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“We create radical human experiences, inspired by the music that we love.” – Manchester Collective
Manchester Collective and the ACO share more than a stage. They hold a shared philosophy of music without borders, programming across centuries, genres and traditions as a matter of instinct, not novelty. For years, these two ensembles have been circling each other from opposite sides of the world. In 2027, they finally meet.
Rakhi Singh has been at the heart of Manchester Collective since co-founding the ensemble 10 years ago. For her ACO debut, she directs a program with the restless magic of a great mixtape. Purcell dances into Abrahamsen. English folksong meets the pulse of West Africa. At the centre of the program is Sidiki Dembélé, returning to Australia after his unforgettable performances with Abel Selaocoe and the ACO. Born of his family’s Ivorian griot tradition, Sidiki’s music is a living archive – storytelling passed down generations, hand to hand, drum to drum, voice to voice. He brings folksong and ceremony from Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal into direct conversation with the strings. Adding a further dimension is an Australian premiere from British composer and multidisciplinary artist Nwando Ebizie, whose Afrofuturist vision draws on ancestral heritage and rites to reimagine what comes next. Her music calls on the spirits of the past to greet the future.
Program
Sidiki Dembélé Teriya, Siniensigui, Tama (The Journey), Djikunu (Power of Water), Shaka, Hakilima
Traditional (arr. Rakhi Singh) Johnny Faa
John Playford Wallom Green
Henry Purcell The Old Bachelor, Z.607: Hornpipe; The Virtuous Wife, Z.611: Air; Timon of Athens, Z.632: Curtain Tune
Hans Abrahamsen Ten Preludes for String Quartet: Selections
Emily Hall So Far
Edmund Finnis Hymn (after Byrd)
Nwando Ebizie For You, small in the embrace of untethered unwinding possible futures
Dembélé / Rakhi Singh Simiya / Suo Gan
Constellations was produced by Manchester Collective and premiered in the United Kingdom in October 2026. Nwando Ebizie’s work was commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
Artist
Rakhi Singh Guest Director, Violin and Manchester Collective Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director.
Sidiki Dembélé Percussion
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Guest Director & Violin
Rakhi Singh is a violinist, music director and composer based between Manchester and London. In 2016 she co-founded Manchester Collective, who performed their second proms in as many years this Summer, led by Singh. Alongside her work leading the Collective, Singh has firmly established herself as a violinist and leader of high repute, touring with the likes of Phillip Glass and Abel Selacoe.
Percussion
Sidiki Dembélé hails from an ancient line of Malian Griot musicians, raised in the rich cultural traditions of his ancestors. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, his heart belongs to the djembe, a drum he describes as “a spiritual force, teaching us to live in peace, love, respect, humility, and tolerance”. Now based in Manchester, UK, Dembélé’s remarkable journey has seen him perform with and compose for prestigious groups across the world, including the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
4 - 17 February 2027
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13 - 24 March 2027
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6 - 18 May 2027
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19 - 30 June 2027
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29 Jul - 16 Aug 2027
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2 - 18 September 2027
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11 - 29 November 2027
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16 - 20 April 2027
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