A decade after its landmark site-specific performance at Edge Hill Station, Steve Reich’s orchestral masterpiece, Different Trains, returns to Liverpool. Performed by Liverpool Philharmonic’s 10:10, the ensemble will also perform the world premiere of a new piece from local composer, Andrew Barney.
In 2016, Metal partnered with Sound Intermedia, Liverpool Biennial & Southbank Centre to stage a performance of Different Trains at Edge Hill Station, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, and accompanied by a film responding to the piece by acclaimed filmmaker Bill Morrison. Livestreamed worldwide, the event was widely regarded as a significant musical moment for Liverpool.
Now, on Saturday 10 October 2026, Metal will mark the 10th anniversary and Steve Reich’s 90th Birthday, with a commemorative performance at the Tung Auditorium, in partnership with contemporary music ensemble, Liverpool Philharmonic’s 10:10. The evening will also celebrate the world premiere of Into the Aether, a new composition from Andrew Barney, winner of Liverpool Philharmonic’s annual Rushworth Composition Prize, alongside composers Nneka Cummins and Grace-Evangeline Mason, as well as Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company alumni and Artist in Residence Mark Simpson.
Jenny Porter, Director of Metal Liverpool said: “Reflecting on 10 years since the original staging of the Different Trains concert is a powerful experience, so much has changed in the past decade, it is important to remind ourselves of the humanity behind the music of Different Trains. Sharing together a contemporary response to this work in 2026 promises to be a unique and memorable night.”
Steve Reich’s Different Trains (1988), for string quartet and tape, was inspired by the journeys Reich made between New York and Los Angeles during the Second World War and his reflection that “had [I] been in Europe during this period, as a Jew I would have had to ride very different trains.”
Vanessa Reed, Chief Executive of Liverpool Philharmonic said: “Ten years ago, thousands of people experienced Steve Reich and Bill Morrison’s Different Trains at Edge Hill Station – an important collaboration between two seminal American artists, commissioned by our friends at Metal and Liverpool Biennial. Our 10:10 performance at The Tung offers audiences another opportunity to experience the remarkable work live, alongside brand new pieces by composers from Liverpool and the North West, including Rushworth Composition Prize winner Andrew Barney, Grace Evangeline Jones and Mark Simpson.
At Liverpool Philharmonic, we’re proud to provide the platforms, musicians and resources that help composers and artists turn their ideas into reality. It’s a vital part of our role as an organisation rooted in this city and committed to its creative future. I’m delighted that this musical adventure has sold out, and that so many people will have the chance to experience work that can challenge, move and inspire us.”
Liverpool is a city with an extraordinary creative spirit, home to a wealth of talented composers, artists and cultural organisations who come together to create ambitious new work. This programme is a celebration of that spirit, bringing together music that has its roots here in Liverpool and the North West with a landmark work that has a special place in the city’s cultural history.”
To accompany this re-staging, Metal will present newly commissioned work by artists Rebecca Ainsworth & Abdullrhman Hassona, the 2026 LCR Culture & Creativity Awards Artist of the Year. Their new work will reflect on experiences of travel across Liverpool, the Northwest and globally.
Ten years after its extraordinary setting at Edge Hill Station (one of the oldest passenger stations in the world), Different Trains returns to Liverpool for an evening that connects the city’s musical history with new artistic voices and contemporary experiences of travel.