About Sounds Underground

Sounds Underground creates opportunities for composers to have their music performed by professional musicians of the highest calibre, giving them a platform for their music at a crucial stage in their careers. It collaborates with composers, performers and other artists and allows creative people to realise their visions. Launched in London in November 2004, Sounds Underground has already commissioned twelve new works and performed music by many emerging composers.

Sounds Underground aims

To commission emerging composers and to encourage regular performances of their music
To collaborate with composers and performers to create innovative programmes
To draw in new audiences for contemporary music

News - January 2010

Sounds Underground regrets to announce that we have taken the decision to wind up the organisation. This has occurred for a number of reasons, but is mainly due to the fact that the life of the founder, Rose Hankey (now Rose Milford), has taken a new direction. In addition, in the current financial climate, it has become harder to secure funding.

Sounds Underground has run for five years, during which time it has put on excellent concerts and commissioned a large number of new pieces. Many players and composers have been involved with the organisation and will remember the experience with pleasure. In some ways it is sad that it has now run its course, but in other ways, it is right to end when a natural end has arrived. We are very grateful to all the generous individuals, trusts and foundations who have enabled us to mount so many exciting projects

September 2009

Sounds Underground was very excited to have been invited to present its latest commission - Flights into Darkness by Robert Fokkens - on the opening night of the Tête à Tête Opera Festival alongside an Opera North production (Paul Clark's The Weather Man) and a new work by Jeremy Peyton Jones and David Galeat. Two performances took place at The Riverside Studios, London, on 30 and 31 July.

April 2009

The première and second performance of Flights into Darkness took place last month. Judging from audience reactions, the melodrama is far from dead, as a form. The Oxford performance received this positive review:

'Frankland weaves his animated way between the works of both Wilde and Schnitzler with such power and stage presence that it is almost impossible not to be completely enthralled by his performance. As for Jakob Fichert, he succeeds in keeping up with Frankland’s fast-paced ranting and also the more pensive moments and sets the atmosphere with his piano accompaniment, which serves to dial up and then relieve tension whenever necessary.'

Rowena Purrett, Daily Information 30/03/09

Click here to read the whole review.

December 2008

Sounds Underground is delighted to announce that Robert Fokkens, composer, has been appointed as Artistic Director.

News and Reviews Archive

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Organisation

Sounds Underground Concerts is a registered charity, no. 1108770. Its trustees are Rose Hankey (Founder), Oliver Coates, and Tom Martin.

Patrons

Sounds Underground is honoured to have as patrons two leading composers, Robert Saxton and George Benjamin.