Scottish Ensemble is a pioneering string orchestra based in Glasgow that performs across Scotland, the UK and the globe.
A constellation of twelve exceptional musicians led by Artistic Director Jonathan Morton, Scottish Ensemble champions music for strings, promoting the rich diversity of the string repertoire, exploring adventurous new ways of performing and sharing music, and seeking out thoughtful ways of connecting it to contemporary life.
As well as celebrating all-things-strings, Scottish Ensemble embrace the power and possibility of creative collaboration across all of its live events: from ambitious cross-artform collaborations with visual art, contemporary dance and electronic music, through to their collaborations with community partners across Scotland, in schools and healthcare settings. No matter the subject or location, all of Scottish Ensemble’s projects are united by ‘sheer innovation and quality’ – as recognised by the Royal Philharmonic Society, who presented them with the ‘Ensemble’ award in 2020.
The Challenge
Scottish Ensemble would like to develop a compelling new format for experiencing a classical music performance.
Their challenge is to create an interactive installation version of Anno, their audio-visual collaboration with composer and producer Anna Meredith.
Anno is a reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, written by Anna Meredith, which intertwines sections from Vivaldi’s hugely famous seasonal concerti with new electronic compositions. Originally written as part of an audio-visual live performance, enhanced by the visual art and animations of Anna’s sister, Eleanor Meredith, Anno was released as an album in 2018.
Scottish Ensemble are looking for a Challenge Respondent that can use existing audio and visual material from the Anno project to create an immersive, installation-style version of the piece. They are looking for a compelling way to re-present the hour-long original work for audiences who cannot experience the live version of the show. The solution will be presented in a gallery or other cultural space, and could be designed as an experience for an individual, or for small groups.
Challenge Respondents will have access to stems from the recording of the Anno album, including a 5.1 surround sound mix incorporating binaural recording, and the original artwork and animations from the Anno live show.
Scottish Ensemble would like to make the Anno installation available in places where audiences would not necessarily expect to encounter classical music, such as galleries, museums and other cultural spaces. They intend to premier the installation at a venue in Edinburgh in late 2021 or early 2022. In the longer term, they are interested in exploring whether this kind of digital experience could be an alternative international touring product, building up interest prior to a live tour performance, and/or allowing new audiences across the world, who would not normally encounter a live Scottish Ensemble performance, to do so without the significant carbon emissions associated with in-person touring.
Finding a solution to this challenge would allow Scottish Ensemble to explore new models and formats for real-time digital events within the classical sector and develop their audience by engaging with culturally curious individuals who would not normally encounter classical music.
For the Challenge Respondent, this is an opportunity to partner on the development of an exciting new product that could be applied to other audio visual projects in the classical sector and beyond.
Applications for this Challenge Project are now closed. If you have any questions, please contact us at creativeinformatics@ed.ac.uk.