Critical acclaim for Colin at the Hallé's Steve Reich Festival

© Alex Burns

Last week, Colin led the Hallé in a self-curated festival celebrating the music of Steve Reich, as part of their ‘The Hallé Presents …’ series. Performing to sold-out audiences, Colin conducted the orchestra across two concerts, as well as performing a chamber programme alongside Hallé musicians and students from the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School.

Described as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event, Colin has received unanimous critical acclaimed:

'A sublime tribute to a master of minimalism. Music with this range of appeal has surely attained the status of classic, and the wonderful performances of six of Reich’s works explained why... In the evening’s biggest piece, The Four Sections, we heard a stark ritual quality and solemn joy… the pulsating, radiant close, brought to a climax with staggering energy by Currie.'
The Telegraph ★★★★★

'The Hallé’s celebration of the 87-year-old composer, curated by percussionist Colin Currie, opened with masterly performances of his intricate works, including the shimmeringly beautiful Music for Ensemble and Orchestra… Tightly corralled by Currie – a conductor with a percussionist’s instinct for meter – shimmering washes of sound and aching melodies coalesced in moments of iridescent splendour.'
The Guardian ★★★★

'The music embarks on a great arc shape, expanding and slowing down, as if time itself were stretching out. It was brilliantly done by the Hallé players with Currie conducting. We also saw the accompanying abstract film by Gerhard Richter and Corinna Belz. Vivid pixel stripes morphed into rich patterns, saturated with colour and texture. The music mirrored its transformations — the effect was mesmerising.'
The Times ★★★★

'The processes at work in The Desert Music are as active and purposeful as anything in Sibelius or Bruckner... it’s a symphony, one of the greatest of our time and it took this electrifying live performance to put me straight about Reich.'
The Spectator

'The orchestra and Currie treated the sold-out house with once-in-a-lifetime set-list, featuring some of Reich’s most extraordinary works in outstanding performances… A dream-team performance from the members of the Hallé and Currie, Reich/Richter was quite a feat. Ever subtly interlocked and beautifully balanced, each musical phrase and rhythmic configuration was given much thought and care, mounting to superlative reading of a genuine masterpiece.'
Adventures in Music

© Alex Burns

Colin leads Steve Reich Festival with The Hallé

© Fondation Louis Vuitton

At the start of February, The Hallé will present a festival celebrating the music of Steve Reich, as part of their ‘The Hallé Presents …’ series. After building a close artistic relationship with the composer over more than 20 years, Colin will bring his unparalleled understanding of Reich’s music to Manchester in three concerts, self-curated at request of The Hallé.

In what will be the most comprehensive and concentrated portrayal of Reich’s music ever by a British symphony orchestra, the festival will also mark Colin’s symphonic debut as a conductor.

Taking the Bridgewater Hall stage on Thursday 1 February, Colin will lead The Hallé Orchestra and The RNCM Chamber Choir in Reich’s The Desert Music, one of Reich's most significant and expansive works. The programme will also feature Reich’s Music for Pieces of Wood and Music for Ensemble and Orchestra.

On Friday 2 February, Colin will perform in a sold-out concert at St Peter’s, joined by Hallé Orchestra musicians, and students from The RNCM & Chetham's School. Lead by Colin, they will perform Reich’s Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ, Mallet Quartet, and Radio Rewrite.

In the sold-out festival finale on Saturday 3 February, Colin returns to Bridgewater Hall for a concert featuring Radiohead guitarist Jonnny Greenwood, who makes a guest appearance at Colin’s invitation. Greenwood will perform Reich’s legendary Electric Counterpoint within the otherwise orchestral programme conducted by Colin, including Reich/Richter featuring film artwork created by Gerhardt Richter.

Watch Colin’s full length exclusive interview with Steve Reich:

Colin performs MacMillan’s Veni, Veni, Emmanuel in Poland

© James Glossop

This week, Colin travels to Katowice, Poland, to perform Sir James MacMillan’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop.

A work of great importance to Colin, he has performed this percussion concerto more than 150 times. He initially worked with Marin on the concerto during his US debut at the Cabrillo Festival in 1996. Subsequently, Colin has also released two critically-acclaimed recordings of the work, first on Naxos in 1999 conducted by Takuo Yuasa, and then on Challenge Classics in 2012, conducted by MacMillan himself.

'Skipping around the composer/conductor between his clusters of tuned and untuned instruments, Currie found every colour and nuance in the score, with the rest of the musicians onstage at full stretch for the duration of the work as well.'
The Herald on Colin’s performance of the work with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2019

Colin has maintained a close partnership with Sir James through the years, and has since commissioned the composer’s second percussion concerto, which was dedicated to Colin. He premiered the work in 2014 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic:

‘If I had to characterise Colin’s approach it would be a combination of accuracy and sensitivity that generates real emotion.’
Read Sir James McMillan’s interview on his second percussion concerto.

Colin receives critical acclaim for performances with Scottish Chamber Orchestra

© Andy Catlin

Last week, Colin made his conducting debut to lead the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in sold-out concerts at Glasgow’s City Hall, and The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.

Colin built his programme around the music of Steve Reich, branching out to connected works by Louis Andriessen, Arvo Pärt and Julia Wolfe. The electrifying performance from the orchestra, under Colin’s direction, received a rapturous response from both audiences, which was matched by unanimous critical acclaim:

”Currie took on an astonishing range of roles, from informed and articulate compère to fluent, perceptive conductor, as well as ensemble player and even concerto soloist. Indeed, it was a remarkable achievement from Currie to both play and direct Louis Andriessen’s percussion concerto Tapdance, and Currie’s switching between roles laid bare the piece’s mechanics to revelatory effect.”
The Scotsman ★★★★★ - Read the full review.

”The American composer has been a mainstay of the Scottish musician’s work with his own percussion group. The second half of this programme presented another side of his work with two more recent pieces for small ensembles, which Currie directed with the sort of rhythmic clarity you might expect, cueing the players with precision.”
The Herald ★★★★★ - Read the full review.

© Andy Catlin

Colin appointed as new Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music

Announced today, Colin has been appointed as a new Visiting Professor of Modern Ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Colin is an alumnus of the Academy, and has previously served as professor of solo percussion, as well as collaborating on and leading many projects.

He said: ‘As I begin my third professorial decade for my Alma Mater I am delighted with this new and enriched role, curating ensemble projects for and with the students. Nothing is more crucial than performance experience, and this area will engender maximum diversity of contemporary repertoire and broad stylistic versatility.’

Colin will begin his role in September 2024, when he will also direct his first concert for the Academy. Read more.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Conducting Debut

Next week, Colin takes on a new joint role with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, performing as both conductor and concerto soloist.

Colin built his programme around the music of Steve Reich, branching out to connected works by Louis Andriessen, Arvo Pärt and Julia Wolfe.  

The concert opens with Arvo Pärt’s chamber work Frartres for winds and percussion, before he assumes the role of soloist/director in Andriessen’s Tapdance concerto, which was written for Colin and premiered by him in 2014. After the percussion concerto, Currie will conduct Julia Wolfe’s Fuel followed by two works of Steve Reich - the warmly lyrical Pulse and the extraordinary Radio Re-write, which took inspiration from songs by British rock band, Radiohead.

Colin has enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, having performed with them many times and premiered several new concertos together.

Find out more and book tickets