Bristol New Music will return this April with five days of performances, installations and cross-disciplinary projects.
Events will take place in a range of spaces across the city, including Arnolfini, Bristol Beacon, Spike Island, St George’s Bristol, Strange Brew, Watershed, The Cube, Kit Form and the Victoria Rooms.
The festival opens on 22 April at Strange Brew with US saxophonist and composer Cole Pulice, alongside a trio featuring guitarist Bill Orcutt, Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Comets on Fire bassist Evan Miller.
The following evening, artist and DJ Olukemi Lijadu presents a newly commissioned live score to accompany her film Feedback at Spike Island, where the film installation is being exhibited during the festival.
Friday’s programme includes an improvisation-focused session at The Cube Microplex with Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec and experimental duo @xcrswx, a.k.a. drummer Crystabel Riley and saxophonist Seymour Wright. Kenyan sound artist KMRU will perform at art institution Arnolfini, as well as audiovisual collaborators Rebecca Salvadori, Saint Abdullah and Eomac and Egyptian electronic artist YUNIS.
Saturday starts with an afternoon show at Arnolfini in collaboration Another Sky Festival with pianist Mark Knoop and London-based artist ãssia ghendir, before St George’s hosts acoustic performances from claire rousay with a Bristol ensemble, cellist Lucy Railton and the UK premiere of Harry Górski-Brown and Wojciech Rusin’s drone symphony Drift. The day will conclude at Bristol Beacon’s Lantern Hall with electronic sets from emptyset, GHOST DUBS, FRANKIE with Kelman Duran and Cara Tolmie & Rian Treanor.
The final day begins with contemporary repertoire from Shui Mo Ensemble at the Victoria Rooms, followed by performances blending from artists including Hatis Noit, Merope and Yas Clarke.
The closing event at Strange Brew features singer-pianist Eliana Glass, pianist Jasmine Wood with producer Pavel Milyakov, and UK experimental guitar collective Ex-Easter Island Head.
Festival passes are sold out, but day passes are available here.
