Manchester International Festival has this year lined up world premières, unique concerts and one-off events, and a number of free attractions.
Organisers are particularly proud of the Richter / Pärt project, several years in the making. Artist Gerhard Richter and composer Arvo Pärt have made work inspired by and dedicated to each other. These will be united for the first time at the recently re-opened Whitworth art gallery with Manchester Camerata performing an evening of Pärt’s music at the Bridgewater Hall.
Also at the Bridgewater, Mark Simpson, one of Britain’s brightest young composers, presents the world première of his first large-scale commission, The Immortal, performed by the BBC Philharmonic.
Neck of the Woods sees Turner Prize-winning artist Douglas Gordon and pianist Hélène Grimaud create a portrait of the wolf in a collision of visual art, music and theatre onstage at new the city’s arts centre HOME, with Charlotte Rampling as raconteur.
Four years on from her ground-breaking Biophilia residency, Icelandic songstress Björk returns to MIF for a one-off concert at Manchester’s Castlefield Arena, while 24-year-old Venezuelan artist Arca (co-producer for Björk’s Vulnicura) makes his first MIF appearance with his own live show.
FKA twigs will be making her MIF debut with a residency at Old Granada Studios, Soundtrack 7. She and collaborators will make seven short films over the week, with audiences invited to observe the process.
Maxine Peake and Sarah Frankcom return to MIF with The Skriker at The Royal Exchange Theatre, a landmark revival of Caryl Churchill’s clash of ancient fairy story and portrait of a fractured England.
Choreographer Wayne McGregor is creating Tree of Codes, a contemporary ballet with soloists and dancers from The Paris Opera Ballet alongside Company Wayne McGregor, performing in an environment created by visual artist Olafur Eliasson to a score composed by Mercury Prize-winning producer/composer Jamie xx.
Wonder.land, the new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland with music by Damon Albarn and book and lyrics by Moira Buffini, had been announced earlier. This co-production with the National Theatre will be directed by new NT director Rufus Norris and become that venue’s Christmas production.
To celebrate the new musical and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, acclaimed chef Mary-Ellen McTague will create High Tea in Wonderland, a magical food event behind the scenes at Manchester Museum.
FlexN Manchester sees Brooklyn-based Flex dance pioneer Reggie ‘Roc’ Gray and a specially assembled team of Flex dancers making their European debut. This collaboration will unite the best of street dance from Brooklyn and Manchester.
CBeebies’ Justin Fletcher will bring The Tale of Mr Tumble to Manchester’s Opera House.