Mon 22 Jun – Oxford Improvisers ‘Invented Freedoms’

Oxford Improvisers ‘Invented Freedoms’

Not the kind of people to let a global pandemic get in the way of making music together the Oxford Improvisers have been meeting weekly throughout the lock-down via the wonder that is video-conferencing. It’s taken some getting used to but we’re now feeling pretty at home in our new venue which has allowed us to come together not only from the Oxford area but also with members from afar as Brasília, Dubai, Zurich, Radnorshire and even Chipping Norton!

If you’re missing your fix of live improvised music join us for our very first live online broadcast on Monday 22 June, 8.30pm – 9pm (British Summer Time) free via our Youtube Channel

Live Youtube Broadcast 8:30pm BST

Facebook Event Page
Twitter feed

performers: 

Malcolm	Atkins	–	Keyboards
Ros	Bleach	–	Violin
Mark	Browne	–	Saxophones
Camilla	Cancantata	–	Various
Lawrence	Casserley	–	Assorted sounders
Chris	Dammers	–	Keyboards & more
Késia	Decoté	–	Piano & toy piano
Jill	Elliott	–	Violin / viola
Dan	Goren	–	Trumpet / flugelhorn
Bruno	Guastalla	–	Cello
Martin	Hackett	–	Korg MS10
Suzanne	Healey	–	Percussion & toys
Gero	Kempf	–	Double Bass
Paul	Medley	–	Clarinets
Gabriele	Pani	–	Guitar
Nini	Sakhri	–	Percussion & vocals
Lizzy	Spight	–	Flute
Chris	Stubbs	–	Treated esoteric percussion
Philipp	Wachsmann	–	Violin
Pete	Watson	–	Accordion
Andrew	West	–	Viola
Clare	Woodham	–	Bass clarinet and voice

Sunday 17 Feb – Hivernales. piano, flute + cello concert

 

I am joining my dear friends Gemma McGregor (flute) and Bruno Guastalla (cello) in this Winter Sunday concert, surrounded by the beautiful gardens of the Maison Française d’Oxford.

The programme is framed by French music and its influences, and interweaved with works by UK-based composers (including premieres by two Oxford composers, and Gemma’s own beautiful music), as well as improvisations.

Sunday 17th February 2019, 3pm

Késia Decoté, piano
Gemma McGregor, flute
Bruno Guastalla Cello

Maison Française d’Oxford
2-10 Norham Rd, Oxford OX2 6SE

contact/booking: hivernalesoxford@gmail.com

IMPROVISATIONS
&
PIECES BY
Lili Boulanger
Jill Elliott
Olivier Messiaen
Toru Takemitsu
Gemma McGregor
Sarah Westwood
Martin Hackett
John Lely

Fri 15 June – Vexations, in Orkney

Making the most of my visit to Orkney, I will be joining an epic performance of Satie’s Vexations, organised by my dear friend Gemma McGregor.

The performance will be at the second floor of Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, starting at 10:30am and lasting all day long. Audience is welcome to come and go as they wish.

Can’t be more thrilled to be part of this!

work by Barbara Hepworth at Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney.

Tue 15 May – Concert with Oxford Improvisers (special guest Marcio Mattos)

I am very happy to be part of the next Oxford Improvisers’ concert at The Loft Room @ The Old Fire Station. These bimonthly performances are always a feast of creativity and good free music, frequently featuring great musicians from the improvisation scene across the world, alongside our brilliant Oxford Improvisers’ musicians.

This month, our special guest is Marcio Mattos: born in Rio de Janeiro in 1946 double bass ‘cello performer Marcio Mattos has, since coming to Europe in 1970 has performed, recorded and broadcast in Britain and abroad. Mattos has performed with a host of improvisers including Evan Parker, Derek Bailey’s Company, Marilyn Crispell, Dewey Redman, Georg Graewe, Chris Burn, John Butcher, Phil Minton, Martin Blume, Eddie Prévost and many more. He also trained as a Ceramic artist at Goldsmiths college and continues to make and exhibit work in clay.

This concert will be a special occasion for me, marking a special moment in my story in Oxford, and being part of the Oxford Improviser’s ‘family’.

Hope seeing you there to share this moment with us!

 7:45 – 10pm

Arts at the Old Fire Station
40 George Street
Oxford
OX1 2AQ

Tickets : £9 / £6 

 

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March/April – Illuminate UK tour

Illuminate Women’s Music is a project set by composer Dr Angela Slater, dedicated to promote the work of women composers and performers.

We, a group of women performers, will be performing works by women composers from the past and present, including pieces written especially for the project.

The dates and places that we will be playing are:

Thursday 08 March, 6pm: University of Goldsmiths, London SE14 6NW

Friday 09 March, 7:30: St. Michael’s at Northgate, Oxford OX1 3EY

Saturday 10 March, 11am: St. Mary’s Church, Stafford ST16 2AR

Saturday 10 March, 7:30pm: St. George’s Church, Birmingham B15 3DQ

Sunday 11 March, 2pm: Cardiff University Concert Hall, CF10 3EB

Friday 20 April, 7:30: St. Luke’s Church, Brighton BN2 9ZB

 

You can find everything about the project, including details of dates, places, ticket bookings, information about programmes, historical composers we will be playing works by,  the team of contemporary composers and performers, in the website of the project, here.

I am so proud to be part of this project, and I hope to see you in one or some of our concerts!

Sat 30 September – EOCC Concert with a flavour of Brazil

My local choir, East Oxford Community Choir, is giving their second Concert with a flavour of my loved home country Brazil, now at my doorstep in Oxford, in Headington neighbourhood!

East Oxford Community Choir will be singing pieces by Brazilian composers Villa-Lobos, Ernani Aguiar and Ronaldo Miranda, also a piece by Oxford-based composer Marguerite Wallis.

I will be playing solo piano pieces by contemporary women Brazilian composers Marisa Rezende, Tatiana Catanzaro and Silvia Berg. 

Also, we will have special guests Julia Hollander and Peter McMullin.

Come to enjoy this Brazilian flavoured Autumn evening with us!

Entry is free, with donations for Gerontius Amenity Funds, which provides health care for poor old people in Sierra Leone.

Saturday 30 September 2017, 7:30pm

St Andrews Church

Old Headington

OX3 9DL

 

Sat 15 July – EOCC Summer Concert with a flavour of Brazil

What a joy for me that my local choir, East Oxford Community Choir, is giving their Summer Concert 2017 a flavour of my loved home country Brazil!

East Oxford Community Choir will be singing pieces by Brazilian composers Villa-Lobos, Ernani Aguiar and Ronaldo Miranda, also a piece by Oxford-based composer Marguerite Wallis.

I will be playing solo piano pieces by Brazilian composers Marisa Rezende and Silvia Berg, and a piece by Portuguese composer Sara Carvalho for prepared piano and toy piano.

Also mezzo-soprano Julia Hollander will be singing pieces by Villa-Lobos.

Come to enjoy this Brazilian flavoured Summer evening with us!

Saturday 15 July 2017, 7:30pm

St Michael at the North Gate

Cornmarket Street

Oxford City Centre

Free, with retiring collection for Sanctuary Hosting

Oxford Improvisers invite Tom Jackson / Vid Drašler / Daniel Thompson

This Saturday 27th May, Oxford Improvisers invite Vid Drašler, Tom Jackson and Daniel Thompson. There will be some improvisations with the host group too, and I will be playing piano and maybe organ.

St Columba’s United Reformed Church,
Alfred Street,
Oxford OX1 4EH
Tickets £8 / £6 on the door

7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Vid Drašler, Tom Jackson and Daniel Thompson met for the first time in the spring of 2016 as part of the CRAM Records residency at FriForma in Ljubljana, Slovenia. During the residency the trio had the fortune to play and record as a trio in Vrhnika, Slovenia and immediately vowed to collaborate again.

Vid Drašler : sploh.si/viddrasler.html

Tom Jackson : musictomjackson.comand

Daniel Thompson : danielthompsonguitar.com

 

Sat 11 March – Oxford Improvisers and Magliocchi/ Okamoto/ Northover

Sat 11 March, 2017
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

The White House

Marcello Magliocchi (percussion, Italy), Maresuke Okamoto (contracello, Japan), Adrian Northover (saxophone, UK)

Featuring a renowned international ensemble playing in Oxford for the first time.

Plus members of Oxford Improvisers (me included, on toy piano & objects).

£8 / £6 on the door

https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiteHouseOxford

Tue 21 February – Oxford Improvisers presents ‘Three Draft Pistons’ Waschmann/Taylor

As described on Oxford Improvisers‘ website: 

For our first event of the year we are excited to present a special performance by Philipp Wachsmann and Trevor Taylor. It will relate to a performance in the late 1970s called Three Draft Pistons (ref The Large Glass by Marcel Duchamp) using visuals, tape and live playing, adapted here to the smaller space and ‘now’. The evening will also feature performances by members of Oxford Improvisers (me included).

Tickets are available in advance and on the door.

Philipp Wachsmann has worked with improvisation, the violin and electronics since 1970. He has performed with many of the leading figures in improvised music and recorded for labels including Bead, ECM and FMR.

Trevor Taylor started FMR records in 1987. It became a leading label for improvised music and now has over 500 releases. He has been promoting music for 40 years as well as being a practising musician with 50 years experience.

The Loft Room @ The Old Fire Station

Tickets : £9 / £6 

Door : 7:30, first performance 7:45