Flight UL505 (2022)

This string quartet was commissioned by the Netherlands String Quartet Academy for ADAM Quartet. The premiere performance was held on Saturday 18th June 2022 at TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht.

Flight UL505 was boarded by the composer’s extended family at the time of writing this work as they emigrated from Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom. This event sparked much thought about her parents and their migration during a far more difficult period which formed much thought behind this work.

Centring around two Carnatic ragas, the pentatonic raga mohanam and hexatonic raga sriranjini, the piece journeys from rural to urban. The opening static and improvisatory material is reminiscent of the rural and calm pace of life where this family resided in Sri Lanka. The soloistic lines are embellished with interpretations of Carnatic gamaka, accompanied by an inverted, harmonic tanpura drone, an extremely characteristic sound in the tradition this piece is inspired by.

The piece has an overarching ascent, gradually introducing rhythmic material until this becomes consistent, albeit irregular and complex, and harmonically verticalises the ragas. The return of the melodic material, juxtaposed against this newly constructed soundworld, is an ode to the inevitable hyphenated identity of Perinpanathan’s two young cousins who will be raised here as she was.

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Since the premiere performance, ADAM have performed Flight UL505 at the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam in July 2024.

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ECHO Rising Stars & Sonoro Quartet

Flight UL505 was performed by the Sonoro Quartet across nine concert halls in Europe in their 2023-24 ECHO Rising Stars tour, and also as an encore in Athens.

24 oct 2023 • Luxembourg Philharmonie

10 nov 2023 • Vienna Musikverein

16 nov 2023 • Brussels Music Instrument Museum

18 nov 2023 • Hattem (NL)

26 nov 2023 • Cologne Philharmonie

27 jan 2024 • Hamburg Elbphilharmonie

3 feb 2024 • Stockholm Konzerthuset

6 feb 2024 • Maasmechelen (BE)

25 feb 2024 • Baden Baden Festspielhaus

Other performances

21 jul 2024 • Muziekgebouw (ADAM Quartet)

31 jul 2026 • Enys Chamber Music Festival (Kyan Quartet)

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Radio

Recordings of Flight UL505 have been broadcast on radio stations across Europe.

Belgian (SABAM) General & Broadcasting

Swedish (STIM) General & Broadcasting