Carnegie Hall

Theatre of Voices was founded in 1990 by British conductor, singer, and writer Paul Hillier. The Copenhagen-based group has been nominated twice for the Nordic Council Music Prize. The ensemble has performed at prominent venues such as the Teatro Real, Palais Garnier, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Barbican, Elbphilharmonie, and Sydney Opera House. Recent projects include a hologram appearance for 16 shows in Hong Kong, performances at the Venice Biennale, and a residency at Kings Place in London.

Theatre of Voices has completed nearly 40 recordings, won several awards (including a Grammy), and frequently collaborates with groups like Kronos Quartet, Smith Quartet, American Contemporary Music Group, and London Sinfonietta. The ensemble’s repertoire stretches from the earliest notated music to modern sound-art installations and contemporary opera. The distinct, clear sound has led to many collaborations with leading contemporary composers, including Steve Reich, Julia Wolfe, Arvo Pärt, Gavin Bryars, Galina Grigorjeva, Kaija Saariaho, Heiner Goebbels, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, and Line Tjørnhøj.

Film soundtracks on which Theatre of Voices has appeared include the Oscar-winning La grande bellezza, Arrival, and a string of Nordic films (The Suicide Tourist, The Woodcutter Story, and The Gullspång Miracle). The group continues recording both classical music, new film scores, and music for computer games.

Theatre of Voices has been named special focus ensemble by the Danish Arts Council, and is supported by the The Augustinus Foundation, Holbæk Municipality, and more.

Artistic Director Paul Hillier’s career has embraced singing, conducting, composition, and writing about music. He was founding director of the Hilliard Ensemble and subsequently Theatre of Voices. He has taught at the University of California and was director of the Early Music Institute at Indiana University. Since 2008, Hillier has led Chamber Choir Ireland. He was previously chief conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Ars Nova Copenhagen, and Coro Casa da Música. His nearly 200 recordings—including seven solo song recitals—have earned worldwide acclaim and won numerous prizes, among them a Diapason d’Or and two Grammy Awards. Several of his releases have been named “Editor’s Choice” in leading international music magazines and are reference recordings in music anthologies. His books about Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, together with editions of choral music, are published by Oxford University Press; his own compositions are available through Edition S. In 2006, he was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, followed by the Order of the White Star of Estonia in 2007. Named Knight of Dannebrog by the Queen of Denmark in 2013, Hillier is also the 2023 recipient of the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation’s Honorary Prize.

Vicky Chow has been described as “brilliant” (The New York Times) and “one of our era’s most brilliant pianists” (Pitchfork). Since joining the Bang on a Can All-Stars in 2009, she has collaborated and worked with artists such as Tania León, Meredith Monk, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, John Zorn, and George Lewis, as well as Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and International Contemporary Ensemble, to name a few. She has toured to more than 40 countries and performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Barcelona’s L’Auditori, Sydney’s City Recital Hall, and Teatro Colón.

Chow has released more than 25 solo and chamber music albums on Nonesuch Records, Cantaloupe, New Amsterdam Records, Tzadik, and Innova Recordings, among others. In October 2022, she released Philip Glass: Piano Etudes, Book 1, which the composer remarked to be “a highly dynamic and expressive performance. There’s a certain energy that is uniquely hers.”

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Chow is now based in Brooklyn. She serves on the faculty of the Bang on a Can Summer Institute and Nief-Norf Summer Festival, and has been on the faculty of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She is on the board of Composers Now and is also a mentor at The Juilliard School. A graduate of Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, Chow is a Yamaha Artist. Visit vickychow.com for more information.

David Cossin is a versatile New York–based percussionist and producer whose work spans classical percussion, drum set, non-Western hand drumming, composition, and improvisation. His diverse musical interests have led him to perform across a wide range of artistic forms around the world. Cossin has collaborated with renowned ensembles and artists, including Bang on a Can, Steve Reich and Musicians, Philip Glass, Yo-Yo Ma, Meredith Monk, Tan Dun, Cecil Taylor, Talujon, Terry Riley, Sting, David Byrne, and Ghost Train Orchestra. As a producer and engineer, he has released multiple albums.

Cossin’s theater work includes notable projects with Blue Man Group, Mabou Mines, and director Peter Sellars. He was also the featured solo percussionist in the recording of Tan Dun’s Oscar-winning score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics.

Cossin’s sonic installations have been exhibited in the US, Italy, and Germany. He is an active composer and instrument inventor, constantly pushing the boundaries of traditional percussion. He also serves as a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music, where he teaches percussion in the Contemporary Performance Program.

He proudly endorses ProMark sticks and Evans drumheads.