The Orchestral Forest
Creative Direction / Programming / Sound Design
The Orchestral Forest is an immersive concert that tells the story of Britain’s rare and vulnerable rainforests.
The audience are free to wander within the orchestra as they play, enveloped in a tale of beauty, patience, peril and hope.
Between exhilarating pieces of nature-inspired classical music by Dobrinka Tabakova, Felix Mendelssohn, Vagn Holmboe, Nadia Boulanger and Michael Nyman are soundscapes recorded across the UK: the natural symphony of a temperate rainforest, the muted sounds of coniferous plantations, the silent aftermath of a felled forest, and a young wildwood that shows natural regeneration can bring astonishing change.
Theatrical lighting and movement from the performers combines with the power of classical music to tell a vital story of our time.
Read my blog here to find out more about the UK’s rainforests and the concept behind this concert.
“Sinfonia Smith Square explore timely fears and possibilities for our shared future. They create a memorable hour of flawless playing, innovative staging and redemptive emotional power.”
“Audience involvement in this concert was like nothing I’d ever experienced. Initially mesmerized, we soon began to wander, enchanted by the unfolding music that seemed to guide our movement in the room. This engagement was bold and refreshing...”
“there’s an unparalleled view which is impossible to imagine from even the best seats and the memorable sensation of being surrounded by supreme talents at work.”
“such a shake up of format to the classical tradition, creating an eye-opening celebration of these [rainforest] ecosystems is a spectacular treat – I can guarantee you’ve simply never heard music performed quite like this before.”
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First performance date: 2024
My role: Concept, creative direction, programming, sound design, producer
Part of Sinfonia Smith Square’s #ConcertLab series
Venue: Smith Square Hall, London
Conductor: Maxime Tortelier
Solo Violin: Emma Purslow
Movement Director: Imogen Knight
Lighting Design: George Andrews
Event photography and videography: Sophie Oliver
