New Sounds Festival 2026

“My links with folk music are often of an emotional character. When I work with that music I am always caught by the thrill of discovery… I return again and again to folk music because I try to establish contact between that and my own ideas about music.”

Berio's Folk Songs are among some of the most heart-rending and impactful reimaginings of global folk traditions. Join us for this evening of new sounds created by our very own community of music makers inspired by Berio's settings, collaborating with New Music Collective and New Voices Consort, and a selection of some of the UK's leading contemporary music performers. 

This concert is the culmination for The Composer's Lab, an initiative led by Dr Nathan James Dearden, helps foster a sense of community and connection between our emerging genre-fluid music creators at Royal Holloway.