Miller Theatre Concludes Composer Portraits Series With HANNAH KENDALL Featuring International Contemporary Ensemble

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts will conclude its 2025–26 Composer Portraits series with a program dedicated to British composer HANNAH KENDALL on April 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The performance will take place at Miller Theatre, located at 2960 Broadway at 116th Street in New York City. Tickets start at $20, with student tickets available from $10.

The International Contemporary Ensemble will perform several of Kendall’s recent works, including the U.S. premiere of BUILDING A BURNING HOUSE (2026), a Miller Theatre commission co-commissioned with Crash Ensemble, Barbican Centre, and Ensemble Musikfabrik.

The program will also include WHEN FLESH IS PRESSED AGAINST THE DARK (2024), EVEN SWEETNESS CAN SCRATCH THE THROAT (2023), and TUXEDO: DIVING BELL 2. (2021).

Kendall’s music is known for its intricate structures and immersive sonic environments, often incorporating unconventional instruments and references that extend beyond traditional concert music practices. Her work frequently explores connections between musical traditions and historical narratives.

The concert takes place shortly after the presentation of Kendall’s chamber opera THE KNIFE OF DAWN at Dutch National Opera.

Born in London in 1984, Kendall studied music at the University of Exeter before completing a master’s degree in composition at the Royal College of Music and a doctorate at Columbia University. Her music has been performed by ensembles and orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, LA Phil, New York Philharmonic, and London Sinfonietta, among others.

In 2023 she received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Large Ensemble Composition for SHOUTING FOREVER INTO THE RECEIVER, and in 2022 she was awarded the Hindemith Prize for outstanding contemporary composers. Her debut portrait album Shouting Forever Into the Receiver was released in 2025 by NMC Recordings.

Founded in 2001, the International Contemporary Ensemble is a multidisciplinary collective of musicians and artists dedicated to the performance and development of contemporary music. The group has premiered more than 1,000 works and has received the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming as well as Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year Award.