Large Scale
Contents (Selected Projects)
European Capital of Culture 2022
Musical direction & curation, Music Composition, Production, Sound design. Location: Esch, Luxembourg. Directed by Brendan Shelper, BR STUDIOS.
The challenging circumstances of the first Covid-19 lockdown offered Battle Royal Studios the opportunity to develop a novel hybrid format for the Esch2022 REMIX Opening, unique in its scope and interactivity for the traditional opening ceremony of a European Capital of Culture. With a wide range of immersive live entertainment, Battle Royal Studios took the audience to the moon and back. The opening night was created as a complex immersive journey. The city came alive with live music, DJ sets, dance performances, architectural projections, light installations and a wide range of immersive live entertainment. There were approx 18,000 visitors welcomed in covid-compliant conditions on-site and 14,000 online.
Photos and text courtesy of BR Studios.
The evening also included a cross-genre concert, Future Frequencies, directed and developed by Frank Wiedemann and Matthew Herbert, where Basil was an additional musical director and mentor. Here, over 100 local musicians came together to perform a colossal mix of styles on stage, accompanied by an enormous light show.
European Capital of Culture 2017
Musical direction, Music Composition and Production, Sound design, Audio Project Management. Location: Aarhus, Denmark. Directed by Nigel Jamieson
City-wide opening event
One of the largest community participation events ever held in Denmark, Aarhus 2017 and Nigel Jamieson created a procession including several thousand lanterns, six huge Viking ships, almost a thousand choir singers, musicians and several thousand citizens, transforming Aarhus City Centre into a floating sea of people, music and epic spectacle. Basil was the musical director and main composer for the event, working with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, hundreds of choir singers, musicians from around the world who have made Aarhus their home, and many more. The soundtrack, with extensive notes and credits, is below.
The Music
The People's Opening is a procession that follows a mythical narrative that takes us from a primeval past, the origins of culture in Denmark, all the way to the world as it is now and beyond. The music's main function is to help tell that story together with the visual spectacle, to create an atmosphere of wonder, and also showcase some of the best talent in Aarhus and beyond.
Many local musicians and musical groups were invited to contribute to the music for the People's Opening, including the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, composer Jakob Buchanan, and singers Eivör, Luna Bülow Ersahin , guided by the musical expertise and advice of composer and sound artist Marie K. Højlund. The choirs are directed by conductor Carsten Seyer-Hansen. Composer and producer Basil Hogios was invited to weave this musical puzzle together into a complete score for the Opening by working with the local artists, arranging their existing songs and also traditional music such as “Drømte mig en drøm i nat” and “Frydeligt med jubelkor”, and composing and producing new music into a flowing and continuous musical experience.
Music Credits
Musical contributors
Musical Director, Composer, Arranger: Basil Hogios
Musical advisors, Aarhus: Marie K. Højlund and Morten Riis
Composer for Aarhus Jazz Orchestra: Jakob Buchanan
Aarhus Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Søren K. Hansen
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Carsten Seyer-Hansen
Choirs: Concert Clemens, Aarhus Pigekor, MidtVest Pigekor, Herning Drengekor, Skt Clemens Drengekor
Choir Director: Carsten Seyer-Hansen
Choir arrangements: Ingeborg Thisted Højlund, Jakob Buchanan, Basil Hogios
Choir soloists: Ingeborg Thisted Højlund, Nadja Marie Schmedes Enevoldsen
Choir for ‘Skyerne Gråne, og løvet falder’: The Danish National Opera. Conducted by Ole Farschou
"Falling Free" + "Salt" written by Eivör Pálsdóttir, vocals: Eivör Pálsdóttir
“Sounds Like Hope" written by Eivör Pálsdóttir, main vocals: Eivör Pálsdóttir, vocals: Luna Ersahin Bülow, Birk Øster, Marie K. Højlund
"Kus Dili", written by Luna Ersahin Bülow– main vocals: Luna Ersahin Bülow
Kus Dili choir: Walat Issu, Salam Susu, Camilla Dayyani, Ahmad Ghasemi, Marie K. Højlund, Nadja Marie Schmedes Enevoldsen
Kus Dili Musicians: Aske Døssing Bendixen, Jakob Sommerlund Moestrup, Cahit Ece, Benedicte Adrian, Fathi Amouni, Orhan Turan.
Music Editor and mixer: Anders Boll
Music production credits:
Aarhus Symphonic Orchestra recordings Producer: Hjarne Fessel
Orchestrator: Rasmus Bosse
Conducter: Søren K. Hansen
Recording engineer / Mixer : Henrik Winther Hansen Recording operator: Lars Reker
Composition and arrangement: Basil Hogios
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra recordings Producer: Rasmus Bøgelund
Conducter: Carsten Seyer-Hansen Sound engineer: Thomas Qvist
Mixer: Henrik Kjærgaard and Anders Boll Lur soloists:
Brass soloist: Michael Bladt, Cesar Joaniquet, Stefan Ringive
Composition: Jakob Buchanan
Arrangement: Jakob Buchanan, Ingeborg Thisted Højlund
The National Danish Opera recording of "Skyerne Gråner"
Producer: Peter Pade
Conducter: Ole Farschou
Sound engineer / mixer: Anders Boll
Arrangement: Basil Hogios
Choir recordings
Aarhus Pigekor, Midtvest Pigekor, Herning Drengekor, Concert Clemens Koret, Skt Clemens Drengekor
Conducter: Carsten Seyer-Hansen
Recording engineer/ mixer : Henrik Winther Hansen
Recording operator: Henrik Birk Aabo
Composition and arrangements: Ingeborg Thisted Højlund, Jakob Buchanan and Basil Hogios
Regional choir coordinator: Marianne Langberg
How To Train Your Dragon (Live Arena Spectacular)
Musical direction, Music Editing, Composition and Production, Sound design, Audio Project Management. Location: US and Australia. Directed by Nigel Jamieson
This is an epic arena adventure inspired by the Academy Award-nominated DreamWorks animated film How To Train Your Dragon, featuring incredible giant animatronic dragons by Creature Technology Company, produced by Global Creatures (King Kong, Walking with Dinosaurs) and Dreamworks. Following a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in early 2012, this arena spectacular completed a North American tour in January 2013.
Basil composed new original music in addition to music he re-imagined from John Powell's powerful score from the film, and music from Jonsi (Sigur Ros). Recorded in Iceland, it features string players from the Reykjavik Orchestra, Schola Cantorum Choir (as heard in Bjork's music), musicians who work with Jónsi, Sigur Rós, Múmm, the inspiring Amiina, and co-produced by Alex Somers (Riceboy Sleeps). The production was deftly and sensitively directed by Nigel Jamieson, master of large scale theatrical works, and assistant-director/movement coach Gavin Robins.
Re:Esch (Outdoor Public Circus Event)
Music editing, live playback and mixing of multi-track audio, Sound design, Audio System Liason.
Idea + Production: Violeta Frank (VF Art Projects)
General Production: La Nuit de la Culture, Esch-Sur-Alzette + VF Art Projects
Script + General Direction: Sean McKeown
Art Direction: Horacio French
Composer: Damian Mahler (Argentina)
Vinterlys Light Festival ('The Portal')
Sound design for the entrance installation of the Vinterlys Light Festival. Location: Skjern, Denmark
Vinterlys 5min V2 final.mp3
Dream Masons (Public Open-Air Theatre)
Music composition, live performance and conducting. Location: Hobart, Australia. Directed by Jess Wilson.
Dream Masons transformed the façade of the Salamanca Arts Centre into an awesome theatrical spectacle of grand proportions. The entire work was accompanied by a live band with original music composed by Basil Hogios, who musically directed and performed in the shows. This unique work brought together a group of 85 professional artists, students and local community volunteers. An additional show crew of 65 performers, musicians, choir members, operators and backstage technicians worked together to create a visually spectacular theatre work for an audience of approximately 14,000 over four nights.
Balconies folded out of the windows, a huge false wall collapsed, water gushed from the building, and a boat was winched up the façade before it paddled over the audience. The distinctive aesthetic of Dream Masons was defined by engineered spectacle elements, heightened physical performance and lyrical shadow puppetry.
Heartland (Live Arena Spectacular)
Music composition and arrangement. Location: Brisbane, Australia. Directed by Nigel Jamieson. Orchestral music recorded in Prague, Czechia. Additional music recorded in Sydney, Australia.
This production took an Australian entertainment tradition and transformed it into cutting edge show using immersive technology. A gripping tale of two struggling Aussie farmers, Reg and Marge, and rejoice with them as the community’s courage, bravery and generosity help them overcome a stunning, yet unforgiving life on the land. With the help from some unlikely characters, and friendships that will last a lifetime, the pair overcome the harsh realities of life on the land.
Music composed and arranged by Basil Hogios & Caitlin Yeo.
heartland_theme__cd_mix__1.mp3Music Credits
Heartland Orchestral Music
Composed by Basil Hogios and Caitlin Yeo
Orchestra Produced by Basil Hogios
Recorded and Mixed by Jan Holzner at Smecky Studios, Prague
Orchestration and conducting by Adam Klemens
Orchestral ContractorJames Fitzpatrick
Heartland Band Music
Band recorded and Mixed by Sean Carey
Band Produced by Sean Carey and Caitlin Yeo
Band recorded and Mixed at Church Street Studios
Band scores and orchestrations by Andrew Scott
Production
Music editor Mark Watson
Music Assistant Florence Werger
Musicians
Drums and Percussion Hamish Stewart
Bass Jonathan Zwartz
Fiddle/Mandolin Marcus Holden
Acoustic Guitars Sean Carey
Electric Guitar Glen Hannah
Banjo Zane Banks
Accordion Caitlin Yeo
Harmonica Christian Marsh
European Capital of Culture 2017 (Closing Ceremony)
To close a spectacular European year of Culture for Denmark, the closing ceremony, ‘A Shared Moment’, took place in Hvide Sande, a small town in the middle of the Holmsland Dunes, on the 9th December 2017. Basil was the musical director and composer of this event, a year after he worked on the opening ceremony. Directed by Dina Abu Hamdan.