The Night With: Garth Knox, Xenia Pestova Bennett, Ed Bennett & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

Garth Knox

Garth Knox is at the forefront of the new music scene in many fields. Drawing on his vast experience as viola player of the Arditti Quartet and the Ensemble intercontemporain and his close collaboration with most of the leading composers of today, he has become a unique performer of music of many different styles, ranging from minimalist understatement to the cutting edge of new techniques and new technologies.
More recently thanks to his interest in the viola d’amore and the medieval fiddle, his repertoire has opened up to the music of the past (medieval, baroque) which he persuasively brings into the present, and his irish/scottish roots enable him to dialogue with traditional celtic music without complexes. He has always felt at home as an improviser, and now more and more so as a composer also, deploying his musical ideas as innovative instrumental theatre. (Read more)

Xenia Pestova Bennett

Described as “a powerhouse of contemporary keyboard repertoire” (Tempo), pianist and composer Xenia Pestova Bennett has earned an international reputation as a leading proponent of uncompromising music. Her work spans a wide range of sound worlds, styles and genres from classical to contemporary art music, free improvisation, experimental electronica and avant-pop. (Read more)

Ed Bennett

Irish composer Ed Bennett was born in Bangor, Co.Down. His music, which has been described in the press as ‘anarchic’ (Irish Times), ‘manic’ (Classical Music) and ‘thrilling’ (Gramophone) is often characterised by its strong rhythmic energy, extreme contrasts and the combination of acoustic, electronic and multimedia elements; it was recently described in The Guardian as ‘unclassifiable, raw-nerve music of huge energy and imagination’ and by Sinfini Music as ‘one of the most scintillating voices to emerge of late from the British Isles.’ His body of work includes large-scale orchestral works, ensemble pieces, solo works, electronic music, opera, installations and works for dance and film. In 2019 he was awarded the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Major Individual Artist Award, the highest honour awarded to an artist from the region. 

(Read more)

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

If you’re wondering how to pronounce my name, try “Kwee-veen Oh Rye Alla” on for size. It’s not quite right, but as a first attempt it’s not too shabby.I make music on a 10-string fiddle called the hardanger d’amore , and I travel the world as a solo musician, in duos with Dan Trueman, Mick O’Brien and Brendan Begley, and as a member of The Gloaming and This is How we Fly. I also use live processing on stage, sending the sound of my fiddle through code I write in a programming language called ChucK. (Read more)

Programme

All Soundings Art True

New Work from Trio

Tickets

One-day and two-day festival passes currently available from The Night With here.