21 February 2025
Hong Kong, HKSAR

Two years ago, Russia:Today (2020) got its much-anticipated debut in London at Kings Place: sold out, covered by the New York Times and Financial Times in big feature articles, and criticised by some quacks too. I’m delighted to finally announce that the work will return to the stage on May 10th, 2025 in Berlin, Germany as part of the INTO THE OPEN festival at the Kühlhaus, with the spectacular EXAUDI performing, James Weeks conducting. Every time this work is performed, it seems, the global political situation, vis-a-vis Russia especially, has changed. Now, again, with Russia rumoured to declare victory over Ukraine, and a ‘compromise’ that indeed may affirm such a ludicrous statement, the work has a particular resonance yet again. To bring it to Berlin, the world capital of classical music, is also a statement of intent on the work’s currency. I not-so-humbly believe that no ‘concert for Ukraine’ or some such thing possesses more resonance or sheer shock value than hearing the truth of Russian people about their country on the eve of its violent attack on its neighbour.

The other exciting bit of news is that I’ve continued writing the String Quartet no. 2 (2024-25) and added a second movement- modestly slower but similarly intense (if not more so), the work is meant specifically to accompany an immersive film by the Argentine filmmaker Alejandro Rodriguez, curated by Jeffrey Shaw. The four minute piece will already be recorded next month in Hanoi, Vietnam by the AURA String Quartet, and I look forward to sharing the results soon.

Finally, I’ll be speaking at the HKAAA Cultural Leadership Summit next month as well about the role of AI in cultural management. The proliferation of not only AI but the question about it has been rather interesting, to say the least. We are questioning that with which we haven’t even properly interacted; AI has yet to properly challenge us either. But the questions are germane and valid- when so much of the future has so little place for humanity in it, it’s perhaps important to start asking the big questions early.