About this Artist
George Barton (percussion) and Siwan Rhys (piano) – combines two of the UK's finest young contemporary chamber instrumentalists – “a wonderful, adventuresome, sensitive pair of musicians” (Kate Molleson, BBC R3). The duo has built its reputation on a combination of exceptional interpretations of the existing piano-percussion repertoire, committed performances of ambitious new commissions, and inventive collaborations.
Known for their fearless, intense and boundary-crossing performances, GBSR's work ranges from the twentieth-century modernism of Stockhausen and Ustvolskaya to music by Brian Eno and Aphex Twin. They have a special interest in the exquisite delicacy of composers like Morton Feldman, Eva-Maria Houben and Barbara Monk Feldman, whose work they have championed, and maintain close continuing relationships with composers like Oliver Leith, CHAINES and Angharad Davies, who share their appetite for musical cross-fertilisation.
Recent performances include Aphex Twin, Oliver Leith and Ustvolskaya at Bold Tendencies London, Eva-Maria Houben at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Laurence Osborn and Harold Budd at Norfolk and Norwich Festival and Cheltenham Festival, and Stockhausen multi-channel works at Kings Place. Recent premieres include works by Angharad Davies and Lisa Illean at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and by Tim Parkinson and Christopher Fox at Sound Festival Aberdeen.
Their critically-acclaimed recordings include Stockhausen's KONTAKTE (Album of the Week, The Guardian, “a landmark performance” – Tom Service, BBC Radio 3, “the best spatial audio purchase I’ve made this year” – Seth Colter Walls, New York Times) and Oliver Leith's good day good day bad day bad day (Pick of the Week, The Guardian, “Highlight of 2020”, Radio 3 New Music Show).
Individually they perform as soloists and with ensembles including the Colin Currie Group, Riot Ensemble, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, Aurora Orchestra, Explore Ensemble, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Apartment House, London Contemporary Orchestra and many others.