Philip Cashian - Chamber Concertos (Plural Ensemble)

Information

Composer: Philip Cashian

1. Chamber Concerto No. 2: I. Novemberscape
2. Chamber Concerto No. 2: II. Coasting
3. Chamber Concerto No. 2: III. Twilight
4. Chamber Concerto No. 2: IV. Duets
5. Dances and Nocturnes
6. The Distance of Night
7. Chamber Concerto

Plural Ensemble

Fabián Panisello, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: IBS Classical

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With Cashian: Chamber Concertos, IBS Classical presents a major retrospective of British composer Philip Cashian, highlighting nearly three decades of his remarkably coherent musical vision. Conducted by Fabián Panisello and performed with exceptional precision by Plural Ensemble, the album explores concertante writing on an intimate scale. The release is framed by the premiere recording of Chamber Concerto No. 2 (2024), inspired by mid-twentieth-century British abstract art, and the restless, mechanistic Chamber Concerto (1995). Complementing these works are two smaller-scale compositions: Dances and Nocturnes (2020) and The Distance of Night (2022), a poignant solo piano memorial for Simon Bainbridge. Recorded by producer Paco Moya and engineer Cheluis Salmerón, the release captures Cashian's vivid instrumental colors with striking immediacy, affirming his place as a leading figure in contemporary music.

Born in Manchester in 1963, British composer Philip Cashian studied under Oliver Knussen and Simon Bainbridge, developing a fast-paced, uncompromising style that reflects the modern world. Drawing diverse influence from icons like Stravinsky, Frank Zappa, and Tom Waits, as well as the visual arts, Cashian’s compositions have been performed globally at prestigious festivals like the BBC Proms and the Aspen Music Festival. Major institutions—including the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra—frequently present his works. In addition to his active career as a composer with multiple recordings on the NMC label, Cashian has served as head of composition at the Royal Academy of Music since 2007.

Founded by principal conductor Fabián Panisello, Plural Ensemble is a premier Spanish instrumental ensemble dedicated to 20th and 21st-century music. Celebrated for high-caliber performances, the group maintains annual concert series sponsored by the BBVA Foundation in Madrid while touring extensively nationwide and internationally. PluralEnsemble regularly performs at top contemporary music festivals—including Warsaw Autumn, Présences in Paris, and Konzerthaus Berlin—and collaborates with prominent composers, conductors, and soloists such as Peter Eötvös and Jörg Widmann. Possessing a rich recording legacy across major European radio networks and labels like Col Legno and NEOS, the ensemble received the Madrid Association of Composers’ Extraordinary Award for the Interpretation of Contemporary Music in 2025.

High Resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz