In the 20th Century, the words contemporary classical tended to imply aggressive sound clusters, atonal harmonies and works given a first performance perhaps not a second – in a concert hall to bewildered audiences. Not anymore. Artists and composers like Max Richter, John Cage, Johann Johannsson, Ludovico Einaudi successfully straddle the concert hall and other areas such as film and TV, have significant social media platforms, discuss their thought-provoking music with erudition and above all reach a truly wide audience. Some people describe it as minimalism, other as neo-classical or post-classical.

EXPO 1 presents the most popular music from the today’s leading neo-classical composers, that is, the most influential voices in the current wave of post-minimalist composition where contemporary classical and alternative popular musical styles collide. The result is a fascinating kaleidoscope of individual musical approaches and styles, both in composition and interpretation. At the heart of this music lies a question: does new and revolutionary music have to be aggressive, or can it be experimental, thought-provoking, challenging yet gentle at the same time?

A new striking simplicity, occasionally mixed with edgier sounds is what connects the multifaceted approaches featured on EXPO 1.