Maybe I should have tried skiing when I was younger! Nowadays, I can think of few things more terrifying than hurtling off the edge of a mountain with a plank of wood strapped to each foot, holding only a couple of sticks! I can, however, still manage to climb aboard a cable car and, up above the clouds, another world is revealed: clear blue skies, stunning views over huge distances, the whirring and clanking of ski lifts… and the sound of people apparently enjoying themselves, whilst simultaneously courting disaster. Baffling!

[xi-25]

Off-Piste was realized in 2019 in the composer’s studio in Birmingham (England, UK) and premiered on May 2, 2019 in The Dome of the Bramall Music Building of the University of Birmingham as part of the BEAST FEaST festival. The work was revised in 2020 and again in 2024.

Premiere

• May 2, 2019, BEAST FEaST 2019: Concert 1, The Dome — Bramall Music Building — University of Birmingham, Birmingham (England, UK)
• October 18, 2024, Premiere of the 2024 version: L’Espace du son 2024: Concert portrait: Jonty Harrison, Théâtre Marni, Brussels (Belgium)