91Èȱ¬

A roster of leading international artists, including Steven Isserlis and the Arditti Quartet, join the 91Èȱ¬ Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Wolfgang Rihm's 58th birthday on Saturday 13 March 2010 in the 91Èȱ¬'s latest Total Immersion event.

91Èȱ¬ Radio 3's flagship contemporary music programme Hear And Now will broadcast music from all the concerts on Saturdays 13, 20 and 27 March from 10.00pm.

Venerated in his native Germany, Rihm is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful living composers, with a huge number of international performances of his music each year.

He is also one of the most prolific composers of his generation, with close to 500 works published in a broad range of genres and styles.

Once a pupil of Karlheinz Stockhausen, he came to prominence in the early Seventies. He is the best-known representative of New Simplicity – sometimes called neo-Romanticism – a movement in German arts directed towards emotional expression, sensuality and subjectivity. He has gradually moved away from that style in recent years and maintains a commanding international reputation for inventiveness, individuality and versatility.

Total Immersion gives a snapshot of Rihm's vast output, ranging from operatic and orchestral works to string quartets and solo piano music, with a focus on some of his work from recent years – including the UK premieres of his short opera Das Gehege (The Enclosure) and a single-movement cello concerto, Konzert in einem Satz, which promise to be particular highlights.

The concerts are surrounded by talks, films and events, providing audiences with a rich context for the Total Immersion experience.

Making his first visit to the UK for almost a decade, Rihm himself will be in attendance and will give one of the introductory talks.

Paul Hughes, General Manager of the 91Èȱ¬ Symphony Orchestra, says: "The music of Wolfgang Rihm is not well known in the UK, despite his pre-eminence in European musical circles.

"Reflecting his four decades of composition and some 500 works, this Total Immersion event also shines a light on some of Rihm's more recent music.

"It provides the perfect opportunity for audiences and performers alike to discover his unique and constantly transforming sound-world. We are delighted that Wolfgang will be celebrating his birthday with us."

Among the main highlights of Total Immersion is the UK premiere of Rihm's 40-minute opera Das Gehege. It was written for singing actress Gabriele Schnaut, who recreates the role in this performance. Both disturbing and beautiful, the symbolic monodrama is set in Berlin Zoo on the night of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A deranged woman releases an eagle from a cage, only to taunt and disembowel it when it fails to respond to her obsessive longings for companionship.

Another major UK premiere is the Konzert in einem Satz, written for cellist Steven Isserlis, who performs it here with the 91Èȱ¬ Symphony Orchestra under the baton of André de Ridder.

The London Sinfonietta, which has a long and acclaimed association with the composer's music, gives a lunchtime performance of Concerto Séraphin. It is a 55-minute expressive maelstrom for 16 players first heard in Berlin in September 2008 and based on ideas drawn from the writings of Baudelaire and Artaud.

The Arditti Quartet perform some of the gems among Rihm's dozen or so works for string quartet, including the single-movement Fifth Quartet, which epitomises his connection with the expressive New Simplicity movement during the Eighties. The Ardittis also perform Rihm's Fetzen cycle of eight pieces, for which they are joined by Teodoro Anzellotti on accordion.

The Arditti Quartet's concert ends with a performance of two new pieces for string quartet, selected by Rihm and others, from an international call for new works by Kingston University. Full details of the associated composition workshops with the Arditti Quartet and Wolfgang Rihm can be found at kingston.ac.uk/music.

Total Immersion also includes the first UK screening of In The Moment: A Portrait Of Wolfgang Rihm, which includes conversation with the composer, alongside excerpts from rehearsals and performances. Full information is available at bbc.co.uk/totalimmersion.

Notes to Editors

VB