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1 Feb 2012 - Fancy joining in with an iPhone/iPad Orchestra?

Then come to the Roland Levinsky Foyer at Plymouth University at 2:15pm on Saturday 11th Feb. All welcome! Bring your iPad or iPhone and technical help will be available so you can put music software on your iPhone / iPad and join in with Alexis Kirke, Oliver Quinland and Jules Burt (the Plymouth iPad Trio - www.pitrio.com). We'll be done by 3:30pm. No musical skills required and all ages can join in. For more info contact support@pitrio.com Part of the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival 2012.

24 Jan 2012 - 'Insight' Coverage

'Insight' by Alexis Kirke and Joel Eaton (to be performed at 8pm Feb 10th at Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival) has been featured in the press above, with lots of re-tweeting! Click on the pictures to see the articles (for International Arts Magazine, you'll need to click the 'Preview' button afterwards). We were also very happy to be interviewed by the Interdisciplinary Computing Blog in San Diego.

10 Jan 2012 - Dj Pierre and 'Insight'

DJ Pierre of Phuture, who released the first acid house record - described by Alexis as "a tight and creative piece of ground-breaking electronic minimalism" - has kindly agreed to help out with the 'Insight' performance on 10th Feb 2012 as part of Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival at Plymouth University. The second movement of Alexis Kirke and Joel Eaton's 'Insight' for flute and electronics incorporates elements of this groundbreaking record into the flute score; and Pierre has provided a master of his original bass line to incorporate into the experimental electronics in part three of the piece.

23 Dec 2011 - Announcement of Opera and Event Sponsorship by Barclays Wealth

Barclays Wealth has announced it will be the key sponsor of the “Music and Money” festival, in which two areas of endeavour – finance and music – which are normally poles apart, will be brought together creatively. Co-organised by composer Alexis Kirke and behavioural finance specialist Dr. Greg B Davies, the festival will be played out in the City of London over the course of an evening in Autumn 2012. Combining cutting-edge classical and pop music performance with talks in the style of the “TED” (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences, the event promises to be a unique and fascinating mix: • Dr. Davies, an internationally renowned expert on behavioural finance, will talk on finance and emotion • Acclaimed opera director Alessandro Talevi will speak on music patronage • Professor Eduardo Miranda will speak on using sound to monitor and analyse stock markets. There will also be two musical performances: • The opera Open Outcry, by Alexis Kirke, in which 16 operatic performers trade real money and compete for profits in an artificial market by singing to each other and thus creating music which acoustically expresses the behaviour of the market in real time • A DJ, musician and video mixing performance, during which live data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange will be incorporated into an audio-visual extravaganza.

Speaking for Barclays Wealth, Lisa Worley, Global Head of Marketing, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to support a novel idea that brings together music and finance in an unusual and creative way. Barclays Wealth operates at the cutting edge of behavioural finance, which enables us to tailor clients’ portfolios very specifically, and this festival represents a fascinating extension of this science.”

The full announcement can be read here.

20 Dec 2011 - Brief Preview of the πTrio Commission for PACMF2012

For Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival 2012 (10-12 Feb 2012 - www.pacmf.co.uk), the piTrio (Alexis Kirke, Oliver Quinlan and Jules Burt) have been commissioned to provide a performance 'Discover, Dream, Explore' (for iPad Trio and iOrchestra). An info videos is being prepared for the commissions, however you can get a preview by watching the raw footage:The Making of the piTrio (Plymouth iPad Trio) Part 1 (raw footage)

28 Nov 2011 - Performance confirmed at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

“Cloud Chamber” - a composition by Alexis Kirkeand Electroshop which allows a violinist to duet live with subatomic particles – is receiving its second performance on 28th January 2012 at the £145 million Second Target Station at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source at the UK’s Rutherford-Appleton Laboratories. The violin part will be played by Ben Heaney. Pictured above is the proton accelerator for this new Target Station. The composition – premiered at Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival in 2011 – takes place in the weeks preceding the 2012 festival; thus helping to raise the profile of both the ground-breaking science at ISIS and the ground-breaking music at the festival. Cloud Chamber premiered on a music stage in Plymouth University. This second performance is in a more unusual, and perhaps more appropriate, venue – a large scale particle physics lab in Oxfordshire. ISIS is the world’s leading pulsed Neutron and Muon source, at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and has contributed significantly to many of the major breakthroughs in materials science, physics and chemistry since it was commissioned in 1985. It is owned and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (who also co-fund CERN) and produces subatomic particle beams that allow scientists to study materials at the atomic level. ISIS is one of the UK’s major scientific achievements of the last 30 years. The composer had been keen to collaborate with ISIS since an invited visit in 2010, and the laboratory provided crystal lattice numerical data which he incorporated into the violin music. The Second Target station – where the performance will take place - was a huge project, completed in 2008. The US and Japan have constructed neutron sources like ISIS in order to catch up with the UK. The threat to the UK position posed by new spallation sources in the US and Japan has been mitigated to a large extent by the ISIS second target station which will help safeguard ISIS competitiveness for at least the next decade.

25 October 2011 - large scale Wave Tank commission

Plymouth Marine Institute have commissioned their composer-in-residence Alexis Kirke and Huddersfield Composer Music PhD Student Sam Freeman to produce a new performance for the opening of the new Marine Institute Building in 2012. This £19 million marine building will house state-of the art research facilities including the most advanced wave tank and testing facilities in the country. "soundWave" will be a 10 minute composition which utilizes technology specially developed for the performance which generates sounds from the wave patterns in the new large wave tank. The tank waves will be controlled using a musical body suit (shown above) provided by the ICCMR and worn by the composer on the overhead gantry; and will be turned into sound by a computer sonification system. In the smaller coastal tank to one side will be a group of water drummers (inspired by the African Baaka – shown above) who will accompany the water sounds at certain times (and whose turbulence can be turned into further electronic sounds). Two of the drummers will be music undergraduates at Plymouth University:Philip Kendall and Josie Boucharde. The development involves a collaboration with Deborah Greaves and David Simmonds of CCOSE and the programmer is Sam Freeman, a PhD Student at the University of Huddersfield who collaborated with Alexis on Fast Travel. The performance is done in partnership with Peninsula Arts.

19 Sept 2011 - British Art Show opening commission

Alexis was commissioned by Peninsula Arts to provide a piece for the opening of British Art Show 7 in Plymouth, UK on September 16th. The piece "neuroApocalyptic" was a 7 minute composition for alto soprano, trumpet, trombone, and electronics (subbass, binarual beats, pure noise, and dubstep 'whomp'). The piece was conducted and edited by Simon Ible.

10 August 2011 - The Geology of Music - events inspired by life 650 million yrs ago (with Lola Perrin)

UPDATE: Review in New Scientist - click here

On October 2nd composers Lola Perrin and Alexis Kirke present an evening of film, music and words inspired by the story of an incredible fossil find, and its implications for a new understanding of our origins. Following the concert Paul Williams of the BBC will be in conversation with Princeton's Dr Adam Maloof, who made the discovery, to find out more about what this means for science and to moderate questions from the audience. The Forge, 3-7 Delancey Street, London, NW1 7NL Sunday October 2nd, 7pm You can book tickets here.

26 July 2011 - Wired cover Huddersfield "Fast Travel" performance in August

[[Click for Wired coverage ]] Fast Travel by Alexis Kirke and Sam Freeman will be performed at 11am on Weds 3rd August at St Paul's Concert Hall, Huddersfield as part of the International Computer Music Conference. The laptop will be performed by the technologist for the piece, Sam Freeman; the saxophonist will be Iain Harrison. Fast Travel was commissioned and premiered by Peninsula Arts.

15 June 2011 - Sunlight Symphony wins Media and Innovation Award 2011

Sunlight Symphony by Alexis Kirke and Tim Hodgson won the SW Media and Innovation Award 2011 for Performance. Sunlight Symphony was commissioned and premiered by Peninsula Arts.

09 May 2011 - Alexis interviewed on BBC Radio 3 Music Matters 7th May

Alexis Kirke and Eduardo Miranda were interviewed on BBC Radio 3's Music Matters last Saturday lunchtime. Alexis talked about Fast Travel and some excerpts were played. Here is an edit featuring just the interviews etc. Fast Travel was commissioned and premiered by Peninsula Arts.

1 Apr 2011 - Drive-in Deco 31st March - 9th April

Featured in Guardian “What to See” this week.

Tickets from Plymouth Theatre Royal.

A Drive-in with a Difference! Musical Director Alexis Kirke, and script by Radio 4 regular Anita Sullivan developed from texts by Cathy McCabe in collaboration with the company. From an original idea by Cathy McCabe and Alexis Kirke.

Part Exchange Co, the team behind Hidden City Festival 2008, invites you to a unique drive-in performance, combining film, theatre, live music, radio broadcast and popcorn. The Building is the Star! Representative of the International Guild of City Tenders, Mr Smith, will use his latest technology to reawaken a forgotten art deco car showroom, and guide you through the fascinating life story of this wonderful old star of the West End whose forecourt will be transformed into a 1930s drive-in cinema. Enjoy all the excitement of a drive-in at this world premiere, where you will be greeted in your car by bellhops and usherettes, enjoy refreshments, and watch dancers perform to big-band hits of the 30s & 40s. As night falls, you will be invited to tune in and sit back for the main feature. Location: Colin Campbell Court, Plymouth City Centre. For more information, please visit www.hiddencity.org.uk Please note, if you are attending the drive-in with your car, you will need an FM radio in order to receive the audio transmission that accompanies the performance. Performance Dates: March: 31 (7:30pm), April: 1 (7:30pm) 2 (7:30pm) 3 (7:30pm) 6 (7:30pm) 7 (7:30pm) 8 (7:30pm) 9 (7:30pm)

15 Mar 2011 - Southbank Premiere: Intertitles 1 by Lola Perrin, Alexis Kirke, Johnathon Bonnici

[Time Out London preview of whole show here] “Intertitles 1” is a piece for Piano, Spoken Word, Bass Clarinet, Cello and Electronics by Lola Perrin, Alexis Kirke and Johnathan Bonnici. It is inspired by the recent discovery of a new ancient lifeform which pre-dates the previously estimated origins of life. Lola Perrin is an acclaimed pianist and composer, labelled a “female Steve Reich”. Johnathan Bonnici comes from his recent lead at the National Theatre in Hanif Kureshi’s Black Album. Alexis Kirke is composer and member of the University of Plymouth’s internationally-known Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research. “Intertitles 1” will be premiered as part of a show of Lola Perrin’s music which includes a performance by renowned Arabic hip-hop vocalist Natacha Atlas, a collaborator of David Arnold, Jean Michelle Jarre (and featured on the soundtracks of Kingdom of Heaven and Sex and the City 2). Roland Perrin will also be performing. Details: LOLA PERRIN With guest vocalist Natacha Atlas SATURDAY MARCH 19TH, 2011 AT 7.45PM THE PURCELL ROOM AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL SOUTHBANK CENTRE £12 £10 £8 Booking Fee £1.45 (Members £0.00) Concessions: 50% off (limited availability) Tickets 0844 847 9910 SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.UK

15 Feb 2011 - Videos of Cloud Chamber Performance and Documentary

The first video is the premiere recording, the second is a mini-documentary including set-up, a talk, and interviews.

10 Feb 2011 - Cloud Chamber in New Scientist, Times, Wired, Discovery Channel website, plus new Vid, and new team member

Performance details: 8pm Fri 11th Feb 2011, Theatre 1, Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth.

There are articles about Cloud Chamber (the live performance for violin and live subatomic particle sounds) on Wired.co.uk,The Strad, Discovery Channel, PSFK, New Scientist, The Guardian and The Times. New Cloud Chamber demo vid below. Also Cathy McCabe joined the team last month working on the Atomolin and cloud chamber visuals. Cloud Chamber was commissioned and premiered by Peninsula Arts.

22 Jan 2011 - Fast Travel Performance Recording Available

There is a live recording of the Fast Travel premier available on soundcloud here. There is also now a dedicated Fast Travel page and below is a video about the premiere. Fast Travel was commissioned and premiered by Peninsula Arts.

20 Jan 2011 - "Fast Travel" in Telegraph, Times and BBC, HD Vid Online

Click here for BBC article --- Click here for HD video of computer test

Alexis and Sam Freeman's composition, called "Fast Travel" - for live artificial whale schools and saxophone premieres this Friday 21st Jan 6pm in the Roland Levinsky Crosspoint at the University of Plymouth, UK (free entry). It was highlighted in last week's Sunday Telegraph diaryand on the BBC website.