Heather Kincaid talks to Birmingham Contemporary Music Group’s new Artistic Director…

Almost 30 years after helping to set up the organisation back in 1987, husband-and-wife team Stephen and Jackie Newbould have finally bid goodbye to Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, stepping down from their respective roles as Artistic Director and Executive Producer.  Since 2001, under Stephen's watchful eye, BCMG has flowered into one of Europe's most well-respected music ensembles, and the departure of not just one, but two of its key figures is bound to entail major changes.

The Artistic Director's shoes might be big ones to fill, but BCMG is confident it's found the right man for the job in percussionist, composer and conductor Stephan Meier, who is eager to get stuck in to the task ahead. What's On spoke to Meier to find out more about his background and his plans for the future of the group.

“I'm finding it absolutely thrilling here so far!” Meier enthuses. “I feel like this is a very special story which I'm diving into at the moment.”

Originally from Germany, Meier rose to prominence on the contemporary music scene as the founder and Artistic Director of Hanover's acclaimed Das Neue Ensemble. It was in this capacity that his awareness of BCMG and its work began to grow.

“I've known some of the musicians here for quite a long time, having met them in Frankfurt and Berlin and other places where contemporary music is pushed forward. Those shared experiences have been in the background while working with my own Das Neue Ensemble.” 

As someone coming from outside the UK, Meier brings with him a wealth of knowledge about music from across Europe that will be invaluable in the role. His vision for BCMG is of a dynamic, outward-looking, international organisation that can hold its own on the world stage.

“I'm looking forward to broadening the scope of BCMG and bringing more of the excellent music being worked on around the world to Birmingham. I think it would be lovely to build up BCMG's exceptional standard of playing and performing knowledge on a global level.”

In this, he's not alone. Meier's arrival in Birmingham happens to coincide with the appointment of the Lithuanian Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla as Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, an organisation with which BCMG has always fostered strong ties. Add to this the ongoing redevelopment of the Birmingham Conservatoire under its new Principal, Julian Lloyd-Webber, as well as the arrival of Caroline Newton as Executive Producer at BCMG, and the coming year starts to feel like a very exciting time for music in the city.

“I'm continuously meeting people who are really intensely keen to drive things forward, who are very open to new ideas and to every possibility. And not just in the musical field, I have to add.”

Among Meier's main responsibilities in his new position will be programming the many concerts and events that fill the BCMG calendar, as well as commissioning new work from current composers. For the 2016/17 season, he will be mainly focused on continuing the work of his predecessor and seeing through projects already set in motion.

“For the next 12 months, Stephen has set a wonderful programme celebrating all the things that BCMG has reached and achieved. Our next season will be about building up a strong network of nationwide and worldwide eminent composers and conductors, as well as building up the Sound Investment scheme.”
First established in 1992, Sound Investment is a unique BCMG creation that pioneered crowdfunding for new commissions long before the use of such methods of raising money for creative projects became popularised online. This radical approach has proved highly successful, enabling BCMG to position itself at the forefront of contemporary music. To date, the scheme has given rise to over 70 original works by an impressive array of composers, as well as encouraging a sense of ownership and direct engagement from its supporters.

“The composers from the BCMG family, if I may put it like that, are at the core of what we're doing over the coming months - people like Thomas Adès and Colin Matthews, as well as younger musicians like our fantastic Apprentice Composer-in-Residence Patrick Brennan. I'm very much looking forward to being part of this process of collaboration and co-operation.”

Elsewhere, Meier will also be overseeing the group's education and outreach arm, taking a lead on its various projects.

“BCMG has gained a worldwide reputation, not only artistically, but also in the sector which they call Learning & Participation. I would say that currently, the main focus is on young people, so I hope to extend that to encompass the wider public. We have wonderful plans in terms of broadening these activities, and I hope that all curious people will want to share with BCMG in exploring what today's music will be.”
Without a doubt, it's going to be an extremely busy period for Meier. As well as spending time mapping out the future of BCMG, he'll also be continuing with much of his work back home in Germany, including staying on as Artistic Director of Das Neue.

“Having set up this small ensemble in Hanover for contemporary music, I feel that saying goodbye to it would be like giving up my identity. But I don't think it will be a problem for me, otherwise I wouldn't have been chosen. Just look at Mirga, who I think has three jobs at the moment! My impression is that the board who appointed me would see this as an advantage rather than a disadvantage, because of the possibilities it opens up for international exchange.”

Far from being troubled by the workload, then, Meier is looking forward to the challenges ahead. Having previously described BCMG as “one of the world's finest new music ensembles, admired for its joyous, uncompromising championing of the music of today,” he views it as a privilege to lead the group through this exciting new chapter in its story.

“There are two things, I believe, that make this group so special. The first is the extraordinary capability of the players, who are all working at a standard well above what is usual. The second is the way in which they work together as an ensemble. There is a really wonderful community of musicians here - 'work' is almost not the right word to describe what they are doing, since you can see how much they're enjoying going on these adventures together. It's a fantastic starting point for me to build from.”

Stephan Meier's tenure as Artistic Director of BCMG begins with the 2016/17 season. A full programme of events and activities is available at whatsonlive.co.uk