Paraorchestra and London Sinfonietta bring Steve Reich’s music to life in London
Paraorchestra performed Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians in an immersive Southbank Centre presentation, with audiences moving among musicians in the Clore Ballroom. A later performance by the London Sinfonietta and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood formed part of a festival marking Reich’s approaching 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the signature work.
Paraorchestra performed Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians at the Southbank Centre in London, with the audience free to move among musicians positioned around the Clore Ballroom.
The ensemble, led by Charles Hazlewood, includes disabled and non-disabled musicians. The performance featured polyrhythmic marimba playing, dancers, line dancing and disco lights.
The programme also included a performance by the London Sinfonietta and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. The event marked Reich’s approaching 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of Music for 18 Musicians.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
How does an immersive format change the audience’s relationship with a work originally written for a fixed ensemble?
What conditions allow a large mixed-ability ensemble to maintain the precision required by Reich’s music?
How might celebrating a composer’s legacy shape the programming and reception of a festival devoted to his work?
What artistic trade-offs arise when choreography, lighting and audience movement are added to a minimalist composition?
How could future performances make similar classical-music events accessible without treating accessibility as a separate feature?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026