J  S BACH / ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS
Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects
Copyright Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects and Manchester International Festival, with Manchester Art Gallery and three of the world’s leading concert soloists, will present a unique collaborative work for the 2009 Festival. Zaha Hadid Architects will visually and acoustically transform one of the exhibition spaces in Manchester Art Gallery into an intimate chamber music hall in which to hear the solo works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Across a series of nine concerts, pianist Piotr Anderszewski, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and violinist Alina Ibragimova will perform J S Bach’s solo instrumental works for a small audience of 200 people at each performance. The new space will also be open to the public during usual gallery hours.

Each of Hadid’s projects builds on over thirty years of radical experimentation with cutting-edge technologies, often resulting in unexpected and dynamic architectural forms. Zaha Hadid said, “As an articulation of the rhythmic and harmonic range Bach was able to achieve within the mathematical framework of his music, Zaha Hadid Architects’ design will explore this multiplicity by developing a coherent integration of formal and structural logic”.
Of this commission, Festival Director Alex Poots said, "The aim is to create a near-perfect visual and sonic environment for the audience to experience some of the world’s best-loved chamber music. Zaha Hadid Architects consistently come up with challenging and innovative ideas. It will be intriguing to see what they produce on this intimate level."
Manchester City Council’s Director of Culture, Virginia Tandy said, “Manchester Art Gallery is delighted to be working with Zaha Hadid Architects and Manchester International Festival on this unique project which promises to bring ground-breaking design together with wonderful music”. Manchester International Festival is very pleased to welcome students from Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music, who will be performing in the space throughout the Festival.
In addition, Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and MIF are launching a new partnership which will explore the art of storytelling from the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Egypt and the UK. This will start with a free storytelling event for schools, Hakawati, on 8 July in the installation.

ZAHA HADID ARICHITECTS AND J S BACH
MANCHESTER ART GALLERY, 3-5, 10-12 AND 15, 17, 18 JULY
Booking at www.mif.co.uk or call +44 (0)844 815 4960
Daytime entry to the new space is free