EXAUDI Vocal Ensemble

‘Stamina, skill, bravery and cheek. No problem for EXAUDI.’ The Times

Since its debut in 2002, EXAUDI has emerged as one of Britain’s leading young contemporary music ensembles. With a repertoire that encompasses Ockeghem and Ferneyhough, Tallis and Xenakis, EXAUDI has performed to great acclaim throughout the UK and in Europe, and established a ground-breaking and much-praised discography on the British label NMC.

Founded by James Weeks (director) and Juliet Fraser (soprano), EXAUDI is based in London and draws its singers from among the UK’s brightest new vocal talents. The ensemble typically works as a consort rather than a choir – usually one voice to a part, ranging from three to sixteen voices – and draws inspiration for its sound from that of early music ensembles, a strong and focused tone that is ideal for the performance of harmonically intricate contemporary music. Many EXAUDI programmes combine the new with the old, and the ensemble is equally in demand for its performances of music of the High Renaissance and early Baroque.

'There are some performances that you know will be etched on your memory forever, such is their intensity and power.’ The Guardian on Ferneyhough Missa Brevis, Aldeburgh 2006

The newest new music is at the heart of EXAUDI’s repertoire, and it has given UK and world premières of Sciarrino, Rihm, Finnissy, Skempton, Richard Ayres, Christopher Fox and James Saunders among many others. EXAUDI is particularly committed to the younger generation of composers currently in their twenties and early thirties, and is proud to champion the work of major emerging voices including Evan Johnson, John Habron, Chung photo: Jonathan Player
Shih Hoh, Philip Howard, Dorothy Ker, James Weeks and Claudia Molitor.

Collaboration with other leading soloists and ensembles is an increasing feature of EXAUDI’s schedule, including recent appearances with ASKO Ensemble, Apartment House, Anton Lukoszevieze, Rohan de Saram, Irvine Arditti, Mieko Kanno and Fretwork.

‘If only more concerts could be like this: focused, risky, brilliant.’ The Times on Xenakis and Tallis, Spitalfields 2006

EXAUDI has appeared at many leading UK venues and festivals, including Vale of Glamorgan, Aldeburgh, Spitalfields and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festivals, and London’s South Bank and National Portrait Gallery. Recently the ensemble has developed particularly strong links with Aldeburgh Music, resulting in a number of concert appearances, broadcasts and residencies in 2006 and 2007. EXAUDI broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3, and has released critically acclaimed recordings of Michael Finnissy, Elisabeth Lutyens, Christopher Fox and Howard Skempton on NMC. In January 2007 the ensemble made its European debut for CDMC Madrid with a programme of Dillon, Xenakis, Scelsi, Rihm, Sciarrino and Ferneyhough, and in November performed its fifth anniversary programme ‘NOW’ in the conTmpo Festival, Girona.

EXAUDI is strongly committed to educational initiatives in both composing and singing, and has given numerous workshops and seminars for organisations such as spnm, hcmf, The Purcell School, Cambridge Music Conference and Endymion. It returns to Dartington International Summer School this year for a third residency, coaching and performing. A series of concerts and workshops at British universities was inaugurated in 2006 with successful visits to Cardiff and Sussex.

Engagements in 2008 include performances of Rihm’s Sieben Passions-texte in the Aldeburgh Easter Festival, Ferneyhough’s Missa Brevis in the Spitalfields Festival and at the Pompidou Centre, Paris in association with IRCAM, appearances in the City Music Society, the Salisbury Festival and the Soundwaves Festival in Brighton, a residency at Dartington, and new discs of music by Howard Skempton and Christopher Fox.

EXAUDI has twice been shortlisted in the Ensemble category of the RPS Awards, Britain’s leading awards for live classical performance, in 2006 and 2007.
EXAUDI gratefully acknowledges the support of the Performing Rights Society Foundation.