Music for Trombones, Bass Clarinets & Horn

Thanos Chrysakis is a Greek composer, musician, producer and sound-artist. He is best known for his work in electronic and contemporary music, free improvisation, and electro-acoustic music.

With several albums to his name his work has appeared in festivals and events in numerous countries, including CYNETart Festival, Festspielhaus Hellerau - Dresden, Artus Contemporary Arts Studio – Budapest, CRUCE Gallery – Madrid, Fylkingen – Stockholm, Relative (Cross) Hearings festival – Budapest, Festival Futura – Crest - Drôme, FACT Centre – Liverpool, Association Ryoanji – Ahun - Creuse, The Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale — Hanover - New Hampshire, Areté Gallery — Brooklyn - New York, UC San Diego – California - San Diego, Berner Münster – Bern, Fabbrica del Vapore – Milan, Grünewaldsalen – Svensk Musikvår — Stockholm, Splendor – Amsterdam, Logos Foundation – Ghent, Palacio de Bellas Artes – Mexico City, Műcsarnok Kunsthalle – Budapest, Spektrum – Berlin, Susikirtimai X – Vilnius, Festival del Bosque GERMINAL – Mexico City, ДОМ – Moscow, Oosterkerk – Amsterdam, KLANG ! – Montpellier, Nádor Terem – Budapest, Utzon Centre – Aalborg, Center for New Music – San Francisco, Västerås Konstmuseum – Västerås, Störung festival – Barcelona, BMIC Cutting Edge concert series at The Warehouse – London.

His music was among the selected works at the International Competition de Musique et d'Art Sonore Electroacoustiques de Bourges 2005, in the category oeuvre d'art sonore électroacoustique, while received an honorary mention in 2006 at the 7th International Electroacoustic Competition Musica Viva in Lisbon (the jury was constituted by Morton Subotnick (USA), François Bayle (France), and Miguel Azguime (Portugal).

He operates the Aural Terrains record label since 2007 where he has released part of his work until now, alongside releases by Kim Cascone, Franscisco López, Tomas Phillips, Dan Warburton, Szilárd Mezei, Michael Edwards, Wade Matthews, Dganit Elyakim, Edith Alonso, Luis Tabuenca, Jeff Gburek, Philippe Petit, Steve Noble, Milo Fine and David Ryan among others.

He has written music for musicians of the Hyperion Ensemble, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, the Hermes Ensemble, the Nemø Ensemble, the Konus Saxophone Quartett, and the Shadanga Duo among others. Close collaborations with Tim Hodgkinson, Vincent Royer, Chris Cundy, Yoni Silver, Lori Freedman, Jason Alder, Julie Kjaer, Henriette Jensen, William Lang, Wilfrido Terrazas, Philippe Brunet, Wade Matthews, Ernesto Rodrigues, Ove Volquartz to name but a few.

Tim Hodgkinson  is an English experimental music composer and performer, principally on reeds, lap steel guitar, and keyboards. He first became known as one of the core members of the British avant-rock group Henry Cow, which he formed with Fred Frith in 1968. After the demise of Henry Cow, he participated in numerous bands and projects, eventually concentrating on composing contemporary music and performing as an improviser.

Yoni Silver is a London based performer, bass clarinetist and multi-instrumentalist.

He works within a wide array of different and mostly experimental frameworks: different forms of improvisation, Noise, (Hyper)Spectral music, Performance and composition. Besides his main instrument, the bass clarinet, he plays on the alto sax, violin, piano, computer, voice and other instruments.

His bass clarinet sound is characterised by unique techniques and ‘instrumental prosthetics’ which he has developed and which have allowed him to shift the woodwind sound palette into the realm of electronics and Noise.

He has appeared on such labels as Creative Sources, Confront Recordings, Wasted Capital, Chocolate Monk, Edition Modern, and has collaborated and performed with musicians Mark Sanders, Tim Hodgkinson, Dylan Nyoukis, Sharon Gal, Hatam/Hacklander, Primate Arena, Thanos Chrysakis, Birgit Ulher, the Israeli Contemporary Players and the Hyperion Ensemble (Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana Maria Avram) and many others.

Jason Alder is a low clarinet specialist and holds degrees in clarinet performance (Michigan State University- US), bass clarinet performance (Conservatorium van Amsterdam- NL), creative improvisation (Artez Conservatorium- NL), as well as post-graduate study in the application of the advanced rhythmic principles of South Indian Karnatic music to contemporary Western classical and jazz music (Contemporary Music and Improvisation through Non-Western Techniques). He is currently conducting PhD research on the sonic possibilities on the contrabass clarinet (Royal Northern College of Music- UK). He is well-established as a performer of contemporary music and frequently works with composers to develop and premiere new works either as a soloist, with his flute-clarinet Shadanga Duo, the Four New Brothers Bass Clarinet Quartet, or in a variety of other formations. As well as composed music, Jason regularly performs internationally as an improviser, electroacoustic musician, and in world music and jazz bands. He is often found performing, lecturing, or on panel discussion at festivals around the world, including the International ClarinetFests, European Clarinet Festivals, Istanbul Woodwind Festival, American Single Reed Summit, Netherlands Gaudeamus New Music Festival, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Havana Festival of Contemporary Music, and Leeds International Festival of Artistic Innovation. He is also sought after as a recording engineer for many classical and jazz musicians around Europe. Originally from metro-Detroit, Jason has lived in Europe since 2006 and is an endorsing Artist for Selmer clarinets, D'Addario reeds, Behn mouthpieces, and Silverstein ligatures.

“swirling around the songs was bass clarinet player Chris Cundy, like a birdsong interrupting an argument” -  Los Angeles Times                                                                                                                         

Playing bass clarinet and rarified woodwind instruments Chris Cundy is a composer and performer with a practice rooted in experimental and improvised settings. His work also crosses over into popular music and he has worked with a variety of songwriters and groups including Timber Timbre, Cold Specks (aka Ladan Hussein), Thor & Friends, Baby Dee & Little Annie, and Guillemots.

Growing up in the Medway towns Chris became friends with artist and punk musician Billy Childish who introduced him to the exploits of homemade music-making at an early age. This led to a lasting DIY attitude and by the time he was 12 Chris had already started out as a street performer and busker. After hearing Eric Dolphy's music he took up the bass clarinet. He remains self-taught.

Also a visual artist, Chris studied painting at Cheltenham where he discovered a synergy between drawing practices and improvised music. This led to self-developed playing techniques using multi-phonics, circular breathing, exploring micro tonality and generally speaking a more tactile approach to the instrument. Chris also performs contemporary classical music and has premiered works by Greek composer Thanos Chrysakis. He performs as a soloist and as a member of The Set Ensemble.

He is also involved with theatre music, and recently contributed to an original soundtrack for Florian Zeller's stage play The Mother starring Gina McKee. Chris has performed at Shakespeare's Globe and toured with circus companies NoFit State, and Imagineer.

One off sessions have seen Chris performing alongside Moby, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Lol Coxhill, Vieux Farka Touré, Fatoumata Diawara, Alexander Hawkins, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Lisa Hannigan.

He has released three solo albums, Gustav Lost in 2016 (FMR Records), The Disruptive Forest in 2017 (Confront), and the mini-album Crude Attempt in 2020 (Pressing Records). A further album of acoustic bass clarinet compositions is expected in 2021 titled Of All The Common Flowers.

Benny is a freelance trombone player based in London. He grew up in the Somerset countryside but moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. Since graduating he has taken part in the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s ‘Future First’ scheme, and has since performed as anextra in the orchestra. Other professional engagements include performances with the London Symphony Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera North, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra, dep work on Fiddler on the Roof in the West End, and touring performances of William Kentridge’s ‘The Head and the Load’. He has a passion for new and contemporary repertoire, taking part in the Lucerne Festival Academy 2019/22, performing regularly with the Lucerne Festival Comtemporary Orchestra, and managing his own award winning quartet ‘Slide Action’. He recently performed alongsideWilliam Kentridge in Kentridge’s interpretation of ‘Ursonate’ at the Royal Academy of Art. Aside from music, Benny is a keen photographer, running his own portraiture business on the side. He also loves film, art, and cooking.

At the age of 14, Julian Faultless performed as concerto soloist with the CBSO after winning a regional competition. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for five years. After studying the horn at the Royal Academy of Music (with Ifor James and Derek Taylor), where he won various chamber-music prizes, he studied in Los Angeles with Richard Todd, the star pupil of the legendary Hollywood player, Vince DeRosa. He participated in masterclasses with Hermann Baumann and Frank Lloyd, amongst others. Since his studies, he has pursued a varied freelance career including playing with various London orchestras such as the Royal Opera House and the Royal Philharmonic, and ensembles in Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, and has played with many contemporary-music ensembles (including Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt). In 2020 he played a solo recital for a festival at the University of New York in Abu Dhabi and recently gave the world premiere of the solo piece, Axis Mundi by the Greek composer, Thanos Chrysakis. Julian is active in free improvising in Oxford and London.

Originally from Somerset, Hannah is a clarinet/bass clarinet specialist, woodwind doubler and arranger based in Brighton. Hannah is a BG France, RATstands and DEBUT Classical Horizon Artist. Hannah is a pioneer of the bass clarinet as a solo instrument, and has recently published her arrangement of Debussy’s Cello Sonata arranged for bass clarinet and piano, with Alea Publishing.

Hannah has performed alongside musicians such as Grammy award winning jazz pianist Bill Laurance, and with ensembles such as the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the Hastings Philharmonic.

Christian Tscherning Larsen (trombone) studied at the Jutland Conservatory of Music under Prof. Niels-Ole Bo Johansen and Rolf Sandmark and the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music under Torbjörn Kroon and Prof. Jesper Juul Windahl. In addition, Christian has had long-term temporary positions in the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Orchestra and Copenhagen Philarmonic.

Edward Lucas is a London based trombone player. He plays improvised and experimental music with a particular interest in electro-acoustic collaborations. He is co-founder – with Daniel Kordik – of the Earshots Recordings label and concert series which has been releasing music since 2013. The pair have a long standing trombone / synthesiser duo (Kordik / Lucas) which recently teamed up with Eddie Prévost and his Matchless label to release _High Laver Reflections_. This was a set of recordings made by the group at the medieval All Saint’s Church in High Laver, Essex.

Groups and Associations with many musicians from the London improvised music scene and beyond, including the London Experimental Ensemble, Hyperion Ensemble (playing the music of Iancu Dumitrescu, Ana-Maria Avram, Tim Hodgkinson), and the London Improvisers Orchestra.

Leo Geyer is a composer, conductor and presenter. He began his career at the Royal Opera House as a Cover Conductor for The Royal Ballet and is now the Founder and Artistic Director of Constella OperaBallet.

As a guest conductor, Leo has collaborated with the BBC Concert Orchestra, English National Opera, Birmingham Contemporary Music Ensemble, the National Theatre and other ensembles. Leo has received various accolades for composition the most recent of which is the Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize. 

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Leo’s music has been described by The Times as “imaginative and beautifully shaped”, and has received performances by ensembles including the English Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Rambert Dance Company and Opera North. Leo is currently working on his first major film commission, creating a soundtrack for the Ukrainian silent film Man with a Movie Camera. Leo is studying for a doctorate in opera-ballet composition as the Senior Music Scholar at St Catherine’s College, Oxford and is an Associate Lecturer in Composition at Plymouth University.

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Following his traineeship with the BBC, Leo has presented for BBC Radio 3 and Sky Arts TV and is currently creating a major TV documentary with Two Rivers Media. In addition, Leo has also appeared as an artist on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and discussed musical matters on BBC News.