At the time Eritrea was under the rule of Ethiopia, which had declared itself a fledgling Socialist state.
Today's post features British composer, Daniel Kidane. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Conductor Holly Mathieson and the energetic RSNO, who did a grand job of work-shopping five excitingly unique new pieces. Other recent performances include premieres of his works by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's 10/10 Ensemble and at the Adelaide International Cello Festival, where he was invited and attended as guest composer. The music eventually settles into lush, sonorous harmonies.Composer Daniel Kidane says he wants to channel his optimism for the future through music, and the result is a brightly coloured tone-poem which the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo’s genial direction that turns into an agreeable aperitif for what is to come.But I end at the beginning, with Daniel Kidane’s Woke, the title reminding us to be constantly aware of racism, but the music is inherently interesting in itself, kick-started by a wood-block (like a woodpecker) and teeming into life with long-held strings and chattering parts underneath, eventually coming to a unanimous halt before more rat-a-tat-tat pulses reigniting the music, before eventually building to a ringing climax, though not before the modern plastic equivalent of the ancient bullroarer made air. If ambition is the path to success and persistence is the vehicle you arrive in, it’s as important to have people to look up to and guide you. Further solidifying the idea that nurturing an interest for the new in classical music should not be marginalised or classified as a niche speciality – even the greats like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart were once youthful avant-garde composers.. Daniel, who wrote a piece as part of the London Music Masters' commisioned  collection in 2018, also recently closed the Last Night of the Proms in 2019 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra with his well-received piece, Sparked by a call for curation by the British Music Collection, the resulting project, Starting with an initial group introductory session via Zoom, the students then began their individual sessions with Daniel one by one throughout the term. My father, who is Eritrean, and my mother, who is Russian, met at university in Russia during the 70’s. It is thanks to such people that I crossed paths with contemporary classical music.

Read more about the project here.What makes something worth curating in music?

Over the course of these weeks, and working on their pieces at home, each student wrote a short piece for their instrument. Today's post features British composer, Daniel Kidane. If I were to ask a member of the public to name a composer, the most common answers would probably be Mozart, Bach or Beethoven. Interesting sound world, percussive, brassy, high energy, slightly threatening, but I guess sirens would have been dangerous to anyone passing close. Yes, they are great composers, but should they be revered at the expense of new classical music? Currently, he is undertaking a doctoral degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, supervised by Julian Anderson. Again Ng played with fine command and control...With Ng we finally got the real thing - an artist whose age is irrelevant to his musical maturity…To Daniel Kidane's quietly impressive new Metamorphosis he brought stature, concentration and a beguiling range of sonorities.Cellist Pei-Jee Ng's performance of…Daniel Kidane's Metamorphosis [was] strong and expressive.Fournier Piano Trio, Park Lane Group New Year Concert Series (November 2011)The fine Fournier Piano Trio introduced the 24-year-old composer Daniel Kidane. It was my first choir teacher, at Saturday music school, that gave me the chance to sing as part of the English National Opera’s children’s chorus, where I happened to sing in the premiere of Turnage’s ‘The Silver Tassie’. In collaboration with London Music Masters, we're excited to introduce Daniel Kidane's curation project for the British Music Collection - Daniel Kidane's Composer Club. In the realm of classical music there are gatekeepers at every corner – people who decide what is published, what makes it on to a CD or what the public hear at a concert all hold keys. Journeying Songs by David Matthews (also present) uses variation form in a different but equally interesting way. I often attribute part of my success to stubbornness and resilience. Daniel Kidane Comment by Lark. Gavin Dixon, The Arts Desk. As a composer now, I tap in to my heritage for inspiration. Daniel Kidane’s propulsive, eclectic piece, Sirens, soaked up influences of jungle, dubstep and R&B sampled from a trawl through the city after dark.Grit, certainly, in a score infused with animal energy and visceral drive, but despite the frenetic ride through that myriad landscape of club scene hommages, it was mapped and navigated with meticulous control; the orchestration, characterised by a transparency of instrumental texture, was handled not just with rhythmic wit but also a searing clarity of purpose.Kidane, who was born in 1986, has composed an interesting work not based on a whirlwind, as the title might suggest, but on a watch mechanism that bears that same name. It proved a splendid piece, in free variation form, and was superbly played.

This year’s festival ran from 19-22 April and on Sunday 22 I had the opportunity to hear the world premiere of Songs of Illumination, three of Blake’s poems set to music by Daniel Kidane. Learning pieces as a kid, I used to think the world of classical music revolved around dead white guys. The large orchestra is skilfully deployed for diverse colours while always retaining a clarity of texture. Skipping a few years forward, they married and my older sister was born. After taking part in this production my interest in contemporary classical music was sparked. Recent projects include the premiere of his orchestral work Recent commissions for Michala Petri (recorder) and Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord) were released on CD and premiered in the UK at Wigmore Hall.