Release date: 29 August 2025
New Music Biennial is a critically acclaimed, free festival celebrating adventurous new music. Presented by PRS Foundation, Southbank Centre, and Bradford 2025 (UK City of Culture), the festival is delivered in partnership with BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings, with generous support from Arts Council England.
The 2025 edition will showcase a dynamic mix of brand-new commissions selected through an open call and standout works premiered in the past four years, reflecting the diversity, innovation, and bold creativity of today’s music makers across the UK.
Please note, all works for New Music Biennial were recorded live by BBC Radio 3 over the two festival weekends (4-6 June, Bradford and 4-6 July, London). All works released by NMC are subject to contract.*
Tracklist
1) Halina Rice: The Path
BBC Symphony and Concert orchestras • Commissioned by BBC Orchestras
2 - 6) Xenia Pestova Bennett: GLOW
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble • Commissioned by Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble,
7 - 11) Mark David Boden: Chasing Sunlight
Fenella Humphreys • Sinfonia Cymru • Commissioned by Sinfonia Cymru
12) Emily Levy & Matthew Bourne: Mercury Songs • Commissioned by Spitalfields Music
13) Ailís Ní Ríain: Holocene
Onyx Brass • Commissioned by Onyx Brass
14) Jasdeep Singh Degun: Into the Night
Jasdeep Singh Degun • BBC Concert Orchestra • Commissioned by BBC orchestras
15) Ellie Wilson: Moth x Human
Commissioned by Oxford Contemporary Music • Supported by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
16) Daniel Kidane: N'dehou
The Carice Singers • Commissioned by The Carice Singers
17) Stef Conner: Ghost Weavers
Commissioned by The Night With...
18) Uri Agnon: MARCH
Commissioned by CoMA
19) Shri Sriram: Dhamaal - Core
Commissioned by Serious Trust
20) Hardi Kurda: Voice Notes
Sarah Jackson libretto • Compass Collective • Counterpoint Arts & New Writing North • Presented by Another Sky Festival • By: Composer & sound artist Hardi Kurda • Librettist Sarah Jackson
21) Linda Buckley: Thar Farraige (Over Sea)
Brìghde Chaimbeul • Ailis Sutherland • Maxwell Quartet • Supported by PRS Foundation’s Beyond Borders in partnership with Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council Ireland
22) Dali de Saint Paul, Maxwell Sterling, Charlie Hope & Rebecca Salvadori: Penumbra
Dali de Saint Paul • Maxwell Sterling • Charlie Hope • Rebecca Salvadori • Commissioned by Outlands Network
23-27) m3UNTITLED & GOMID: Bantam’s Drift
BBC Symphony Orchestra • Commissioned by Brighter Sound • Supported by Opera North
28) Verity Watts: P E A C E
Kenzo Jae, Scout Bolton, Dave Kane, DJ Woody • Commissioned by Manchester Jazz Festival
29-32) Alex Groves: DANCE SUITE
Zubin Kanga piano • DANCE SUITE was commissioned by Zubin Kanga as part of Cyborg Soloists, with the support of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and Royal Holloway, University of London. It was premiered by Zubin Kanga at the Southbank Centre in London on 12 October 2024
Release date: 29 August 2025
Catalogue number: NMC DL202501
