Sixth London Festival of American Music

Odaline de la Martinez - photo Malcolm Crowther

The Sixth London Festival of American Music, curated by composer/conductor Odaline de la Martinez, which takes place from 6 to 11 November 2016 at The Warehouse, will focus on female composers and performers. The festival opens with a film of scenes from Odaline de la Martinez' opera Imoinda, the first in a trilogy of operas about slavery that she is writing. For the first concert, viola player Stephen Upshaw joins Odaline de la Martinez, Lontano and the New London Chamber Choir for a programme which includes music by Earle Brown, as well as Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel.

The Fidelio Trio will give a number of premieres including music by Annie Gosfield and Jennifer Higdon. Lontano and de la Martinez return for a concert featuring premieres by Elena Ruehr, Hannah Lash, John Harbison, Charles Shadle and Peter Child, and before the concert there will be a discussion panel of visiting women composers. Soprano Nadine Benjamin and pianist Susanna Stranders will be performing a programme of songs by Amy Beach, Odaline de la Martinez, Libby Larsen, Jennifer Higdon, and Juliana Hall.

The festival concludes with Odaline de la Martinez and Lontano performing a programme including UK and world premieres by Jennifer Higdon, Augusta Read Thomas, Julia Howell, Carlos R Carillo, Laura Kaminsky, Fred Lerdahl and Barbara Jazwinski.