Breathing Music at Kings Place
14 June, 2010. The Kings Place and its barriers breaking contemporary music series OUT HEAR for the end of its season on the 14 of June presents a reflective chill-out evening BREATHING MUSIC from some of the most exciting Lithuanian composers.
Silent breathing of air sculptures, contemplative rippling of light/sound and periodic movements of musicians will merge into a mesmerising synchronisation in the piece “Breathing music” by Justė Janulytė and visual artist Dovydas Klimavičius. It will be followed by “Double” and “Panchami” by Egidija Medekšaitė, both compositions presented as undulating audio meditations. “Out of Čiurlionis” by Antanas Jasenka and Antanas Kučinskas is an intriguing interactive game of sighs, gestures and textures with a string quartet and both composers on stage.
All works are the highlights of the Lithuanian contemporary music repertoire of recent years, presented by the Chordos String Quartet and the masterful classical accordionist Martynas Levickis. They will provide an exciting insight into the Lithuanian contemporary music scene.
OUT HEAR is a series of events at Kings Place curated by leading promoters and musicians in the worlds of contemporary/experimental music and multi-media performance.
‘A fantastic addition to the city's cultural life' Musical Criticism
Presented in partnership with the Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre and the Lithuanian Embassy in the UK.
Supported by the Lithuanian Cultural Foundation and Star 1 airlines.
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Breathing Music - The Composers
The majority of the works by Justė Janulytė (b. 1982) are written for 'monochromatic' ensembles and represent slow metamorphoses of textural, dynamic, timbral and ornamental gestures. While balancing between the aesthetics of minimalism and sonorism, Justė Janulytė composes acoustic metaphors of optic ideas, and researches the visual nature of musical phenomena in work where sound and image are fused together. In 2009 she became a winner in the young composers’ category at UNESCO's International Rostrum of Composers in Paris (with aquarelle for mixed choir). The new work by Justė Janulytė will be premiered this year at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and soon after that the project will travel to the Holland Festival and MaerzMusik (Berlin). www.janulyte.info
Egidija Medekšaitė’s (b. 1979) work is based on predefined patterns (progressions of pitches or durations, different numerological procedures, etc.) and structural integrity. However, her highly detailed textures, usually combining acoustic and electronic sound, blend into a homogenous, purified sonic substance, fostering an approach to music making which is both physical and emotive. www.mxl.lt/medeksaite
Antanas Jasenka’s (b.1965) sound is intense, dynamic and multilayered, populated with diverse electronic sound objects - from glitch to soundscape. The composer has participated in a number of projects with such internationally acclaimed artists as Ralf Wehowsky, Jim O'Rourke, Brume, Achim Wollscheid, Toshiya Tsunoda, John Duncan, Ryoji Ikeda, John Watermann, Merzbow, The Hafler Trio, Artemiy Artemiev, and others. His music has been released by different labels in Russia, the USA, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, England, France, Poland, and Lithuania. www.myspace.com/exerpm
Antanas Kučinskas (b. 1968) says: “I am an omnivorous parasite and make music, which feeds on existing music, grows at its expense and finally destroys it". Kučinskas’s works are characterized by a variety of genres, styles and techniques, stemming from modal scales, serial procedures as well as conceptual art, minimalism, DJ culture, and ideas from Fluxus. His music has always had something intrinsically theatrical about it. Since 1998 he has been musical director at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre. www.mxl.lt/kucinskas
Breathing Music - The Performers
During its relatively short existence the Chordos Quartet has demonstrated an enduring commitment to promoting the latest in Lithuanian music and bringing the most recent as well as greatest pieces of contemporary repertoire to audiences in Lithuania and abroad. Their interests range from baroque music to joint projects with rock and jazz musicians. Their recent recording credits also include incidental music for film and theatre. The quartet's current line-up is Dainius Puodžiukas (1st violin), Ieva Sipaitytė (2nd violin), Robertas Bliškevičius (viola), and Rūta Bagurskienė (cello). The quartet has performed in nearly all of the music festivals in Lithuania (Gaida, Vilnius Festival, Jauna muzika, Permainų muzika, Marių klavyrai, etc.), MaerzMusik in Berlin (2003), and Klangspuren in Austria (2004). It has also given performances in Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg, Stockholm, Moscow, and in many other cities. www.chordos.com
Martynas Levickis (b. 1989) is a masterful Lithuanian classical accordionist. He started playing the accordion at the age of 3 and took it up seriously when he was 8. He has won many awards in Lithuania, Italy, France, Netherlands, the USA, Poland, Estonia, and Belarus. He is currently in his second year at the Royal Academy of Music in London under the direction of Prof. Owen Murray.
June 14, Monday, 8pm, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG. Tickets: £9.50 online are available at http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/music/out-hear/breathing-music-from-the-chordos-string-quartet
