Last year saw the inaugural New Music Biennial weekender, and now to celebrate the initiative’s 10^th birthday PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre are presenting a whole weekend of essential new music. You will require tickets for each visit to the three-day festival, but the good news is that those tickets are FREE!

Two shows have already sold out – Coby Sey’s From The Vestry and Anna Meredith’s HandsFree – so well done if you’ve already bagged a ticket for those. There is however a whole heap of good music still on offer, including:

New works by composers and music creators such as Yazz Ahmed, Paul Purgas, AFRODEUTSCHE, Martin Green, Rakhi Singh / Vessel, Keeley Forsyth, Coby Sey, Roopa Panesar, Toby Young and Philip Herbert. The full list is as follows:

The Moon Has Become, commissioned by WOMAD, written by British-Bahraini trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed

Tape Music, commissioned by Supersonic Festival, written by sound, performance and installation artist, Paul Purgas

He Sings Over Me, commissioned by Manchester Camerata and NEWFORM, written by composer, producer and DJ AFRODEUTSCHE

Split The Air, commissioned by The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and Lepus Productions, written by Martin Green     

It commissioned by NYX Electronic Drone Choir, written by Rakhi Singh, Vessel & NYX Electronic Drone Choir,

Bog Body, commissioned by Sound UK, written by composer, singer and actor Keeley Forsyth

From The Vestry, commissioned by Serious and written by vocalist, musician and DJ, Coby Sey     

The Crossing, commissioned by Opera North and written by the sitarist Roopa Panesar

Breathlines, commissioned by Armonico Consort and written by Toby Young  

Towards Renewal, commissioned by the BBC Concert Orchestra and written by Philip Herbert

AFRODEUTSCHE – Unquiet (credit Vivaldi Rocks)

There will also be a selection of highlights from the last 10 years of the New Music Biennial, in the company of Anna Meredith, Brian Irvine and Jennifer Walshe, Daniel Elms, Errollyn Wallen, Philip Venables and David Hoyle, Aidan O’Rourke and Kit Downes, Jason Yarde, Jessica Curry, Arlene Sierra and Gazelle Twin. Here’s the full list:

HandsFree, commissioned by National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, written by Anna Meredith and choreographed by David Ogle

13 Vices, commissioned by Moving on Music and written by Brian Irvine and Jennifer Walshe

Bethia, commissioned by BFI and written by Daniel Elms

Mighty River, performed by National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and written by Errollyn Wallen.  Originally commissioned by The Rector and PPC of Holy Trinity Clapham Common and the Revd. John Wates

Illusions, commissioned and co-promoted by London Sinfonietta and written by Philip Venables with performance artist David Hoyle

One Story: 365 Words, commissioned by the Edinburgh Arts Book Festival and written by multi-instrumentalists Aidan O’Rourke and Kit Downes

Skip, Dash, Flow, commissioned by Wonderbrass and written by composer, producer and saxophonist, Jason Yarde

She Who, commissioned by National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and written by English composer, radio presenter and BAFTA winner, Jessica Curry

Urban Birds, commissioned by INTER/actions Festival of Interactive Electronic and written by Arlene Sierra

The Power and the Glory, commissioned by BBC Concert Orchestra and written by performance artist, composer and producer, Gazelle Twin

The festival starts tomorrow, Friday 1 July, and runs through until Sunday 3 July. For more information head to the Southbank Website

Pieces from the New Music Biennial will also be available through NMC Recordings. As well as releasing the new pieces at this year’s festival, and to celebrate this milestone in the partnership, NMC is re-issuing the ten existing works being performed this year. This special re-issue bundle entitled Celebrating 10 years of New Music Biennial, is available for download from the NMC online shop at a discounted price, providing a lasting legacy for this new music.