“…a shimmering, spooky set of movements for magnetic resonator piano and Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble, woven through with spine-tingling recorded narration about weird light phenomena in Danish, Welsh and Turkish.” – Flora Wilson, The Guardian

Digital EP out now on NMC Recordings.

GLOW is about ghosts – a range of mysterious glowing phenomena that continue to enthral and terrify us. Three stories are told in three different languages: a strange electric light envelopes masts of a sailing ship; fairy flames beguile a traveller at night; a luminous presence enters a room. Live instruments weave through and colour the narratives. Each language acts as an instrument in its own right, explored for unique sonic qualities.

The performance features video art by Steven Lee.

Xenia Pestova Bennett plays the Magnetic Resonator Piano, a hybrid acoustic instrument designed by Andrew McPherson.

Text translation and narration:

Erik Waldejer (Danish), Angharad Davies (Welsh), Zeynep Bulut (Turkish)
Additional audio: Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble, Xenia Pestova Bennett and Franziska Schroeder; Audio mastering: Brian Robinson

About New Music Biennial:

PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre’s New Music Biennial is a critically acclaimed free festival of new music, presenting a unique snapshot of contemporary music in the UK today. 20 pieces of new music will be performed across two festival weekends at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (6th – 8th June 2025) and London’s Southbank Centre (4th-6th July 2025), broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and available for download from NMC Recordings. New Music Biennial 2025 is generously supported by Arts Council England. https://www.newmusicbiennial.co.uk