Alexander Goehr’s family moved from Germany to Britain soon after his birth in 1932. His formative musical and culturalexperiences were provided by his father, the conductor and Schoenberg pupil Walter Goehr, and his mother, an accomplishedpianist.

He attracted attention in the 1950s as a founding member of the Manchester New Music Group, together withfellow students Harrison Birtwistle, Peter Maxwell Davies and John Ogdon. Goehr’s influence as composer and teacher runsdeep in the musical life of Britain and beyond.

Ensemble Modern celebrates his compelling synthesis of modernist andtraditional ideas in a programme that includes the world première of Manere 1, 2, 3.