exploring and processing the pain from giving new life as opposed to the pain from a life that has left. As a sound source, I’ve inserted the sounds of my own labour in childbirth. Breathing and sighing are integrated into the work’s musical phrase, intertwined with the instrumental parts. Vocalisations are a continuation of the bow stroke.

Bushra El-Turk

Painting Secrets is also commissioned by Britten Pears Arts.

Ostina-bush-to and Saffron Dusk are proudly available for perusal and purchase through our website, and we look forward to publishing Ka and Painting Secrets shortly after their premières.

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Tags: Adelphi Quartet, Aldeburgh Festival, Britten Pears, Britten Sinfonia, Bushra El-Turk, Clare Hammond, Commission, Graham Fitkin, Gregor Mayrhofer, Kathryn Stott, Ostina-bush-to, Painting Secrets, premiere, Ruth Wall, Saffron Dusk, Vivi Vassileva, Wien Kammerorkest