Venue: Firth Hall - University of Sheffield

THE NOSTALGIC UTOPIAN FUTURE DISTANCE

Ensemble 360

Firth Hall - University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Sunday 18 May 2025, 8.00pm

Tickets:
£17
£10 UC, PIP & DLA
£5 Students & Under 35s 

Book Tickets
Ensemble 360 wind musicians
Home› What's on› THE NOSTALGIC UTOPIAN FUTURE DISTANCE

SAARIAHO Petals (10′) 
BOULEZ Dialogue de l’ombre double (20′)
HULTMARK Beauty is Wild (10′) 
NONO La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura (40′-50′) 

An electrifying and electrified evening of duets between soloists drawn from Ensemble 360, and tape or live electronics, all presented in multi-speaker, 360-degree surround-sound.  

 Saariaho’s energetic and colourful Petals for cello is as invigorating as it is haunting, while Boulez creates an intricate dance between the clarinet and its own shadow in his Dialogue de l’ombre double. Bassoonist Emily Hultmark brings to life the desire of Sibelius that “every note must live” in her own work that combines bassoon, electronics and the Finnish composer’s words. The concert concludes with one of Luigi Nono’s final works: his monumental in-the-round piece for violin and eight tapes is by turns sparse, intricate, beautiful and thrilling. 

Save 20% when you book for 10 or more Music in the Round concerts in one transaction.
Save 10% when you book for 5 or more Music in the Round concerts in one transaction. Find out more. 

About the Artists

Members of Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360 has gained an enviable reputation across the UK for the quality and integrity of their performances. Formed in 2005, eleven musicians of international standing came together to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, establishing a versatile group comprising five string players, five wind players and a pianist.  Get a glimpse of them in performance here.

The Ensemble 360 musicians share a passion for the music which radiates through each performance. Their enthusiasm, drive and musicality captivate audiences both through the quality of their playing and their engaging spoken introductions. Due to the flexible nature of the group’s line-up the repertoire possibilities are enormous; anything from baroque duos, through classical quartets to new commissions for all eleven players. 

 

POWER: SHOSTAKOVICH PIANO QUINTET

Ensemble 360

Firth Hall - University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Sunday 9 March 2025, 6.00pm

Tickets:
£17
£10 UC, PIP & DLA
£5 Students & Under 35s

Book Tickets
Ensemble 360 piano quintet
Home› What's on› POWER: SHOSTAKOVICH PIANO QUINTET

SHOSTAKOVICH 
   Piano Trio No.2 Op.67 (26’)   
   Piano Quintet Op.57 (36’) 

Music in the Round’s Shostakovich Weekend concludes with a celebration of some of the composer’s best-loved chamber music featuring the piano. The remarkable Piano Trio No.2 opens the concert with an other-worldly melody (played stratospherically high on the cello), giving way to virtuosic and rhythmic folk-tunes. The Piano Quintet follows, combining rustic abandon with moments of tender, lyrical beauty, underlining the range of Shostakovich’s powerfully expressive writing.  

Save 20% when you book for 10 or more Music in the Round concerts in one transaction.
Save 10% when you book for 5 or more Music in the Round concerts in one transaction. Find out more. 

Part of Music in the Round’s Shostakovich Weekend, Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 March 2025 

Immerse yourself in the chamber music of enigmatic Soviet-Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), one of the most important composers of the 20th century. This specially curated weekend of music and insights celebrating the composer in his 50th anniversary year includes performances of his intimate chamber works and a fascinating Roundtable with Durham University’s specialist in Soviet music, Professor Patrick Zuk. 

Browse the full programme online, explore the seasons with our digital brochure or download a copy of our 2025 brochure.

Download

About the Artists

Members of Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360 has gained an enviable reputation across the UK for the quality and integrity of their performances. Formed in 2005, eleven musicians of international standing came together to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, establishing a versatile group comprising five string players, five wind players and a pianist.  Get a glimpse of them in performance here.

The Ensemble 360 musicians share a passion for the music which radiates through each performance. Their enthusiasm, drive and musicality captivate audiences both through the quality of their playing and their engaging spoken introductions. Due to the flexible nature of the group’s line-up the repertoire possibilities are enormous; anything from baroque duos, through classical quartets to new commissions for all eleven players. 

 

SHOSTAKOVICH ROUNDTABLE

Prof Patrick Zuk & Ensemble 360

Firth Hall - University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Sunday 9 March 2025, 3.00pm

Tickets:
£5
Free to all ticket-holders for our concerts on 8 & 9 March

Book Tickets
Ensemble 360's Gemma Rosefield, cellist & Tim Horton, pianist
Home› What's on› SHOSTAKOVICH ROUNDTABLE

Ensemble 360’s Tim Horton and Gemma Rosefield join Soviet-music specialist Patrick Zuk (Durham University) for an hour of illuminating conversation delving into the life and work of Dimitri Shostakovich. Chaired by Dr Benjamin Tassie, Music in the Round’s Sheffield Programme Manager. 

Part of Music in the Round’s Shostakovich Weekend, Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 March 2025 

Immerse yourself in the chamber music of enigmatic Soviet-Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), one of the most important composers of the 20th century. This specially curated weekend of music and insights celebrating the composer in his 50th anniversary year includes performances of his intimate chamber works. 

Browse the full programme online, explore the seasons with our digital brochure or download a copy of our 2025 brochure.

Download

 

About the Artists

Members of Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360

Ensemble 360 has gained an enviable reputation across the UK for the quality and integrity of their performances. Formed in 2005, eleven musicians of international standing came together to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, establishing a versatile group comprising five string players, five wind players and a pianist.  Get a glimpse of them in performance here.

The Ensemble 360 musicians share a passion for the music which radiates through each performance. Their enthusiasm, drive and musicality captivate audiences both through the quality of their playing and their engaging spoken introductions. Due to the flexible nature of the group’s line-up the repertoire possibilities are enormous; anything from baroque duos, through classical quartets to new commissions for all eleven players. 

 

‘The Queen of the Qanun’

Maya Youssef & Guests

Firth Hall - University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Friday 8 April 2022, 7.00pm

Tickets: £20  
£14 Disabled & Unemployed 
£5 Students & Under 35s 

Past Event
Maya Youseff, acclaimed qanun player
Home› What's on› ‘The Queen of the Qanun’

Following the recent closure of Theatre Deli’s Eyre Street venue, we can now confirm that this concert will take place at Firth Hall, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TN.

All existing ticket holders are being contacted by Sheffield Theatres’ box office who will be re-issuing tickets. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

“She plays as revolution, she plays as rejuvenation, she plays for peace, she plays to heal and she plays to remember.” Outline Magazine 

Damascus-born Maya Youssef is hailed as ‘the queen of the qanun’, a traditional Syrian 78-stringed plucked zither. Based on Arabic musical traditions, her innovative sound has echoes of everything from jazz to flamenco, infused with warmth, humour and optimism. She described her debut album ‘Syrian Dreams’ as her “personal journey through six years of war in Syria. I see the act of playing music as the opposite of death; it is a life and hope-affirming act”. 

Maya has performed widely around the world, including at the BBC Proms, and is a winner of Arts Council England’s Exceptional Talent award and Songlines’ Newcomer Music Award 2018. 

A bar will be open before the advertised start time. 

 

About the Artists

Maya Youseff, acclaimed qanun player

Maya Youssef

Maya Youssef is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun,’ the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Maya’s intense and thoughtful music is rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forges pathways into jazz, Western classical and Latin styles. It explores the emotional and healing qualities of music.

Her debut album Syrian Dreams was highly-acclaimed in music press around the world and has led to many awards and performances on prestigious stages such as the BBC Proms and WOMAD.

Find out more.