SUMU
SUMU features premiering and performing artists Emīlija Rozenšteina (cello), Tanel Eiko Novikov (percussion), and Simone Spampinato (A/V) in two sessions:
21.2. 20:00 | Video Capture Session (for Eventbrite tickets, click here)
22.2. 20:00 | Premiere Performance
Vapaan Taiteen Tila offers an immersive experience of a unique atmosphere of a former bunker space with spectacular acoustics located in central Helsinki. This combination is reflected in a newly commissioned work Silver Lining by Lukáš Janata, San Francisco-based Czech composer, who wrote the work to celebrate his long-term friendship with his event collaborator Emīlija Rozenšteina, a Helsinki-based Latvian cellist. The duo is thrilled to invite an Estonian percussion phenomenon Tanel Eiko Novikov who quickly became an essential contributing element to this project.
The program also features works and European premieres by international artists Aida Shirazi, Nasim Khorassani, Dariush Derkahshani, Nicholas Denton Protsack, Brian Shank, Peteris Vasks, and Hamed Chanagaei. The night will be accompanied by a pottery exhibition from local artists displayed in the concert space, available for purchase.
”Silver Lining is a phenomenon of a thin bright line over cumulonimbi clouds (a dense storm accumulation of clouds) and serves as a metaphor for a hopeful prospect coming out of a challenging situation. The divergent timbres of the two instruments often interact in a contradictory manner while going in and out of sync. The constant shifting vs. steady pulse brought me an image as if the rainy winds were coming down upon a mountain settlement. The juxtaposition between thundery rumbling unpitched percussion is underlined by the extensive use of crotales, evoking the silver linings with its bright, thin, yet resonant sound full of overtones. This is caught by bowing techniques in the cello producing bright overtones, airy, or distorted sound. All that is uniquely underlined by the Vapaan Taiteen Tila bunker space of large tubular directional acoustics offering the audience a changing experience depending where they sit.”
~ Lukáš Janata
Part of the revenue will be donated to MOAASER online academy – co-founded by Nasim Khorassani, Pedram Diba, and Sohrab Motabar – providing education in contemporary music for students based in Iran.
RSVP tickets are donation-based. Thank you for your support.
More information about featured artists, including program order and bios, is to follow in a digital companion available soon.