contemporary classical

Clogs are a mostly instrumental project led by Bryce Dessner and Australia's Padma Newsome, both men familiar from their membership in the acclaimed rock band, The National. But don't call Clogs a side project. Their existence predates The National, and Clogs have released four widely acclaimed albums -- a highly melodic debut Thom's Night Out (Brassland 2001), then the experimental polyphonies of Lullaby For Sue (Brassland 2003), the minimalist explorations of Stick Music (Brassland 2004), and 2005's Lantern (Brassland).

Claron McFadden is an American soprano. McFadden studied voice at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, finishing her degree in 1984. She gained international fame when making her Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in the title role of the opera Lulu, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. As well as singing many of the major oratorio works, McFadden became particularly world famous for her interpretation of modern and contemporary music.

Equal parts, composer, sound artist and storyteller; Rudi Arapahoe explores human spirituality as a series of glassy dreams slept in haunted internal worlds. His romantic compositions, crafted in the solipsistic confines of Helix Branch studios, frame classical instrumentation in magical realism. Beautiful musical passages, merge and dissolve as unconscious recollections, rendering the listener, a spellbound protagonist. 'Echoes From One To Another' (CD Album, Symbolic Interaction 2008)

James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful living composers, and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, his Roman Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended together with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music. MacMillan first became internationally recognised after the extraordinary success of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie at the BBC Proms in 1990.