Explore Ensemble

The Explore Ensemble focuses on music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The group has given world and U.K. premieres and has presented numerous concerts exploring the works of a single major contemporary composer. Explore Ensemble was founded in London in 2012. All of the members are alumni of the Royal College of Music who have an interest in the performance and promotion of contemporary music. At the core of the ensemble is a sextet of musicians; flutist Taylor MacLennan, clarinetist Alex Roberts, pianists Sarah Park and Siwan Rhys, violinist David Lopez, violist Morag Robertson, and cellist Deni Teo. They are sometimes joined by artistic director Nicholas Moroz on electronics. The group was established by composers Moroz and Arne Gieshoff. Explore Ensemble quickly stirred up interest among festival presenters in the U.K. and abroad, and the group has appeared at events such as the Cambridge Music Festival, No Bounds, and November Music (in the Netherlands), as well as making a series of appearances at the Huddersfield Music Festival. Explore Ensemble has also appeared at major traditional venues, including Wigmore Hall and the multi-genre space Kings Place in London. The group has been reliably featured at university venues such as those at the Royal Northern College of Music, the University of Leeds, Oxford University, and the City University of London. It has also been heard on BBC Radio 3. The group's debut album, James Weeks: Summer, appeared in 2021, followed that year by Oliver Leith: Me Hollywood. Many of Explore Ensemble's concerts focus on the works of a single contemporary composer; featured composers are diverse in nature and have included Morton Feldman, Michael Finnissy, Kaija Saariaho, and Luigi Nono. The group has given more than a dozen world premieres by such composers as Edwin Hillier, Lisa Illean, and Oliver Christophe Leith. It has also given numerous British premieres. For the 2021-2022 season, the group was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung Ensemble Prize. Explore Ensemble issued its third album, Perfect Offering, on the Huddersfield Contemporary Records label in 2023.
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