Onyx Brass and composer Ailís Ní Ríain throughout 2025 will be presenting the work, Holocene, that will reimagine contemporary brass and create a bold, unconventional and evocative work that explores the interplay between multiple tiers of sound while creating a tapestry of sonic detail that is both raw and intricate. As part of the New Music Biennial Festival 2025, it will be an exploration of bold, unconventional sound worlds that stretch the boundaries of the traditional brass ensemble, moving towards a multi-layered brass instruments and the ethereal, shimmering resonance of cymbals by exploring the limits of sound, texture, and form, offering a radical reimagining of what a brass quintet can be. It will lean towards the conceptual avant-garde and ideally be presented immersively.
Two headline performances of the work will be presented in Ailís’ West Yorkshire home of Bradford, and at the Southbank Centre in London during the summer months. Forming part of the 2025 City of Culture celebrations, we will be joined for Holocene by Hammonds and Amersham brass bands, along with Matthew Dickinson, Paul Fisher, & Morgan Griffiths.
Please check back here over the next few months as this exciting and innovative project takes shape. For more information about Ailís and her work please visit her website.
PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial is generously supported by Southbank Centre, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3, Arts Council England and NMC Recordings.
