Manchester Collective & Mahan Esfahani

Bach: 3 Fugues and 3 Canons from The Art of Fugue (arr. Esfahani)
Laurence Osborn: Coin Op Automata
Gorecki: Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings, Op. 40
Horovitz: Jazz Concerto

Manchester Collective and Mahan Esfahani are known for challenging perceptions and conventions around classical music: here, they present a truly international programme built around a thrilling work by a musical outsider.

Joseph Horovitz has never been an artist who fits neatly into the musical status quo. As a Jewish composer, born in Vienna and living in the UK, his musical influences are wide-ranging. His sensational Jazz Concerto for harpsichord, strings, and jazz kit defies easy description, much like harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani himself. Mahan has built a career around the unlikely and the virtuosic, bringing sparkling performances and a unique musicianship to a far broader repertoire than one might usually associate with his instrument.

Alongside the world premiere of a new work by British rising star Laurence Osborn, the ensemble will also present a rendition of Górecki’s breakneck Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings, and a set of canons and fugues by Bach, arranged by Esfahani.

‘Sensuous, exhilarating and revelatory’ The Times on Manchester Collective

‘Esfahani’s hyperactive live harpsichord meshes with prerecorded and transformed versions of itself, creating dense, pulsing textures.’ The Guardian on Mahan Esfahani