Advertisement

Max Richter to perform 8-hour Sleep album at the Great Wall of China

  • Perhaps the only classical concert where listeners are openly invited to nod off, Sleep was developed with the help of a US neuroscientist
  • Performed to audiences sitting in beds, Sleep has been staged in iconic locations across the world, including the Sydney Opera House

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Max Richter will perform at the Great Wall of China in October. Photo: Mike Terry

Max Richter’s 8-hour composition Sleep will be performed for the first time in Asia next month, as part of the 22nd Beijing Music Festival. Just 300 concertgoers will hear the British-German composer’s work performed overnight at the Great Wall of China.

Advertisement
Designed to soundtrack the entirety of a full night’s sleep, the performance will feature Richter on piano alongside soprano Grace Davidson and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble.

“It’s a special highlight of the upcoming festival. This piece is quite popular in Europe and in the United States,” says the festival’s artistic director, Zou Shuang.

One of Richter’s most well-known works, Sleep garnered great interest worldwide when it was released in 2015.

One of Richter’s most well-known works, Sleep garnered great interest worldwide when it was released in 2015.
One of Richter’s most well-known works, Sleep garnered great interest worldwide when it was released in 2015.
Advertisement

Full shows, performed to audiences sitting in beds, have been staged in iconic locations across the world, including the Sydney Opera House, the Philharmonie de Paris and outdoors at the Los Angeles Music Centre nearby Grand Park.

loading
Advertisement