PENNY BROADHURST & THE MAFFICKERS

Penny Broadhurst has a word in the ear of the composer and Artist in Residence of the Harrogate International Festival 2001, Michael Nyman. His new work, a fifteen minute orchestral piece entitled A Dance He Little Thinks Of and commissioned by Yorkshire Orchestral Consortium (YOC), was premiered at the Festival. It was performed by the BBC Philharmonic and conducted by Vassily Sinaisky.

You're obviously playing a major role in the Festival as Artist in Residence. How did that come about?

William Culver-Dodds (the Director of the Festival) invited me to become Artist in Residence, Composer in Residence, and I accepted. It's very rarely offered.

Is it something that you've had experience of before?