In the &Beyond series, we take one composer as our starting point and look at their impact on and relationships with other composers. John Cage is our point of departure for this edition. We explore how composers search for – and find – freedom in their methods of composition. The programme has been compiled by our violinist Joseph Puglia, who introduces it and provides his commentary.

Each composer pursues his or her own path towards freedom. Boulez found his freedom in structure, for instance. Zorn’s freedom is based on improvisation, which he later used as a basis for writing more traditionally notated ‘classical music’. And Scelsi explores a single note of music and shows how just one note can be full of colour and emotion. Cage and his kindred spirit Pauline Oliveros spent their whole lives investigating how we listen and make music together. Audiences play their own part in this.