Saxophonist Marius Neset, known for bucking the minimalist Scandinavian stereotype by playing high-octane heads and lines more reminiscent of Michael Brecker than Jan Garbarek, is to play a concert with the London Sinfonietta at Queen Elizabeth Hall on 20 November. The Sinfonietta perceptively describes Neset as taking “a defiantly maximalist approach”, referring to “his relentless improvisations” and indicating that in this concert they will be accompanied by “the pulse and precision” of the Sinfonietta.
Referring to Neset’s near-decade association with the Sinfonietta, the orchestra reminds us of the “dizzying orchestral sprawls” of the 2016 collaborations Arches Of Nature and Snowmelt, noting that calling on “the illusory effect of prog-rock repetition, as well as the freewheeling harmonic changes of jazz, these pieces distort the perceived boundaries between control and chaos, observing them as one entity”. Listeners can expect, they say, music in which Neset’s “blistering melodic lines filibuster towards freedom, escaping the contained worlds constructed in his scores”.
Neset and the Sinfonietta will première Neset’s new composition Changes, a piece exploring “transformation and turbulence”. The name resonates strongly with jazz, where “changes” is used to refer to the procession of chords typical of the jazz-standard repertoire, and certainly, given Neset’s history, one can expect plenty of harmonic variation. The forces on stage – combining jazz specialists and the Sinfonietta – promise plenty of potential for timbral and stylistic contrast too. Among those appearing are Anton Eger and Harry Ling (d), Sam Norris (as), Gonçalo Maia Caetano (elb) and Ashkan Layegh (p).
The evening also features Ephemerality and Recurrence, a new multimedia piece from Ashkan Layegh that draws on Persian musical traditions to create something “disorienting and ephemeral”. It brings together three quartets: a string quartet from the London Sinfonietta, Layegh’s Phemo Quartet (alto saxophone, piano, electric bass and drums), and a quartet of visuals, illustrations, texts and process notes projected on to a screen.
Neset points up the topicality of his piece, saying “These times are weird, big global changes are happening, and lots of people are feeling insecure and confused. Changes is a musical piece that is inspired by all these changes.”
London Sinfonietta & Marius Neset, Thursday, 20 November 2025 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Tickets are from £17 and can be booked at the box office, 020 3879 9555 or online
