James Layton is a British composer, musician, and visual artist currently based in Oslo, Norway. His work often explores non-climactic forms, which slowly unfold and focus on the juxtaposition of progression and stasis. His use of patterns, permutations, and repetition aims to draw listeners into the music while exploring ideas of time and memory. This work is often informed by his interest in visual art, particularly the works of Agnes Martin, Sol Lewitt, and Bridget Riley.

James’ compositional output includes works for opera (saudade 2022), orchestra (focal 2019), chamber music (honour thy error as a hidden intention 2023), choir (veering slowly, losing identity 2023), as well as electro-acoustic music (are we on other, less concrete shores? 2021), and collaborations with dance (Rock-A-Bye 2023) and visual media (time spent 2023). This work has been performed around Europe by musicians and ensembles such as Cikada (NO), Orkest de Ereprijs (NE), I Solisti (BE), Ensemble Spectrum (SK), Stephen Upshaw (US/UK), Standard Issue (UK) Ensemble Ernst (NO), Ostravská Banda (CZ) and ONO – Ostrava New Orchestra (CZ), including at festivals such as Bergen Festspillene (2024), Bijloke Wonderland (2023), NODO/New Opera Days Ostrava (2022) and Ostrava New Music Days (2019).

Samuel Pradalie is a composer whose musical output consists of naïve, witty pieces, focusing on an aesthetic of Brechtian Alienation and the uncanny. Drawing heavily from the surrealist tradition, particularly the anti-virtuosic approach of Erik Satie his aesthetic language consists of awkward interruptions, repetitious materials, surreal thematic dialogues, fragrantly sentimental harmonies and kitschy melodies as well as experimenting with endurance. His music draws also draws on a number of extra musical influences including Montage techniques from Soviet Cinema, and DIY aesthetics. Samuel has worked with a number of ensembles and organisations including the Amatis Trio, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Lietzeorchester Berlin, Tête á Tête opera Festival and Borough New Music and has been performed at such diverse venues as the Rundfunk Hall Berlin, Blackheath Halls London, West Road Theatre Cambridge, St Georges Bristol.

Music Composer


For enquiries: 
orchardchristina@gmail.com

Andy Trewren is following