A special concert of radical experimental music with Strasbourg-based collective lovemusic and acclaimed composer-performers Jennifer Walshe and Neil Luck (WACK). Presented by Arnolfini, lovemusic and nonclassical.
Saturday 31st October, 4 – 5pm (doors at 15:45)
The event forms part of a rare UK visit, with new work being presented at both Arnolfini and the ICA, London.
Collective lovemusic, known for their courageous explorations of new configurations of collaborative performance, are joined by WACK for a live ‘collage in the round’. Across their collaborative 45-minute new work, they’ll move between composed material, spoken text, visual elements and real-time decision making, creating a maximalist coming together of multilingual voices, acoustic instruments, live electronics, esoteric invocations, telepathic madrigals, dense noise and deep relaxation tapes.
The concert will also feature a new piece by Neil Luck: an epic fan-fiction monologue that cinematically deconstructs the identity of acclaimed British film director Christopher Nolan.
Co-presented by Arnolfini + lovemusic + nonclassical.
ARTISTS BIOS
Collective Lovemusic is a group of musicians specialising in new music based in Strasbourg. Their approach is defined by a balance of individuality and collective spirit, coupled with the courageous exploration of new and unconventional ideas. In 2025 lovemusic was awarded with the prestigious Ensemble Award from the Ernst von Siemens Foundation for Music.
“The most original compositional voice to emerge from Ireland in the past 20 years” (The Irish Times) and “Wild girl of Darmstadt” (Frankfurter Rundschau), composer and performer Jennifer Walshe was born in Dublin, Ireland. With a wide range of influences and interests ranging from AI to the planet Mars, her music has been commissioned, broadcast and performed all over the world.
Neil Luck is a musician based in the UK. His work often explores the pathos and interaction between live human performance and multimedia, and attempts to frame the act of music making as something curious, or weird, or useful, or spectacular in and of itself. Neil’s work takes a range of forms from music-theatre, to concert works, radio, public projects and recordings.
lovemusic is supported by the French Ministry of culture – DRAC Grand Est, the Conseil Régional Grand Est, the City of Strasbourg; Diaphonique, Franco-British-Irish fund for contemporary music, in partnership with the SACEM, the Friends of the French Institute Trust, the British Council, the Institut français, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, the Centre National de la Musique, Culture Ireland and Salabert Fondation.
nonclassical thanks the friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.