Fuse Art Camp

In April 2018, Gavin will lead a five-day masterclass in composition at CAMP, a residential arts facility in the high French Pyrenees.

This course will take Gavin's work as a starting point to examine compositional forms and strategies, working closely with the group's existing practice and methods, with the aim of each student developing a finished work for performance at the end of the session. Students from all musical backgrounds are welcome, whether classically trained, improvisors, sound artists, installation artists, conceptual artists or favouring any other approach. The session will include:

> Individual tuition sessions, examining and developing each student's existing work and practice
> Group sessions examining different types of musical material, including vocal music (both solo and ensemble), string music, opera, music for dance, composing in relation to music from the past, and arranging the music of others
> Evening events showing Gavin's work in opera and film
> Development of each student's work for final performance by the group at the end of the course

The sessions will be accompanied by optional outdoors activities led by CAMP crew, including guided mountaineering, visits to local beauty points, and downtime to hang out, relax, enjoy the local food and wine, and learn informally from Gavin, the CAMP crew, and your fellow students. Following the course, further support of the work developed will come in the form of performance and releasing opportunities via Fuse Art Space and our range of in-house record labels.

For more information, see www.campfr.com/gavinbryars

Marilyn Forever

The Vienna Volksoper is to give the Austrian premiere - the European premiere - of Gavin's chamber opera Marilyn Forever on April 14 2018, with subsequent performances on April 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 28, 29 and May 2. It will be conducted by Wolfram-Maria Martig and staged by Christoph Zauner with the Texan soprano Rebecca Nelsen as Marilyn and Morten Frank Larsen as the Rehearsal Director/Other Men.

There will be a pre-performance evening on April 13 2018 at the Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz presented by Helene Sommer.

https://www.volksoper.at/produktion/marilyn-forever-2018.de.html

The Collected Works of Billy the Kid

Michael Ondaatje's book The Collected Works of Billy the Kid comprises prose texts as well as poetry. The prose texts are fragments from people who had met Billy while the poems are from his imagination. Michael wrote all the texts, even those that seem to be true documents. For the opera there are two voices: that of Billy and that of a female narrator who, at certain times, also takes on the character of female protagonists such as Sally Chisum and Angela Dickinson.

The project is a co-commission from two theatres in Lyon, Le Theatre du Croix Rousse and the Theatre de la Renaissance. The musical ensemble is a small one with just 6 players: 4 tuned percussion, piano and violin. The ensemble is directed from within by Gérard Lecointe, founder of the Percussion Claviers de Lyon (and also director the Theatre de la Renaissance). There are two singers Claron McFadden for the female role and Bertrand Belin as Billy the Kid. The stage director is Jean Lacornerie, who is also artistic director of the Theatre du Croix Rousse.

There will be several performance in Lyon followed by a tour throughout France and Belgium. It is co-produced by Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse with Théâtre de la Renaissance (Ouillins), Muziektheater Transparant, Operadagen Rotterdam and Mahogany Opera Group.

A Man in a Room, Gambling at Café Oto

Following our successful performance at Café Oto in January this year, the Gavin Bryars Ensemble is going to give a series of three concerts on consecutive Fridays in the New Year. These concerts will feature Gavin's 1992 collaboration with his friend, the Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz in which Juan's recorded voice describes different ways of manipulating playing cards - in effect cheating - accompanied by Gavin's music. There are ten pieces altogether and seven are performed each evening - over the three evenings all ten will be performed in the second half of the concert. Some pieces are included each evening, others appear more selectively. All the pieces, accompanied by the Balanescu Quartet, are recorded on GB Records (BCGBCD04).

The first half of each concert shows different facets of the ensemble's work, with each player being featured at some point as a soloist. The final night includes our chamber version of Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet in the first half.

Each evening ends with a signature closing work Epilogue from Wonderlawn.

Cafe Oto 2018: Series - A Man in a Room, Gambling

I (January 19 2018)

Lauda con sordino (solo cello - Audrey; electric guitar, piano) 12'

Ramble on Cortona (solo piano - Gavin; viola, cello, electric guitar) 12'

The North Shore (solo viola - Nick Barr; piano, electric guitar, cello, bass (cello 2) 12'

With Miriam by the River (solo cello - Nick Cooper; piano, electric guitar) 5'

- interval -

A Man in a Room, Gambling (7 pieces) 35'

1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10

Epilogue from Wonderlawn 6' (solo viola - Nick Barr, cellos, guitar, bass)

Personnel: Nick Barr, violin/viola; Nick Cooper, cello); James Woodrow, electric guitar; Audrey Riley, cello; Ziella Bryars, cello; Orlanda Bryars, cello; Gavin Bryars, bass and piano

II (January 26 2018)

Lauda Dolçe I (solo cello - Audrey; electric guitar, bass) 6'

Dancing with Pannonica (viola, cello, electric guitar, bass) 4'

Lauda Dolçe II (solo cello - Audrey; electric guitar, bass) 6'

It Never Rains - (viola, cello, electric guitar, bass) 6'

Lauda Dolçe III (solo cello - Audrey; electric guitar, bass) 6'

- interval -

A Man in a Room, Gambling (7 pieces) 35'

2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10

Epilogue from Wonderlawn 6' (solo viola - Morgan Goff; viola, cellos, guitar, bass)

Personnel: Morgan Goff, violin/viola; Katie Wilkinson, viola; James Woodrow, electric guitar; Audrey Riley, cello; Ziella Bryars, cello; Orlanda Bryars, cello; Gavin Bryars, bass and piano

III (February 2 2018)

The Flower of Friendship (viola, cello, electric guitar, bass) 12'

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet - full ensemble 25'

- interval -

A Man in a Room, Gambling (7 pieces) 35'

3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10

Epilogue from Wonderlawn 6' (solo viola - Morgan; cellos, guitar, bass)

Personnel: Morgan Goff, viola; Nick Cooper, cello; James Woodrow, electric guitar; Audrey Riley, cello; Ziella Bryars, cello; Gavin Bryars, bass and piano; Orlanda Bryars, cello; Yuri Bryars, bass