Howard Music is proud to announce that Adam has just concluded a series of sold-out performances at the Frascati Theatre in Amsterdam, as the Musical Director for William Kentridge's latest breathtaking multi-media performance piece - Refuse The Hour.
The Project was originally commissioned as an installation (The Refusal Of Time) for the 13th dOCUMeNTa in Kassel and features original compositions by Phillip Miller, hypnotic choreography by Dada Masilo, inspirational soundscapes by Gavan Eckhart, with HD film projections by William Kentridge and Catherine Meyburgh.
Through a provocative combination of dance, music, imagery and mammoth steampunk-esque mechanical devices, the musical performance piece explores the concept of time from a vivid new perspective. Kentridge performs on stage, as himself, and delivers a series of lectures on the theory of time and space.
The "avant-garde chamber opera" has been edited, co-arranged and conducted by Adam and successfully transports the audience to a realm where the cast-iron lines between art and science are unashamedly torn down and re-envisioned. Like the finely tuned cogs of a magnificent musical time machine, the piece captures that most illusive of phenomenon, the passage and pressure of time, and leaves an indelible impression on the senses.
Pre-production kicked off around the beginning of the year when Kentridge and Miller commissioned Adam Howard to edit and orchestrate the score for a full ensemble, sync the resulting music with imagery, and devise a way to not only remotely trigger a suspended mechanical drum set, but keep track of every click and cue throughout the performance.
Adam spent three months crafting pads and scores for the 25 individual pieces, which culminated in over 80 minutes of music. After a series of rehearsals at Kentridge's studio at Arts on Main in Johannesburg, Adam packed his trumpet, baton and computer and eloped to Amsterdam where he officially stepped up as Musical Director and Conductor for Refuse the Hour.
Apart from Italian pianist Vincenzo Pasquariello, French Soprano Donatienne Michel-Dansac, and Australian vocalist Joanna Dudley, the cast are all proudly South African. After several standing ovations in Amsterdam Refuse the Hour will be headlining the Festival d'Avignon in France, and perform in Rome and Athens later this year.
Adam Howard and William Kentridge
About Howard Music
Howard Music is helmed by award-winning musician, composer and creative force behind the Johannesburg Big Band, Adam Howard. Born in the UK, he boasts a classical music degree from the world famous Guildhall School Of Music and Drama in London, and also the principal trumpet player for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
From his state of the art recording studio in the heart of the Ministry Of Illusion in Bryanston - Johannesburg, Adam has composed and scored numerous award winning commercials, live events, corporate AV's and TV shows. Howard Music was selected as the official audio post-production facility for the 2011 Loerie awards.
Howard Music's reputation for reliable premium quality sound and unmatched creative wizardry has ensured that clients like TBWA Hunt Lascaris, DraftFCB, Y&R, Ogilvy, JWT, Metropolitan Republic, Leo Burnett, Lowe Bull and Creatrix, continue to rely on Howard Music's full spectrum of professional audio services, bespoke music composition, final mix and musical direction.
