Swansea Studios / Mission Gallery, Swansea
Sun 1-Fri 13 Oct
Swansea International Festival has been widening its net for some years now. Although the festival is still heavy on the classical music, you can now find comedy from Jo Brand, a children’s puppet show and an exhibition about the golden days of football alongside St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra concerts.
The NAWR (‘now’ in Welsh) concerts are an extraordinary addition to the festival’s programming. Although most people see classical, jazz and folk as museum music, there are a wealth of musicians who keep creating, and developing, the music they love.
NAWR have set the bar high with their opening concert (Sun 1 Oct) in the intimate Swansea Studios featuring Evan Parker, arguably the greatest living British free jazz saxophonist – not to be missed. Sun 8 brings a host of avant-garde musicians from America, Switzerland and Britain to the Mission Gallery while the final two concerts (Thurs 12 and Fri 13) focus on collaborations with legendary musician Phil Corner. Local musicians Ian Holloway and Rhodri Davies bring their talents to bear alongside Corner – a founder of the Fluxus movement of the 1960s and 70s and another giant of experimental music, performing here with wife Phoebe Neville.
If you want to open your mind to new experiences with real-life musicians, local to legendary, then Swansea is the place in October. The time is NAWR!
Tickets: £8/£6. Info: www.rwan.cymru (JPD)