Three classic and influential silent movies, with their original music scores, set the scene for the extraordinary story of Joséphine Baker.

The acclaimed ensemble Counterpoise set the colourful scene in 1920s Paris: a time of experimental cinema, Dadaism and lively nightclubs, also performing newly commissioned scores for these silent movie classics   The influential René Clair film Entr’acte features Picabia, Saties, Cocteasu, Duchamp, Man Ray and Clair himself.

Joséphine tells the story, with text, visuals and movement, of the American-French dancer, singer and actress Joséphine Baker, notorious for her banana dance, but also a civil rights activist, champion of women’s rights, intrepid French Resistance fighter and “the most sensational woman anyone ever saw” (Hemingway).

The acclaimed ensemble Counterpoise set the colourful scene in 1920s Paris: a time of experimental cinema, Dadaism and lively nightclubs, also performing newly commissioned scores for silent movie classics: Ghosts Before Breakfast, Fall of the House of Usher and the influential René Clair film Entr’acte featuring Picabia, Satie, Cocteau, Duchamp and Man Ray.

YP: MD / Composer / Arranger

Performance of Constellations, written with Laura Attridge, at Wigmore Hall.

More details here.

What do Jon M. Chu (Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians), Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) and Cheeyang Ng have in common? They all won the Princess Grace Award.

Singapore’s first Campus Superstar, Cheeyang Ng, makes their London debut with an evening of songs from their various musicals-in-development, including Eastbound with Khiyon Hursey (Hamilton), Māyā with Eric Sorrels (Kennedy Center), The Phoenix with Desdemona Chiang (AFI DWW+) and Eric Sorrels. Additionally, a sneak peek at their solo show, Legendary, and their viral TikTok originals inspired by Heartstopper.

Featuring Roshani Abbey (West End: Hamilton), Desmonda Cathabel (UK Tour: Aladdin), Diya Sohi (TV: The Beaker Girls), Aaron Teoh (Movie: Wicked) and Sonya Venugopal (Broadway & UK Tour: Life of Pi)

Directed by Nina Zoie Lam (Broadway’s Miss Saigon, Marvel’s Hawkeye). Music Directed by Yshani Perinpanayagam (Royal Opera House). General Management by HD General Management. In collaboration with Ben Armstrong’s RepresentAsian series.

More details here.

Verified is about the search for authenticity and acceptance among the growing pressures of social media and living in a digital age.

Featuring three original songs written by the ensemble’s Young Creatives team and co-founder Kate Whitley, Verified is presented under the musical leadership of songwriters Abimaro Gunnell, Frances Lobo and trombonist Yusuf Narcin. It was first performed at Bold Tendencies in June 2023.

Winners of a 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society award, The Multi-Story Orchestra are celebrated as one of the most exciting young ensembles in the UK.

They’ve made a name for themselves giving extraordinary performances, telling stories and unleashing creativity in unexpected places – including multi-storey car parks. They’ve also appeared at the BBC Proms and on BBC Radio 3.

Improvised-comedy

YP: Keys

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

"The best tango show I've been to since Buenos Aires"

Carismático is a Tango ensemble with a difference. They take their inspiration from the Tango Nuevo compositions of Argentinian Tango Composer Saúl Cosentino (a protege of Astor Piazzolla) with a virtuoso ensemble of accordion, saxophone & clarinet, piano, drums and bass.

The ensemble's inspiring, beguiling and creative performances go beyond the simple reproduction of the classic tango sound with the addition of  beautiful and creative tango inspired compositions of renown composer and accordion virtuoso Karen Street, the evocative vocals of Guillermo Rosenthuler and the passionate dancing of Tango stars, Richard Manuel and Tamsyn Webb.

YP, piano

Hear me chatting with Kate Molleson about some Proms highlights for the coming week live from the BBC Radio 3 presenters’ box at the Royal Albert Hall.

Full Programme here.

Mischief, ‘the funniest theatre troupe in Britain’ (The Telegraph) returns to the stage this summer, stepping back to their comedy roots for 5 weeks only with MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT, the improvised movie live on stage!

Every show is different with you suggesting a genre, location and title, and Mischief hilariously brings the show to life, complete with rewinds, fast forwards, directors cuts and a thrilling live score to laugh along to.

Starring them, directed by you, MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT, is a guaranteed comedy blockbuster!

Yshani Perinpanayagam: co-keys

Julius Eastman is the first artist in our new series Erased Music, which will run over the next three years. His work is the perfect place to start a series on musicians who have been unjustly forgotten and who are worthy of being placed back into the spotlight. Eastman was a composer, pianist and singer from New York. He wrote much more aggressive and haunting minimal music than that of his famous colleagues Philip Glass and Steve Reich. A homosexual African-American, he died in 1990, leaving behind works such as Evil N****r and Gay Guerilla. His pieces will be played by the Grammy-nominated ensemble Wild Up from Los Angeles which specialises in Eastman’s music.

The mediative experience that is Eastman's Buddha is now followed by his most political works: Evil N****r, Gay Guerrilla and Crazy N****r. Three titles that were and are intended to provoke, to prevent people from looking away and to draw attention to the everyday nature of racism. 

Packed with Eastman's usual intensity, rhythm and drama, Wild Up dares to show the master of minimal music once again in a big way.More details here.

YP joining Wild Up ensemble on piano

Julius Eastman is the first artist in our new series Erased Music, which will run over the next three years. His work is the perfect place to start a series on musicians who have been unjustly forgotten and who are worthy of being placed back into the spotlight. Eastman was a composer, pianist and singer from New York. He wrote much more aggressive and haunting minimal music than that of his famous colleagues Philip Glass and Steve Reich. A homosexual African-American, he died in 1990, leaving behind works such as Evil N****r and Gay Guerilla. His pieces will be played by the Grammy-nominated ensemble Wild Up from Los Angeles which specialises in Eastman’s music.

The mediative experience that is Eastman's Buddha is now followed by his most political works: Evil N****r, Gay Guerrilla and Crazy N****r. Three titles that were and are intended to provoke, to prevent people from looking away and to draw attention to the everyday nature of racism. 

Packed with Eastman's usual intensity, rhythm and drama, Wild Up dares to show the master of minimal music once again in a big way.More details here.

YP joining Wild Up ensemble on piano

Julius Eastman is the first artist in our new series Erased Music, which will run over the next three years. His work is the perfect place to start a series on musicians who have been unjustly forgotten and who are worthy of being placed back into the spotlight. Eastman was a composer, pianist and singer from New York. He wrote much more aggressive and haunting minimal music than that of his famous colleagues Philip Glass and Steve Reich. A homosexual African-American, he died in 1990, leaving behind works such as Evil N****r and Gay Guerilla. His pieces will be played by the Grammy-nominated ensemble Wild Up from Los Angeles which specialises in Eastman’s music.

The first of the concerts in the Erased Music series is Julius Eastman's Buddha. This unique composition is not limited to a specific instrumentation, number of musicians or length. Instead, the one-page score leaves plenty of room for interpretation. It is more of a guide, a predetermined framework within which Wild Up can move freely. The repetition of the few notes gives the concert an almost meditative character, which can be broken up again at any time. This freedom for the musicians means that each concert is a unique, unrepeatable experience.

More details here.

YP joining Wild Up ensemble on piano

”Join us for a captivating musical journey with the exceptional Yshani Perinpanayagam at our first Appetizer Concert. With a background as both a musical director and a multi-genre pianist, Perinpanayagam brings a wealth of experience and creativity to her performances. Trained as a pianist from a young age, she has honed her skills across a diverse range of musical genres, from classical to contemporary. Her career has taken her to venues from Wigmore Hall to the London Palladium, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival to the Barbican Mime Festival, and to work with artists from the Philharmonia to Nina Conti. Her repertoire features works by composers ranging from the Baroque brilliance of Rameau to the contemporary complexity of Philip Venables, and from the lush romanticism of Rachmaninoff to the avant-garde explorations of Messiaen. As the musical director of The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions, Perinpanayagam seamlessly intertwines the realms of music and theatre, weaving together evocative soundscapes that enhance the narrative and emotional depth of the performance.”

Programme to Include Morfydd Owen, William Byrd, Philip Venables, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Olivier Messiaen.

Further details here.

Mischief, ‘the funniest theatre troupe in Britain’ (The Telegraph) returns to the stage this summer, stepping back to their comedy roots for 5 weeks only with MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT, the improvised movie live on stage!

Every show is different with you suggesting a genre, location and title, and Mischief hilariously brings the show to life, complete with rewinds, fast forwards, directors cuts and a thrilling live score to laugh along to.

Starring them, directed by you, MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT, is a guaranteed comedy blockbuster!

Yshani Perinpanayagam: co-keys

Hear my Proms highlights for the coming week live from the BBC Radio 3 presenters’ box at the Royal Albert Hall.

Full Programme here.

An improvised comedy play starring a cast of the country’s quickest comic performers. In each show the cast conjures up a brand new ‘lost’ Jane Austen novel based on nothing more than a title suggested by the audience.

Previous ‘lost’ masterpieces have included Double 0 Darcy, Game of Scones and The Wickham Man.

Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this is a regency treat guaranteed to delight Austen novices and die-hard fans alike.

More details here

Yshani Perinpanayagam, keys

Reviewing new releases with Andrew McGregor.

Listen again here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020ybd

All ages and abilities are welcome to join in and sing in an opera chorus.

More details here.

YP: conductor

Season ends July 31st.

An evening of sensational improvised comedy until July 31st – catch this show before the season ends.

The Comedy Store are delighted to announce that Paul Merton and Suki Webster, two of the UK’s leading improvisers, will be bringing their highly anticipated brand new improv show to London’s legendary Comedy Store.

Expect an evening of fast, fabulously funny improvised games, scenes, stories and laugh out loud surrealism as these two masters of Comedy Improvisation join forces to create cascades of laughter and joyful silliness.

 Tickets here.

Yshani Perinpanayagam, keys