On the 18th October, Michael Berkeley’s new commission for the Aldeburgh Festival, entitled Insects, will receive its world premiere, performed by harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.
Insects, which was written especially for Esfahani, is a work that naturally follows on from Berkeley's birds-inspired Haiku for piano, and is programmed alongside Bach's French Suites No. 2 and 3. Originally scheduled to premiere at the 2020 Aldeburgh Festival, Insects will receive two performances as part of the Weekend Concerts at Snape Maltings series.
Further premieres this year for Michael Berkeley include an extended version of A Dark Waltz, originally for violin and piano and recorded for NMC Recordings, which was premiered at Wigmore Hall by Nicholas Daniel and Julius Drake in a live-streamed BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert in May 2020. A chamber version followed, written for Janne Thomsen and premiered at the Holstebro International Festival in October 2020.
More information about the concerts can be found here.
