Surge Forward return to Midlands Arts Centre to present their annual Surge in Spring festival for two days of exceptional music from around the globe. Highlights include Swiss accordion maverick Mario Batkovic, Korean bamboo flute maestro Hyelim Kim, exuberant Ethiopian song and dance from Krar Collective and the high energy Surge Orchestra, plus a host of free events with a stellar line up of guests.
Download the full festival programme here or view below.
Mario Batkovic - Friday 22 April 2022, 8-9.45pm
Bosnian-born Swiss accordian maverick Mario Batkovic mixes classical and contemporary sounds to create his own unique approach, exploring the sonic possibilities of his instruments to create challenging, hypnotic and grandiose music.
Supporting is Hyelim Kim, a bamboo flautist who is opening up new possibilities for Korean music.
Krar Collective - Saturday 23 April 2022, 4-5.20pm
The mighty Krar Collective serve up a mind-blowing feast of exuberant Ethiopian song and dance tunes.
Surge Orchestra - Saturday 23 April 2022, 7-8pm
Boasting a stellar line up of special guests, the musical force of Surge Orchestra is back with a celebratory concert giving life to previous collaborations as well as presenting exciting new work and arrangements.
Our stellar line up of guests include Cheng Yu and Lui Qing of the UK Chinese music ensemble, traditional Irish flautist Eimear McGeown, Birmingham based rapper Juice Aleem, Congolese-born Irish guitarist Niwel Tsumbu and Syrian-born UL based oud player Rihab Azar, to create an ensemble 20 musicians strong, with stunning visuals from Leon Trimble bringing the performance alive. It’s a truly eclectic mix of styles and cultures all brought together in celebration.
Surge in Spring is produced by Surge Forward Music and Arts CIC and is generously supported by Arts Council England and Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham.
We are also grateful to B:Music, Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham, Services for Education Music Service and TDE.