16 February 2023
Kings Place
LONDON
kings place
kings place
Requiem for Peace
Russia : Today, UK Premiere
Russia : Today, UK Premiere
The UK premiere of Russia : Today was hosted by Kings Place, London, on 16 February 2023. The event, entitled Requiem for Peace, took place a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, on 24 February2022.
EXAUDI, one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles for new music, performed the piece before a full-house audience. Directed by James Weeks, the five singers (including Zigmars Grasis, the low bass from Argentum Ensemble which premiered the work) delivered a powerful and emotionally charged performance. It spoke poignantly to the audience’s feelings of alienation, nostalgia, anger, sadness, grief, and hope. As Keith Potter of OPERA magazine, present at the performance, wrote, the work is magnificent and compelling...as powerful and moving as it was undoubtedly original and thought-provoking.
The proceeds from ticket sales were donated to support the war refugees in Ukraine via Sunrise charity, and those experiencing the political repression in Russia, via OVD Info, an independent media project focused on human rights and political persecution.
The importance of presenting the live performance in London, a city with strong relationships toRussia through its hundreds of thousands of Russian-speaking and -origin citizens, as well as new waves of Ukrainian refugees, cannot be overstated. Though conceived prior to the war, the eerily prescient (Andrew Dickson, New York Times) Russia: Today has gained significant relevance in the present day, reflected in the charged atmosphere and press attention that accompanied its performance.
Initially conceived as a collaboration with EXAUDI in 2016, the UK premiere finally saw the collaboration with the celebrated group take place in the public realm.
Selected Press
Review by Keith Potter, OPERA magazine, UK (in English)
Preview by Andrew Dickson, New York Times, UK/global (in English)
Preview by Andrew Jack, Financial Times, UK/global (in English)
Programme Leaflet
EXAUDI, one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles for new music, performed the piece before a full-house audience. Directed by James Weeks, the five singers (including Zigmars Grasis, the low bass from Argentum Ensemble which premiered the work) delivered a powerful and emotionally charged performance. It spoke poignantly to the audience’s feelings of alienation, nostalgia, anger, sadness, grief, and hope. As Keith Potter of OPERA magazine, present at the performance, wrote, the work is magnificent and compelling...as powerful and moving as it was undoubtedly original and thought-provoking.
The proceeds from ticket sales were donated to support the war refugees in Ukraine via Sunrise charity, and those experiencing the political repression in Russia, via OVD Info, an independent media project focused on human rights and political persecution.
The importance of presenting the live performance in London, a city with strong relationships toRussia through its hundreds of thousands of Russian-speaking and -origin citizens, as well as new waves of Ukrainian refugees, cannot be overstated. Though conceived prior to the war, the eerily prescient (Andrew Dickson, New York Times) Russia: Today has gained significant relevance in the present day, reflected in the charged atmosphere and press attention that accompanied its performance.
Initially conceived as a collaboration with EXAUDI in 2016, the UK premiere finally saw the collaboration with the celebrated group take place in the public realm.
Selected Press
Review by Keith Potter, OPERA magazine, UK (in English)
Preview by Andrew Dickson, New York Times, UK/global (in English)
Preview by Andrew Jack, Financial Times, UK/global (in English)
Programme Leaflet
