New Complexity

'New complexity' is a music term coined in the 1980s and refers to music that displays complexity in its sound and performance as well as extremely dense and challenging score writing. It has been favoured by left-wing composers wishing to distance themselves from more commercial and accessible minimalist composers. To complement the ICA's season of contemporary classical music, composer, conductor and artistic director of Ensemble Exposé, Roger Redgate, chairs a discussion with British composer Richard Barrett, composer and pianist Michael Finnissy and American composer and conductor Aaron Cassid on 'new complexity' now.