Collegium Novum Zürich + Steamboat Switzerland

Standard £35 // Solidarity £45.50 // Kirklees Resident £33 // Under 30 £10
Our Solidarity ticket price is an opportunity for audiences to support our work by purchasing a ticket at a slightly higher price (the cost of a Standard ticket plus 30%). Read more about Solidarity prices here. 

Advance booking required 

Estimated end time: 12am (midnight) 

Please note: this performance includes two intervals 

Collegium Novum Zürich:
Sarah Ouakrat flute
Matthias Arter oboe
Azra Ramić clarinet
Sascha Armbruster saxophone 
TBC trumpet
Antonio Jimenez Marin trombone
João Carlos Pacheco percussion
Leandro Gianini electronics
Giuseppe Mennuti electric guitar
Mateusz Szczepkowski violin 
Katarzyna Seremak violin
Fabio Marano viola
Esther Saladin cello
Pietro Elia Barcellona double bass 

Titus Engel conductor 

Steamboat Switzerland:
Dominik Blum hammond organ
Marino Pliakas electric bass
Lucas Niggli drums 

Zara Ali (USA, 1995) 
Isolation Forest (2023) 18’ UK Premiere 

Michael Wertmüller (Switzerland, 1966) 
TrypA (2026) 28’ UK Premiere 

Anselm McDonnell (Ireland/Wales, 1994) 
Retrogressive Thaw Slump (2026) 15’ UK Premiere 

Steamboat Switzerland 
Live Set 30’ 

Expect an evening of exhilarating sound and uncompromising musical energy as Swiss new music ensemble Collegium Novum Zürich join forces with the legendary Steamboat Switzerland for a programme that pushes boundaries with three UK premieres traversing vast sonic terrain.

Commissioned by hcmf//, Anselm McDonnell’s Retrogressive Thaw Slump – titled after the natural phenomenon of sudden, landslide-like permafrost collapse in the Arctic – places the Town Hall’s organ at its centre, with Steamboat Switzerland’s Dominik Blum joining Collegium Novum Zürich as soloist.

Michael Wertmüller’s TrypA brings together the composer’s distinctive blend of precision, intensity and rhythmic force in a new version of a work originally created for the 2016 Donaueschingen Music Festival, showcasing Wertmüller’s electrifying approach to large-scale ensemble writing. 

Offering a striking contrast within the programme is 2023 Gaudeamus Award winner Zara Ali’s Isolation Forest, a dive into the digital wilderness that takes its name from an anomaly detection algorithm used in machine learning and showcases Ali’s commitment to constant discovery of new sound.

The programme culminates in a live set from Steamboat Switzerland, who – renowned for their ferocious performances and fearless fusion of avant-garde experimentation, improvisation and rock-infused energy – have built an international reputation as one of Europe’s most thrilling live acts, delivering concerts of extraordinary intensity and unpredictability.

A rare opportunity to experience two of Switzerland’s most adventurous musical forces together, this late-night concert promises intensity, virtuosity and unforgettable sound. 

Produced by hcmf// as part of The Current Climate; supported by Culture Ireland, Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Hinrichsen Foundation and Vaughan Williams Foundation 

TrypA is commissioned with the kind support of the Swiss Art Council Pro Helvetia and Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation 

Retrogressive Thaw Slump is commissioned by hcmf// 

Photo: Collegium Novum Zürich © Saskja Rosset Kleiner