Bringing together the worlds of classical music and beatboxing, Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra will be a new collaborative work co-composed by Shlomo and Anna Meredith, which will create a new notation and precedent for beatboxing as a musical art form.
Shlomo will perform the Concerto with a bespoke 20 piece ‘Beatbox Orchestra’, self-selected members of the four Southbank Centre resident orchestras (the Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the London Philharmonic). Shlomo’s own ‘Beatbox Choir’ will be also be embedded within the ensemble. The compositional process will be wholly collaborative involving all members of the ensemble. A new form of notation for beatboxing will also be developed and made freely available online.
Shlomo is a human beatbox artist and Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre in London. He has worked with artists such as Bjork, Damon Albarn and Bill Bailey. He recently created the world’s first beatboxing choir, curated a concert series at the Southbank Centre and performed live for BBC2’s coverage of Glastonbury Festival.
Anna Meredith is a composer, improviser, drum teacher and animateur. Composer in Residence for the BBC Scottish Sympony Orchestra from 2004 – 2007, her trombone concerto for their Principal Trombone, Simon Johnson, is due to be performed in 2009. Anna was mentored by electronica artists Matmos as part of the London Sinfonietta’s Blue Touch Paper project and her works have also been premiered by Ensemble Modern, London Symphony Orchestra and at the Aldeburgh and Huddersfield festivals.
“These adventurous composers don’t force musical genres together, but instead uses the distinctive elements of each musical form to create a blueprint for a future style.” New Music Award panel
Do you think beatboxing and classical music can work together successfully? Will beatboxing raise its credentials through this project? Click here to let us know your thoughts...
Responses so far
"Purely awesome idea with some awesome musical backgrounds from those involved. Would love to see this pushed and made nationally known."
"The Shlomo and Anna Meredith submission is both musically interesting as well as a great way to get (young) people listening/experiencing classical music in a contemporary context. I also think that their project has the ability to inspire/educate and entertain a broad range of people, which ticks all the boxes for me."
"I have no doubt the two forms will work incredibly well together, as both are so flexible and can thus be joined synergistically."