EXAUDI

EXAUDI
Name	EXAUDI
Origin	London, England
Genre	Contemporary classical music
Years active	1979–present

EXAUDI is a British vocal ensemble founded in 1979 noted for performing, commissioning, and recording contemporary vocal music. The group has played a prominent role in the dissemination of 20th- and 21st-century vocal repertoire, advocating composers across Europe, North America, and Asia. EXAUDI's work connects practitioners and institutions in the contemporary music scene through performances, premieres, and pedagogical activity.

History

EXAUDI was established in London by a cohort of singers and composers seeking to promote modern vocal writing alongside established ensembles such as The Hilliard Ensemble, The Tallis Scholars, Ensemble InterContemporain, London Sinfonietta, and Cappella Nova. Early seasons included commissions and premieres at venues and festivals like Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Bath International Music Festival, and Spitalfields Festival. Over decades the ensemble became associated with contemporary music organizations including BBC Proms, Royal Opera House, Museum of Modern Art, King's College, Cambridge, and Royal College of Music. EXAUDI's trajectory intersected with figures and institutions such as George Benjamin, Oliver Knussen, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Peter Maxwell Davies, and Musica Viva initiatives.

Musical Style and Repertoire

EXAUDI's repertoire emphasizes works by living composers and canonical modernists, connecting to composers like Luca Francesconi, Kaija Saariaho, György Ligeti, Luciano Berio, and Iannis Xenakis. The ensemble performs a wide range of idioms from spectral and microtonal writing to extended vocal techniques and text-driven settings, aligning with practices found in works by Jonathan Harvey, Helmut Lachenmann, George Crumb, György Kurtág, and Elliott Carter. Programmes often juxtapose early 20th-century choral works associated with Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg with premieres by contemporary composers such as Thomas Adès, Harrison Birtwistle, Louis Andriessen, Kaija Saariaho, and Peter Eötvös. Text sources range from poetry by T.S. Eliot, Paul Celan, Samuel Beckett, and Rainer Maria Rilke to liturgical and found texts used by Oliver Knussen and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Recordings and Releases

EXAUDI's discography includes recordings for labels linked to contemporary music distribution like ECM Records, NMC Recordings, Col Legno, BMG, and Warner Classics. Releases have featured premieres and complete cycles by composers including James MacMillan, George Benjamin, Helmut Lachenmann, Harrison Birtwistle, and Judith Weir. Their recorded projects have appeared alongside landmark albums by ensembles such as The Swingle Singers and Stile Antico and have been reviewed in publications like The Guardian, The New York Times, Gramophone, and BBC Music Magazine. EXAUDI recordings are frequently programmed in broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, National Public Radio, and Radio France.

Collaborations and Commissions

The ensemble has commissioned and premiered works by a broad international roster including Gavin Bryars, Toru Takemitsu, George Benjamin, Liza Lim, Olga Neuwirth, Beat Furrer, James Dillon, Hilda Paredes, and Angelica Negron. Collaborative projects have linked EXAUDI with ensembles and institutions such as London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, IRCAM, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and contemporary dance companies and visual artists associated with Tate Modern, Serpentine Galleries, and Royal Festival Hall. Cross-disciplinary projects have engaged directors and choreographers including Robert Wilson, Pina Bausch, and Akram Khan, and filmmakers who work in concert with composers like Michael Nyman and Philip Glass.

Members and Leadership

EXAUDI's personnel have included singers, conductors, and composers who are also affiliated with institutions such as Royal Academy of Music, University of Oxford, Royal College of Music, King's College London, Goldsmiths, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Artistic leadership has featured figures associated with contemporary composition and conducting such as Jonathan Harvey, George Benjamin, Claudio Abbado, and Oliver Knussen in guest-conductor or mentor roles, alongside resident directors linked to London Sinfonietta and BBC Symphony Orchestra. Individual members have collaborated with artists like Stuart MacRae, Thomas Larcher, Missy Mazzoli, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

Awards and Recognition

EXAUDI has received critical acclaim and awards in contexts including prizes from Royal Philharmonic Society, Gramophone Classical Music Awards, BBC Music Magazine Awards, and honors conferred by institutions such as Arts Council England and European Festival Association. Reviews and scholarly commentary have appeared in outlets including The Times, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and The Wire, noting the ensemble's contribution to premieres by Sir Harrison Birtwistle and recordings of works by George Crumb and Helmut Lachenmann.

Tours and Residencies

EXAUDI has undertaken international tours and residencies across North America, Europe, and Asia, appearing at venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Miller Theatre, Wiener Konzerthaus, Musikverein, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Melbourne Recital Centre. Residencies have been held at institutions including IRCAM, Harvard University, Yale School of Music, Royal College of Music, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and Tanglewood, facilitating workshops, masterclasses, and collaborations with composers like Esa-Pekka Salonen and John Adams.

Category:Vocal ensembles Category:Contemporary classical music ensembles