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Max Richter: Voices (world premiere) + Infra
Mon 17 & Tue 18 Feb 2020, Barbican Hall
Tickets £35 – 45
The Barbican has commissioned Voices, a new work by composer Max Richter, known for his style that combines the classical tradition with the experimentalism of contemporary electronica. The world premiere of Voices will be given at the Barbican this month, performed by the composer himself on keyboards alongside a narrator, members of award-winning choir Tenebrae, solo violinist Mari Samuelsen, solo soprano Grace Davidson, conductor Robert Ziegler and an orchestra featuring a radically reimagined instrumentation, comprising of eight violins, six violas, 24 cellos, twelve double basses, a bass drum and a harp. Voices is Richter’s response to the current changes to our global society and he came up with the concept of what he describes as ‘a negative orchestra. One that has been turned upside down. It is not dominated by the high frequencies made by upper strings and woodwind, as in a conventional orchestra but overwhelmingly features low frequencies, made by cellos and double basses amongst other instruments.’
The first half in each of the two Barbican concerts features a live performance of Max Richter’s Infra – written for piano, electronics and string quintet. Originally a score to Olivier Award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor’s Royal Opera House ballet of the same name (2008), Infra was later extended into a full album and released on FatCat Records in 2010 and reissued by Deutsche Grammophon in 2014. Infra was created as a response to London’s 2005 terrorist bombings. Max Richter said: “It’s a good contrast and since both pieces share a social theme, it makes sense to pair them.”
With this new commission, Richter continues his long-established relationship with the Barbican. Most recently he co-curated Sounds and Visions, a Barbican weekend of film and music, with artist Yulia Mahr (May 2018), which followed on from a performance of his landmark eight-hour piece Sleep in an overnight event at Old Billingsgate alongside the Max Richter Ensemble in May 2017.
Produced by the Barbican

Lee Ranaldo & Raül Refree
+ Leila Bordreuil
Tue 7 Apr 2020, Milton Court Concert Hall, 7.30pm 
Tickets £25 plus booking fee
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, poet, visual artist and co-founder of Sonic Youth, Lee Ranaldo and renowned producer Raül Refree will bring their new creative partnership to the Barbican’s music programme this April. In the intimate setting of Milton Court Concert Hall the duo will present material from their forthcoming new album Names of North End Women (out on Mute on 21 Feb 2020).
Support comes from Brooklyn-based French cellist, composer and sound artist Leila Bordreuil whose musical output includes harsh noise, free jazz, contemporary classical and experimental traditions without adhering to any of them.
Produced by the Barbican

Aldous Harding 
+ Ruthie
Wed 20 May 2020, Barbican Hall, 8pm 
Tickets £20 – 25 plus booking fee
New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding makes her Barbican debut in May 2020 alongside her band in a concert featuring material from across her three studio albums to date. Support comes from Ruthie, the project of singer-songwriter Naomi Baguley, evoking 70s nostalgia with piano hooks, girl group backing harmonies and psych tinged guitars.
Produced by the Barbican in association with Bird on the Wire

Christian Löffler
Mon 25 May 2020, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm 
Tickets £22.50 – 27.50 plus booking fee
German electronic/techno producer, musician and visual artist, Christian Löffler makes his Barbican debut this May with a new immersive A/V performance. Sound and visuals will be in a dynamic dialogue featuring material from his latest and fourth studio album Lys (Danish for ‘light’) alongside specially commissioned visuals by Canadian lighting designer Chris Moylan, who has been critically acclaimed for his innovative visual atmospheres. Löffler’s warm and euphoric sound combined with Moylan’s glowing stage design will give shape and form to the otherwise elusive essence of light. 
Christian Löffler’s music is deeply rooted in the area he was brought up in and where he spends a lot of his time – the Darss peninsula in Germany on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Lys is an album which shimmers with hope and optimism and is a selection of Löffler’s favourite productions from the past three years, compiled into one enchanting and deeply moving listening experience.
Christian Löffler’s music has been streamed over 150 million times and the artist has performed alongside notable acts such as alt-J, Bonobo, The Glitch Mob, JUNGLE, Noisia, Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker, Son Lux, Axwell & Ingrosso, Hardwell, and ZHU at renowned festivals worldwide.
Following the UK live premiere of Lys at the Barbican, this audio-visual show will be embarking on a world tour.
Produced by the Barbican in association with Soundcrash