Paul Hillier, universally acclaimed as one of the world's masters of choral music, has a noteworthy history with Prague Sounds. He first appeared at the festival in 2015 with composer David Lang and Ars Nova Copenagen for a performance of The Little Match Girl Passion, and returned with his Grammy-winning ensemble Theatre of Voices to perform Terry Riley's iconic In C in the presence of the composer – as well as a memorable late-night interpretation of Stockhausen's wild Stimmung. To mark the 30th anniversay of the festival, Hillier and Theatre of Voices return to Prague Sounds with a programme featuring new works by Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe, two great American composers who have also appeared at previous editions of the festival.

Of the works they'll be performing – Gordon's Western and Wolfe's Italian Lesson (which they premiered at New York's Carnegie Hall) – Hillier says 'they are two of the very finest works ever written for us.' The Prague Sounds audience will remember Gordon introducing Mantra Percussion's mesmerising performance of his piece Timber a the festival in 2019, and Bang on a Can's dramatic rendering of Wolfe's Anthracite Fields in 2017. Gordon and Wolfe are rightly acclaimed as two of America's most important contemporary composers, and this year's concert, in Hillier's hands in the intimate spaces of X10 theatre, promises to be an anniversary highlight.

'For fearlessness, verve, and beauty and strength of individual timbre, the six singers featured certainly deserve the five-star sweep.' 

The Times

Theatre of Voices, now based in Denmark, was founded by Paul Hillier in London in 1990, and has performed at venues including Lincoln Center, the Barbican, Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, and Sydney Opera House. Their repertoire is extensive and ranges from early music to modern sound art installations and contemporary opera. They have collaborated with composers such as Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and John Adams. Caroline Shaw, who performed at last year's Prague Sounds with So Percussion, has also written choral music for Hillier. In addition to his work with Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier was founding director of the Hilliard Ensemble, Principal Conductor of the Estonain Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2001-2007) and Chief Conductor of Ars Nova Copenhagen (2003-2023).

Line-up

Theatre of Voices

Paul Hillier – dirigent 

Program

Michael Gordon – A Western 

Howard Skempton – [Emerson] 

Julia Wolfe – Italian Lesson