Simon Knighton curates: Dynamical Systems and Natural Environments

A pendulum swings, water flows, the air particles around us move. You may not know it, but these are all examples of dynamical systems – mathematical processes of change which surround us in everyday life. But what happens when you take these patterns and translate them into sound? Nonclassical Associate Composer Simon Knighton explores this question with a curated programme of music and sound art inspired by the intersection of nature, maths and sound.

A violinist, a cellist, a saxophonist and a percussionist are stationed around the space with speakers interspersed around them. Audience members are invited to move around freely to experience the concert as a three-dimensional “sound sculpture”: a term Knighton has coined to describe his innovative approach to electroacoustic sound design. The programme brings together pieces specifically inspired by dynamical systems with more abstract poetic responses and sound installations. Music by Rolf Wallin, Emily Howard and Kaija Saariaho is presented alongside premieres of two new works by Chihiro Ono and Knighton himself.