Leading conductor, singer, and writer Paul Hillier is bringing his vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices to Scotland in the New Year with Stimmung. After premiering this project at The Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the vocal ensemble will perform at Perth Concert Hall on Wednesday 18 January.

Theatre of Voices was founded by British-born Hillier in 1990 while in America and is recognised as one of the world’s foremost vocal ensembles. They now operate in a European reincarnation out of Denmark where Hillier is now based.

Hillier’s relationship with Stimmung began in the 1980s when he performed it with Singcircle with Stockhausen himself at the controls. Stockhausen’s quintessential masterpiece Stimmung was written in 1968, a year of revolt and idealism and is staged for six singers with microphones seated round a table. It allows the performers scope to improvise and influence the outcome of the overall performance.

The serene but highly charged aural landscape of Stimmung has global roots originating in Stockhausen’s absorption of musical experiences as he traveled the world in the 1950s and 1960s. From the mystic experiences in Mexico to Tibetan overtone singing, it manages to be utterly esoteric and yet one of Stockhausen’s most accessible works.

Svend Brown, Creative Director of Classical Music at Perth Concert Hall is delighted to be bringing Theatre of Voices to Perth:

“This is not a piece that comes around all that often – and what makes this performance particularly unmissable is that the ensemble will be working with Stockhausen himself before they come to the UK - it will be as close as it is possible to come to Stockhausen;s current concept of the piece.”

With Theatre of Voices, Hillier achieved a huge following and established relationships and collaborations with composers and musicians such as Steve Reich, Bobby McFerrin, John Adams and the Kronos Quartet. His return to Europe stems from his relationship with Copenhagen’s vocal group Ars Nova which began in 1996 and led to his appointment as their Chief Conductor in 2002, coupled with his role as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (since 2001).

Hillier has been an inspirational force in the musical arena for more than four decades now and has several more projects in the pipeline for presentation in the UK in the near future.

Don’t miss this Scottish Exclusive on Wednesday 18 Jan 2006 at 7.30pm. Tickets £6 – £8 call 0845 612 6319 or log onto www.horsecross.co.uk