In Thank You for Being Here, your presence is essential. Ontroerend Goed, the internationally acclaimed theatre collective known for its innovative productions, celebrates one of the fundamental elements of theatre: the audience. In this clever and witty piece, blending video and diverse perspectives, the boundaries between spectators and performers dissolve. But there is no need to worry: you have nothing to do. Make yourself comfortable, relax, and let yourself be celebrated!

Thank You for Being Here

Château de Saint-Chamand

Katherine Balch’s still life, a Sound Investment commission, creates a vivid, multi-movement ‘sonic ecosystem’. Blending ensemble, field recordings and video into an immersive portrait of her Connecticut homestead, we hear insects at dusk, spring deluges, ruminants and birdsong transformed into delicately hybrid soundscapes.

Still Life

CBSO Centre

Hungarian musician Áron Horváth began playing his country’s national instrument – the cimbalom – at the age of seven. He initially performed traditional Hungarian folk music, but over the years has broadened his scope to include both classical and jazz. In 2023, he was admitted to the prestigious Liszt Academy in Budapest to study classical cimbalom, and in the same year became a member of two prominent ensembles: Elán, which explores the folk music of Central and Eastern Europe, and Intergeese, a jazz trio performing original compositions.

EPSG:4326

Soup with Cimbalom

Stockholm Concert Hall

Experience music of the late 20th and 21st centuries, including premieres, in the intimate setting of the Rose Studio at CMS.

Sonic Spectrum II 2026

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

The cimbalom is a true chameleon: Like only the piano, the Hungarian dulcimer feels at home in all genres and styles. And so does Áron Horváth, who, as the European Concert Hall Organization's "Rising Star," tours the continent's major concert halls. With his World Music Quartet, the young cimbalom virtuoso will explore jazz and folk music from Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria at the Elbphilharmonie.

Áron Horváth, Cimbalom

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Pierre Bleuse brings two thrilling Spanish-inspired works by the French master of orchestral colour, Maurice Ravel. The concert opens with the UK premiere of Charlotte Bray's A Sky Too Small, which explores the dark theme of human incarceration, and also includes BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Hana Chang's debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Hungarian composer Béla Bartók's emotional Violin Concerto No. 1.

Pierre Bleuse conducts Bray, Ravel and Bartók

BBC Maida Vale Studios

Castalian String Quartet

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

One of the focuses of the violinist’s busy career is the recital repertoire, often in conjunction with tonight’s pianist: she also makes a feature of championing contemporary music. British composer Charlotte Bray has emerged as one of the most distinctive voices of her generation: Mriya – which means ‘dream’ in Ukrainian

Leila Josefowicz violin; John Novacek piano

Wigmore Hall

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

University of Tulsa

The FLUX Quartet gives the US premiere of Charlotte Bray’s Festival-commissioned string quartet Ungrievable Lives, which takes its name and inspiration from an art installation by Caroline Burraway honoring the world’s 13 million child refugees. The program also features the first-ever Festival performance of Ligeti’s absorbing, Bartók-influenced String Quartet No. 1 and the world premieres of works by Ryan Lindveit and Angela Elizabeth Slater, this year’s participants in the Festival’s annual Young Composers String Quartet Project.

New Music with Flux Quartet

New Mexico Museum of Art

Catherine Larsen-Maguire makes her debut with Ensemble 10:10, not only bringing music she is passionate about by Brett Dean, Andrea Tarrodi, Charlotte Bray and Jessie Montgomery, but also presenting gripping new sounds from Ailís Ní Ríain and Claire Victoria Roberts to carry on the ensemble’s inspiring tradition of commissioning composers from the North West.

Ensemble 10:10

Yoko Ono Lennon Centre

### Cherry Blossom Concert by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

**Date and Time:**  
Sunday, 2nd April 2023  
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

**Location:**  
Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2JB

**Event Description:**  
Join the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) for the return of the Cherry Blossom Concert, in collaboration with Ikon Gallery. This hour-long, free, and sensory event is designed to bring a moment of calm to your Sunday lunchtime. Suitable for all ages, the concert invites you to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with beautiful music.

Feel free to grab a coffee from one of Brindleyplace's local cafes and drop in and out as you please. Don't forget to check out the goody bags available at the event.

**Program Highlights:**
- **Charlotte Bray**
  - *Beyond* (2013, 4’)
  - *In Black Light* (2018, 8’)
- **Hollie Harding**
  - *motion* (2018, 6’)
- **Dai Fujikura**
  - *Sakana* (2007, 10’)
  - *Perpetual Spring* (2017, 10’)
  - *Rubicon* (2006, 1’)
- **György Ligeti**
  - *String Quartet No. 2* (1968, 20’)

**Additional Information:**  
- **Tickets:** Booking for this event has now closed.
- **Photography:** Anthony Crutch at Cherry Blossom Concert 2022

For more details and to read about last year's event, visit [BCMG's blog](www.bcmg.org.uk/cherry-blossom-at-last).

**Contact Information:**  
For any inquiries, please contact BCMG at 01216162616.

Cherry Blossom Concert

Oozells Square

“The indescribable is happening here; the Eternal Feminine lifts us on high!” Franz Liszt always thought big, and his stupendous Faust Symphony deals with nothing less than the temptation, damnation and redemption of the soul itself. Huge, tempestuous and thrillingly dramatic, it’s a landmark of 19th century music, and this rare full performance makes a truly epic finale to our concert season.

Charlotte Bray

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 22, 2026 - Jan 21, 2027

Sonic Spectrum II 2026 · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

May 28, 2027

Sakari Oramo conducts Bray and Liszt · Barbican Centre

Past events

Jul 4, 2026

Thank You for Being Here · La Manufacture

Jun 21, 2026

Still Life · Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

About

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