New Music: The Hermes Experiment

About The Hermes Experiment

Winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award 2021 and the Royal Over-Seas League Mixed Ensemble Competition 2019, The Hermes Experiment is one of the UK’s leading young contemporary music ensembles. Capitalising on their deliberately idiosyncratic combination of instruments (harp, clarinet, voice and double bass), The Hermes Experiment regularly commissions new works, as well as creating their own innovative arrangements and venturing into live free-improvisation. They have commissioned over 60 composers at various stages of their careers. They have released two albums on Delphian Records – HERE WE ARE and SONG – both to critical acclaim.

Such is the draw of Kettle’s Yard as a music venue, that yet again it’s been so easy for me to put together another season of great musicians to come and play in this very special space. There are four New Music concerts between January and May, and I really hope that the range of styles they bring will give you a good picture of what’s happening in the incredibly exciting UK music scene. Musicians and composers currently face an unprecedented range of problems in the music industry, especially those working in new, alternative and experimental styles. However the boundless ingenuity and energy of the artists is nothing but inspirational, and these concerts will showcase some of the very best and most important music being made right now. You can expect seriously impressive virtuosity from violinist Rakhi Singh; two of the greatest free-improvising musicians, John Butcher and Rhodri Davies, will introduce you to sounds that your ears have never heard before; there’ll be vast and mesmerising musical landscapes that unfurl out of the Steinway piano with Eliza McCarthy; and join us for a season finale of songs, in all shapes and sizes, with the utterly unique Hermes Experiment.

The chance to see those musicians in the Kettle’s Yard house is unmissable—so see you there!