Upcoming: Heroines of Sound 2016 in Berlin

Curated by Bettina Wackernagel, Mo Loschelder and Sabine Sanio, the Heroines of Sound Festival, now in its third year, stages past and present heroines of electronic sound. Prior to the festival, the Heroines Editions will present electronic sounds and film screenings in a more intimate setting at Ausland (November 6th) and AcudMachtNeu (November 17th).

In concerts, installations, performances, videos and discussion events of various formats, early female electronic music is presented together with female artists who are transforming and performatively interpreting electronic sound today at the highest levels of pop and electronic/classical music. By opening up new perspectives, the Heroines of Sound make the quality and variety of female artists in the area of electronic music both audible and visible.

In 2016 the Heroines of Sound are dedicated to two main focal points. To this day, the music of Beatriz Ferreyra and Christine Groult, two composers associated with the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM), still qualifies as an insider’s tip. Another focus lies on Cathy Berberian (1925–1983), the most significant pioneer of new vocal practice in the 20th century. Berberian’s art, which shows little concern about archaic aesthetic imperatives and shows all aspects of the human voice, was style- building for generations of composers and performers.

The concerts include vocal chamber music with electronics, works by John Cage and Luciano Berio written especially for Cathy Berberia, interpreted by Anna Clementi and by Ute Wassermann, and performances by Natalie Beridze and Sofia Härdig, as well as electronic performances by Annette Krebs, Audrey Chen and theremin virtuoso Dorit Chrysler. The Ensemble KNM presents a portrait concert with works by French-born composer Clara Maïda, who is now living in Berlin, as well as a world premiere of the young French composer and artist Loïse Bulot, who presents her graphic musical scores for the first time in Germany with her work InSomis. In addition, the program includes: multi-channel computer music by Elisabeth Schimana, Clara Maïda, Lucrecia Dalt’s conceptual electronic sound, and an experimental DJ set by JD Zazie.

Another highlight of the festival is the performative sound, light, video and space installation SHIROSHI by the Berlin-based artist Miako Klein. Inspired by Kenya Haras’ Reflections on Japanese Aesthetics (White, 2007/2014), this installation, created as a triology, offers an energetic field, oscillating between emptiness and abundance, and gives the viewer a space of perception in which concentration and imagination merge. Miako Klein developed SHIROSHI within her artist residency (2014/2015) at the Akademie Schloss Solitude. SHIROSHI will be presented for the first time to the public as part of the Heroines of Sound festival from 08.12 to 11.12.2016.

The programme will be rounded off by two discussion events on the key aspects of the festival. The first panel will use this opportunity to focus on the composers of the GRM from a historical perspective. The second panel aims to elucidate the constellation between the composer and the interpreter, based on the work of the vocalist Cathy Berberian. We will examine the creative relationship between composition and performance.

 

SOUNDBAR and video-portraits

Like last year and in addition to the evening program at HAU, the visitors of the Heroines of Sound festival will be able to discover an exhibition of video-portraits, as well as the SOUND-BAR, a listening station equipped with several headphones (1st floor lounge and bar, open daily from 6 pm, free entrance).
Curated by the artists and festival team, the Heroines of Sound Selections will present a selection of their own compositions, but also those of artists who are not included in the concert program. The Heroines of Sound Selection offers more than 50 tracks – from the tape music of Musique Concrète to remixes and sound art.

Video-portraits

In collaboration with the IMAfiction, Institut für Medienarchäologie (St. Pölten, Austria), Heroines of Sound presents filmed portraits of: Electric Indigo, Maryanne Amacher, Anne la Berge, Eliane Radigue, Andrea Sodomka, Suzanne Ciani.

Exhibition

SHIROSHI, a performative sound, light, video and space installation by the artist Miako Klein. The structured Improvisation / Composition for contrabass, executed in a solo performance with electronic effects, opens a dialogue with video recordings and acoustic image transformations.

Kenya Haras’ reflections on Japanese aesthetics (WHITE | 2007/2014) gave the impulse for the installation “Shiro. Concepts of white “. Starting from the concept of “Shiro”, Miako Klein develops a resonating space which interweaves concentration and imagination, and makes the energetic field between emptiness and abundance accessible to the listener watching.

Miako Klein: recorder, sound and space installation, overall concept Michael Weilacher: Percussion
Martin Boverhof: Video
Carolin Liedtke: Light

Miako Klein developed SHIROSHI within her artist residency (2014/2015) at the Akademie Schloss Solitude. SHIROSHI will be presented for the first time to the public as part of the Heroines of Sound festival from 08.12 to 11.12.2016.
Exhibition from 08.12 to 11.12.2016

Opening performance: 08.12.2016 at 6 pm
Opening Hours: 08. – 10.12. from 6 pm to 8 pm / 11.12 from 4 pm to 8 pm

Location: Galerie BRAENNEN Stresemanstraße 25 Berlin 10963

ALL INFOS: heroines-of-sound.com

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