Premieres and celebrations, BCMG in 2017

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) continue their season with a wide variety of concerts, ranging from a celebration of American music, to premieres of works by Helen Grime and by Colin Matthews, and a celebration of the music of Thomas Adès.

A lunchtime concert at St David's Hall, Cardiff (4/2/2017) sees players from BCMG performing music by Charles Ives and Elliott Carter, including two of Carter's favourite Ives pieces and Carter's final work which was premiered by BCMG in 2013.

Helen Grime's Piano Concerto is premiered by Huw Watkins, with Oliver Knussen conducting (both distinguished composers in their own right) at the Wigmore Hall (3/3/2017) with a further performance in Birmingham (5/3/2017). The programme includes Grime's A Cold Spring (a BCMG Sound Investment commission from 2015), with music by Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez and Peter Maxwell Davies. Helen Grime is the Wigmore Hall composer in residence and her Piano Concerto is a co-commission between BCGM Sound Investment and the Wigmore Hall.

BCMG returns to the Wigmore Hall on 25 March for a day devoted to the music of Thomas Adès including the BCMG Sound Investment commission Concerto Conciso  (with the composer as soloist) and Gerald Barry's Octet.

The final premiere of the season is another BCMG Sound Investment commission, Colin Matthews new vocal work which is being performed by soprano Claire Booth, with Oliver Knussen conducting, plus music by Knussen, Harrison Birtwistle and Colin Matthews, at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham on 10 June.

This season BCMG's pioneering crowd-funding Sound Investment scheme celebrates 25 years, encouraging music lovers contribute to the commissioning of works and get more involved in the commissioning process.

Further information from the BCMG website.