In the first of a series of Baroque and contemporary music as Guest Artist at LSO St Luke’s, FIGURE is joined by Australian mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, winner of the 2024 Young Artist Award at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, and described by The Guardian as ‘a singer of rich and fearless versatility’.

Centred around Bach’s cantata Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199, the concert will feature three world premieres, commissioned by FIGURE in response to Early Music, from Alex Paxton, Lara Agar, and Oliver Leith, as well as more music by contemporaries of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Composer and improvising trombonist Alex Paxton makes music bursting with colour, mischief, and joy. Colliding jazz, electronics, and orchestral sound, his exuberant musical worlds combine dazzling virtuosity with emotional directness. His awards include the prestigious Hindemith and Ernst von Siemens Composer Prizes.

Lara Agar makes acoustic instruments, electronics, and found sounds crackle with unexpected life. A composer and performer drawn to happy accidents and quiet chaos, she works across music, dance, and visual art. Her collaborators include Explore Ensemble and the London Symphony Orchestra, and her music has earned an Ivor Novello nomination.

Oliver Leith turns the everyday into something strange, tender and quietly overwhelming. An Ivor Novello Award-winning composer working across acoustic music, electronics, and video, he creates worlds rich in humour and heartache. His opera Last Days, adapted from Gus Van Sant’s film, premiered at the Royal Opera House in 2022.

Programme:
Lara Agar Baby, Dali, Arcadia (Commissioned by FIGURE) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
Alex Paxton Don’t Worry (Commissioned by FIGURE) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
Oliver Leith A different fantasie after Locke (Commissioned by FIGURE) for strings
JS Bach Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199
Johann Christoph Bach Ach, das ich Wassers genug hätte
Dietrich Buxtehude Klag-Lied, BuxWV 76b

Performers:
Lotte Betts-Dean mezzo-soprano
FIGURE