Nabihah Iqbal's Strings & Electronics

Nabihah Iqbal is a Musician, DJ and Producer who is signed to Ninja Tune and can be heard on BBC6 Music, NTS Radio and at numerous clubs and festivals around the globe. She'll be performing her first classical commission in combination with some tasty electronic gear at the Goodwood Art Festival on the 23-24th May. The performance expands on her current and previous practice that is mostly based in electronic production (see below for an example). Here's what she has to say about this upcoming performance: 

"When I was composing, I focused all my energy on writing the string parts; and for electronics, I had the idea [of] doing live sound manipulation of them. It was a case of listening through with them, going through changes; once you hear actual people playing it, that gives me ideas, [and] gives them ideas. The second time they played it through, I started figuring out my effects. I was using two effects pedals: the Eventide H90, and the Space Echo -- which is like a tape delay pedal.

In my head, before I did it, I thought it'd be cool if it was just the acoustic sound; but then when I started adding it, it took the whole thing into a different dimension. It sounded so cool -- I got really excited, because that was the first time I'd done live sound manipulation on other people playing instruments. I was like "damn, I should've done this before, that's so interesting!"

https://nabihahiqbal.com/

More on the show and performance: 

Goodwood Art Foundation has announced the world premiere of Imagined, Eternal., the first concert-length classical composition by acclaimed interdisciplinary artist Nabihah Iqbal, performed live on 23 and 24 May 2026. 
 
Commissioned by Goodwood Art Foundation, this 40-minute work represents a significant evolution in Iqbal's practice, merging the rigorous architecture of the string quartet with the immersive, expansive textures of contemporary electronic music. Performed live across two dates in May, this is a rare opportunity to experience the piece for the first time in the environment that fuelled its creation.
 
Rooted in the Sussex landscape and the Romantic poetry of John Keats, the work was originally born from a 15-minute commission titled What Psyche Felt. Introduced to Goodwood Art Foundation by curator Helen Nisbet to celebrate its 2025 opening, the initial piece was inspired by Keats' I Stood Tip-toe Upon a Little Hill. 
 
Following an intensive immersion in the grounds at Goodwood Art Foundation, and in the wider Goodwood estate, Iqbal has evolved the work into a concert-length composition that explores the delicate interplay of nature, melancholy and quiet joy. 
 
Continuing her track record of high-profile collaborations - spanning the Tate Modern to the Barbican - Iqbal will be joined on stage by the Manchester Collective string quartet and a cast of guest artists: experimental producer/vocalist t l k (23 May) and cellist/composer Lucinda Chua (24 May). The performance will be heightened by site-specific live visuals from director and artist Daisy Dickinson.

Tickets: £45 (£35 for under 30's and concessions) and include all-day entry to Goodwood Art Foundation.

To book online visit: https://www.goodwoodartfoundation.org/events-calendar/nabihah-iqbal-imagined-eternal/

• VC-01 Voicecrafter: Vocal Synth & Sequencer 09-Oct-26
• Bubblegum: Free Pitch Editor 08-Oct-26
• DestroyFX Buffer Override 08-Oct-26
• Oxygene 50th Anniversary 07-Oct-26
• The Great Debate: Firmware Hacking 07-Oct-26