Tangram: Nature Echo & Hauntology

Tangram: Nature Echo

After a sold-out London premiere at LSO St Luke’s in January 2024, Tangram tour their production Nature Echo around the UK. Described as “daring”, “cutting-edge” and “poetic and intense” (5*s, Morning Star), Tangram are joined by “mesmerising” performance artist Echo Morgan. Together, they trace a journey navigating the fragile and destructive relationship between humans and our environment. Reflecting powerful issues of climate change, experience the visceral sounds of plastic alongside Chinese and Western instruments. A programme of new music by Liza Lim, George Crumb, Chen Yi, Sun Keting, Alex Ho and more are reimagined through live action painting and design.

Programme

Beibei Wang Fire Ritual
Liza Lim Bioluminescence
Zhenyan Li Bamboo Echoes
Sun Keting before we were ocean
Alex Ho Plastic Ceremony
George Crumb Vox Balanae
Chen Yi Qi
Huang Yijun (arr. Ho) Beautiful Flowers and The Full Moon

Hauntology

Hear the myths and legends of Chinese and Irish cultures brought to visceral life by pianist Aidan Chan. Inspired by the folklore that haunts us today, Alex Ho curates an innovative programme blurring boundaries between the rituals of storytelling and music-making. Discover the sounds and stories of water witches, creation gods and the archer who shot down nine suns. The performance includes the premiere of Alex Ho’s new commission, 3 Chinese Myths, and a new piece by Aidan Chan and Sage Stanescu.

Programme

Henry Cowell 3 Irish Legends
Linda Buckley Water Witch
Aidan Chan & Sage Stanescu New piece (world premiere)
Alex Ho 3 Chinese Myths (world premiere)

Tangram

Tangram is a London-based music collective transcending the China-West divide. They create and curate ambitious, multi-disciplinary and culturally-curious productions. Co-directed by Alex Ho and Sun Keting, they are Associate Artists at LSO St Luke’s 2022-25. Made up of researchers, composers and performers of Chinese and western instruments, Tangram launched in 2019 as recipients of the Chinese Arts Now Artist Development Bursary and winners of Nonclassical’s Battle of the Bands.

“Truly innovative …they’re breaking down borders with stylish communication and spirit”
– RPS Young Artist Nomination 2023

“Powerfully theatrical …unexpected and refreshing”
– Tempo Journal

Aidan Chan

Described as “fearless and uncompromising”, Aidan Chan is an Irish-Chinese pianist whose work primarily explores identity and post-structuralism through performance. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the US (Carnegie Hall), UK (Wigmore Hall), Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, China and across Ireland.

As a concerto soloist he has performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Budweis and the TUD Sinfonia. Aidan has been a frequent prize-winner in competitions in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria. He won top prize at the 2016 Fr Frank Maher Classical Music Awards, and was the recipient of the 2019 Trench Award and Audience Choice Prize in Ireland.

In 2023, he was awarded both the Feis Ceoil Morris Grant Bursary for-pianists and the RDS Music Bursary.

Alex Ho

Alex Ho is a British-Chinese composer whose music and stage works have been described as “menacing and poetic” (The Guardian), “important and impressive” (Opera Today) and a “fresh, different idea that captured the imagination” (Scottish New Music Awards 2021).

He has had pieces performed/commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, BBC Radio 3 and Royal Opera House.

Alex’s music theatre piece, ‘Untold’, co-created with Olivier-nominated choreographer Julia Cheng, premiered at Concertgebouw Brugge and O. Festival Rotterdam in Spring 2023 and won the FEDORA Opera Prize 2023 for a “bold and moving creation”.

Alex is supported by Glyndebourne Opera’s 3-year Balancing the Score residency programme.