JEREMY BIRCHALL
Composer

'"The music by Jeremy Birchall — a blend of live orchestra and recorded tracks — is the perfect container for Quagebeur’s choreography. She does a fine job in the quieter moments, …but it’s a swirling cacophony that sweeps up Bueno and Kiyosawa in a blurry, unhinged corps de ballet that really captures the tragedy, trauma and abdication of will associated with addiction."

Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune ★★★★

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"Jeremy Birchall’s music was absolute perfection: alternately discordant and mellifluous; simultaneously strident and harmonic. I trust I’m not trespassing when I say that clearly neither Quagebeur nor Birchall learned about addiction by reading about it in a book – their intimate sophistication can only be gained the hard way." 

Sarz Maxwell, Buzz Center Stage

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"Stina Quagebeur’s “Hungry Ghosts,” a work set to an ideal score by Jeremy Birchall that captures the obsession and emotional isolation of those addicted to opioids (such drugs as heroin, fentanyl and others)…The response of the enormous opening night audience could not have been more intense or fully deserved."

Hedy Weiss, WTTW, Chicago

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"This hard-edged piece, with its operatic drama and cinematic stage effects mirroring the murky chaos of the woman’s drug-addicted life, is backed by Jeremy Birchall’s electronic-tinged music, which has a dissonant touch that suits the ballet’s dark-blue nature."

Hugh Iglarsh, Newcity

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"Quagbebeur's choreography has a perfect edge of menace and darkness blending with the haunting music of Jeremy Birchall."

Kathy D Hey, Third Coast Review ★★★★

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"Jeremy Birchall’s music faithfully parallels the ballet’s emotional odyssey; adding to its depth and intensity."

City Pleasures, Chicago

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"Light, shadow, and facial expressions are used to significant effect here, as are sound and Jeremy Birchall’s score. A repeated sound like a sharp match being lit, the use of a black background, and dancers in shadow (creating a uniform look and making indistinguishable the features of individual dancers) nod to the way that drug dependence can render people incapable of anything but servitude to themselves and their addiction."

JT Newman, Chicago Reader