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African Strings with Abel Selaocoe

,Milton Court Concert Hall
Black and white photo of Abel Selaocoe holding his cello

Abel Selaocoe presents a mesmerising fusion of musical worlds, bringing together timeless minimalism and the intricate harmonies of the Baroque era with the unique timbres of African strings.

This bold endeavour not only showcases Selaocoe's remarkable virtuosity as a cellist but also celebrates the diverse tapestry of musical traditions. Through this captivating fusion, he creates a musical experience that is both transcendent and profoundly rooted in the vibrant cultural tapestry of Africa, igniting a harmonious dialogue between the past and the present, and reminding us of the boundless possibilities of musical expression.

Abel Selaocoe won the RPS Instrumentalist Award 2023 for his ‘willingness to take risks and cross genres’ (BBC Music Magazine). In this spirit, he uses improvisation to draw together the musical styles that fascinate him: ‘I can play a Bach suite and at the same time sing a drone, which will lead into an African piece’. The result, as iNews put it, is ‘exhilarating’.

Tagged with: Classical music Abel Selaocoe: Artist Spotlight Barbican Presents

This performance will finish at approximately 9.15pm, including a 20-minute interval

Produced by the Barbican

Programme

  • Trad   Ethio Proverbs
  • Heinrich Biber   Partita Nos 5 and 6 from Harmonia artificioso-ariosa
  • Simo Lagnawi   Bambraka
  • South African Trad   Emmanuelle
  • Caroline Shaw   Valencia
  • Terry Riley   In C (on African Strings)

Performers

  • Abel Selaocoe   cello
  • Kadialy Kouyate   kora
  • Simo Lagnawi   guembri
  • Richard Olatunde Baker   percussion
  • Matthew Wadsworth   theorbo
  • Simmy Singh   violin
  • Max Baillie   violin
  • Ruth Gibson   viola
  • Misha Mullov Abbado   double bass

Artist Spotlight

Digital programme

Milton Court Concert Hall

Location
Milton Court Concert Hall is located within the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is approximately a 5 minute walk from the Barbican entrance on Silk Street.  

Address
Milton Court
Silk St, London
EC2Y 9BH

Nearby public transport
We are within walking distance from a number of London Underground stations, the closest being Barbican, Old Street, St Paul’s and Moorgate. The nearest train stations are Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Bus Route 153 runs directly past the Barbican along Chiswell Street

Car and bicycle parking
We have free bicycle spaces and paid car parking spaces available