MIRO

MIRO was set up by Community Arts North West in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music. It began by bringing RNCM students together with musicians from world traditions. It is now an independent orchestra, still close to both founding partners, and gathers players whose roots include Romania, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Iran, Bosnia, Serbia, Scotland, England, and West Africa.

The repertoire moves through Eastern European melody, Middle Eastern percussion and voice, Sufi chant, African gospel, rap, hip-hop, classical music and jazz. In 2019 RNCM commissioned a forty-minute contemporary suite from Michael to close the New Music Festival — string writing, narration, and songs chosen with the musicians themselves.

The orchestra has appeared at the Festival of Manchester, Horizons Festival at HOME, Tara Arts in London, Journeys Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival.