No barriers and No Frontiers

City music festival starting at the weekend.


Now more than ever, music needs to break down the barriers between us. No Frontiers (25th March–1st April) is a festival celebrating the diverse brilliance of Birmingham and the Conservatoire, and is now a landmark event in the UK’s contemporary music scene. It imagines a world where there are no walls, where all are welcome, where art is inclusive.

This year’s festival welcomes guest composer Martijn Padding whose work takes its influences from pop culture and historical classical principles in equal measure – Thallein Ensemble present some of his key recent works. The festival also features exciting young talents of the Conservatoire’s emerging composers alongside wider professional excellence and includes Ensemble Court-Circuit, the Fidelio Trio performing Joe Cutler’s music, events by Seán Clancy and Wolters/Norman/Harvey and a concert by Ed Bennett’s group decibel. The festival also showcases music produced as part of the Young Composers Project.

Events take place in venues and art spaces across the city including Centrala, Vivid Projects and 6/8 Kafé as well as at Birmingham Conservatoire. The website www.frontiersmusic.org has full event details as well as blog posts from participating artists. The festival brochure can be seen here.