Turning Point Ensemble Artistic Director, Owen Underhill is currently in Croatia rehearsing with the Cantus Ensemble for an incredible concert to be held on September 23 of BC Composers including Dorothy Chang, John Oliver, Edward Top and Owen Underhill’s own cello concerto to be performed by Ariel Yosef Zev Barnes. This is the first concert of an exchange project we are working on with the Cantus Ensemble. On May 16/17, 2020, their conductor Berislav Sipus will join TPE in a concert of new Croatian compositions. Here is Owen’s first blog post with news from the road!

Hello from Zagreb!  I have been here with our President Dubravko Pajalic for one week rehearsing and preparing for a concert of BC composers entitled ‘Maple Syrup’ which will take place tomorrow (Monday) at a hall called Lauba.  Lauba is a former horse stable that has been converted into a very large artspace with exhibition area in one half and the concert hall in the other.  It has brick walls and a very high ceiling – very hip and with a good acoustic.

I am delighted to be joined by cellist Ariel Barnes (just on his way on the train from Nürnberg) to play my Cello Concerto, and to also play Three Windows by Dorothy Chang, Five-ring Concerto by John Oliver and a premiere of Magic by Edward Top.  All these works have  been commissioned and premiered by Turning Point Ensemble.

It is also exciting to have worked this last week with the excellent musicians of Cantus Ensemble with whom we are embarking on a three-year exchange project which will include their artistic director Berislav Šipuš coming to conduct Turning Point Ensemble in May 2020, and also tours of both groups in the next two years.

We will send you news again after the premiere! 

Owen Underhill

Artistic Director, Turning Point Ensemble