The Unanswered Question

Searching for ways to stimulate meaningful international collaboration during a global lockdown - and in a period in which we were all looking for answers - Ozero Arts brought together the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (London), the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Caracas) and Simon Höfele (Berlin) to make a film of Charles Ives’ seminal work The Unanswered Question.

THOMAS ADÈS

Gyökér

Gyökér (2020) – 4’

Song for mezzo-soprano and four percussionists

Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Katalin Károlyi and Ricardo Gallardo.

JULIAN ANDERSON

le 3 mai ECHOES

le 3 mai (2020) – 5’

Song for soprano and ensemble

Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Sophie Bevan and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

ECHOES (2023) - 11'


Baritone, chorus and orchestra


Premiered on 7 July 2023 at the Barbican by Davóne Tines and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Zeffman to celebrate the first Classical Pride concert in Europe.

PHILIP ASHWORTH

Bare Prāthanā

Bare (2013) – 20’

Chamber opera


Premiered on 31 July 2013 at the Rose Theatre Kingston by Helen Stanley, David Fearn, Henry Neill and the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

Prāthanā (2014) – 15’

Song cycle for soprano, tenor and chamber orchestra


Premiered on 26 October 2014 in the Sheremetev Palace, Saint Petersburg as part of the 14th International Conservatories Week Festival by Sara-Lian Owen, Gerard Schneider and the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

JOHN CASKEN

Trackway of Time

Trackway of Time (2015) – 10’

Song for baritone and chamber orchestra


Premiered on 15 June 2015 in Durham Cathedral by Thomas Allen and the Durham University Chamber Orchestra conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

DESMOND CLARKE

Void-Song

Void-Song (2015) – 15’

Viola Concerto

Premiered on 15 January 2016 in Milton Court Concert Hall by Timothy Ridout and the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

ILYA DEMUTSKY

I Guess the Universe Is to Blame

I Guess the Universe Is to Blame (2020) – 7’

Monodrama for baritone and ensemble

Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Andrei Kymach and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

DU YUN

Every Grass a Spring

Every Grass a Spring (2020) – 5’

Song for baritone, pipa, sheng and electronics


Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Shenyang, Wu Man and Wu Wei.

HELEN GRIME

Prayer

Prayer (2020) – 7’

Song for mezzo-soprano and ensemble


Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Sarah Connolly and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

JAKE HEGGIE

Good Morning, Beauty

Good Morning, Beauty (2024) – 7’

Song for soprano and orchestra


Premiered on 7 July 2024 at the Barbican by Pumeza Matshikiza and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Zeffman as part of Classical Pride.

WILLIAM MARSEY

Why Do You Grieve

Why Do You Grieve (2022) - 12'

Mixed ensemble


Premiered on 17 May 2022 at the Science Museum by the Ozero Ensemble conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

Renaissance from the White Lotus by Cristobal Tapia de Veer - arranged by William Marsey  (2023) - 2’

Soprano and orchestra

Premiered on 7 July 2023 at the Barbican by Ella Taylor and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Zeffman to celebrate the first Classical Pride concert in Europe.

NICO MUHLY

New-Made Tongue

New-Made Tongue (2020) – 4’

Song for counter-tenor and ensemble


Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation, premiered on Apple Music by Iestyn Davies and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

EDWARD NESBIT

Near Paradise

Near Paradise (2017) – 8’

Orchestra


Premiered on 11 June 2016 in Milton Court Concert Hall by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first publication of Paradise Lost.

LEONID REZETDINOV

Time Lapse

Time Lapse (2014) – 8’

Mixed ensemble


Premiered on 16 November 2014 in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman as part of the 26th Sound Ways Festival.

JOEL RUST

Red as Blood Beyond the Heart An awakening voice The Fall of the Rebel Angels

Red as Blood (2013) – 12’

Chamber opera

Premiered on 31 July 2013 at the Rose Theatre Kingston by Helen Stanley, David Fearn, Henry Neill and the Melos Sinfonia

conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

Beyond the Heart (2014) – 7’

Orchestra

Premiered on 10 January 2015 in St. John's Smith Square by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

An awakening voice (2015) – 8’

Mixed ensemble


Premiered on 18 November 2015 in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman as part of the 26th Sound Ways Festival.

The Fall of the Rebel Angels (2017) – 10’

Orchestra

Premiered on 11 June 2016 in Milton Court Concert Hall by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first publication of Paradise Lost.

ARTHUR WABEL

Transmutation

Transmutation (2015) – 7’

Mixed ensemble

Premiered on 18 November 2015 in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman as part of the 26th Sound Ways Festival.

FREYA WALEY-COHEN

Happiness spell for reality

Happiness (2018) – 20'

Song cycle for soprano and orchestra


Premiered on 19 October 2018 in LSO St. Luke's by Lauren Fagan and the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

spell for reality (2020) – 8'

Song for soprano and ensemble


Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Julia Bullock and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

ISOBEL WALLER-BRIDGE

I Let Go

I Let Go (2024) – 4’

Choral


Premiered on 5 July 2024 at Milton Court Concert Hall by The Fourth Choir conducted by Nicholas Chalmers as part of Classical Pride.

HUW WATKINS

How

How (2020) – 3’

Song for tenor and ensemble


Commissioned as one of Eight Songs from Isolation premiered on Apple Music by Toby Spence and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

NA’AMA ZISSER

Space melts like sand running through fingers

Space melts like sand running through fingers (2015) – 5’

Orchestra


Premiered on 16 October 2015 in LSO St. Luke's by the Melos Sinfonia conducted by Oliver Zeffman.

Watch on Apple Music
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Artists

Academy of St Martin in the Fields strings
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra winds
Oliver Zeffman conductor
Simon Höfele trumpet

Stewart French Director
Brett Cox Recording Producer