A landmark piece of music which was memorably performed at Liverpool’s Edge Hill Station a decade ago is returning to the city for a special anniversary concert.

Steve Reich’s Different Trains will be performed at The Tung Auditorium on Saturday 10 October 2026, marking 10 years since the acclaimed site-specific Liverpool performance and celebrating the legendary American composer’s 90th birthday.

The concert will be performed by Liverpool Philharmonic’s 10:10 ensemble and will also feature the world premiere of Into the Aether, a new composition by local composer Andrew Barney, winner of Liverpool Philharmonic’s annual Rushworth Composition Prize.

The programme will showcase music from composers Nneka Cummins and Grace-Evangeline Mason, alongside Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company alumnus and Artist in Residence Mark Simpson.

The event revisits a significant moment in Liverpool’s musical history.

In 2016, Metal joined forces with Sound Intermedia, Liverpool Biennial and Southbank Centre to bring Different Trains to Edge Hill Station, where it was performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra.

The performance was accompanied by a specially created film from acclaimed filmmaker Bill Morrison and livestreamed to audiences around the world.

Now, a decade later, Metal is returning to the work with a new concert bringing together Reich’s celebrated composition and a new generation of musical talent from Liverpool and the North West.

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.”

Composed in 1988 for string quartet and tape, Different Trains was inspired by Reich’s childhood train journeys between New York and Los Angeles during the Second World War.

The composer later reflected on how dramatically different those journeys would have been had he been living in Europe as a Jewish child during the same period.

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.”

Alongside the concert, Metal will present newly commissioned work by artists Rebecca Ainsworth and Abdullrhman Hassona, the 2026 Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards Artist of the Year.

Their new work will explore experiences of travel across Liverpool, the North West and further afield.

Ten years after Different Trains transformed one of Liverpool’s most historic railway stations into an extraordinary concert venue, its return will connect that memorable moment in the city’s cultural history with new music and contemporary artistic voices.