Dr Tonia Ko, our Senior Lecturer in Music Composition, is off on tour with upcoming UK and European premieres of her bubble wrap concerto 'Breath, Contained III'.

Tonia Ko

A bold expression of what classical music can be, Nonclassical at 20 sees these pioneering promoters of the best new music, Nonclassical combine forces with the legendary London Symphony Orchestra. On 26 October 2024, they join forces to perform an excerpt of the concerto, featuring Tonia as soloist on amplified bubble wrap and conducted by Darren Bloom. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/nonclaxxical

Then on 21 November 2024, Tonia will be performing with the Luxembourg Philharmonic under the direction of Jessica Cottis as part of the rain days festival. This will also be the premiere of a new version of 'Breath, Contained III' for full symphony orchestra. Full information can be found here: https://www.philharmonie.lu/en/programme/2024-25/as-we-breathe-000000e900186ca9

About Breath, Contained III 

"Breath, Contained III” is a concerto scored for amplified bubble wrap soloist with orchestra. It features imaginative orchestrations of a unique solo instrument, consisting of various sizes and shapes of air packaging. Tonia Ko has been developing the friction-based performance techniques for the material since 2013, and this practice runs in parallel to her composition work for more traditional mediums. An inexplicable reluctance to pop the bubbles reflects emotional qualities of the work: pent-up energy, unreleased emotions… breath, contained. All packaging material used in this piece was scavenged or donated by the community.