Copenhagen Contemporary String Quartet: Distorted Journeys

ALICE CPH

14th June 20.00

Programme

Raven Chacon – The Journey of the Horizontal People (2016)
Sofia Gubaidulina - String Quartet no 2 (1987)
Clara Iannotta – You crawl over seas of granite (2019-2020)
Anahita Abbasi – Distorted Attitudes IV – facile synthesis (2015)
Tanya Tagaq (arr. Jacob Garchik) – Sivunittinni - The future children (2015)

Throat singing is considered one of the world's oldest forms of musical expression. Originating in many different cultures independently of each other, it has managed to survive and exist for several millennia. Taking as its starting point the piece Sivunittinni by the Inuit composer and singer Tanya Tagaq, in this concert, the recently formed Copenhagen Contemporary String Quartet examines how composers from widely different parts of the world integrate and process the distinctive soundscape and techniques of throat singing in works for string quartet. Driven by an inexhaustible exploration of the string quartets infinite sonic possibilities ranging from the entire traditional tonal spectrum over distortions and overtones to smooth transitions between sounds reminiscent of the human voice, the Copenhagen Contemporary String Quartet finds unique personal stories about human existence between culture and nature in the concert's five pieces. Each piece expresses this in its own way: From Raven Chacon's The Journey of the Horizontal People, where the relationship between the quartet's musicians is structured according to the Navajo people's origin story describing how scattered tribes from different places in the southwestern United States ended up gathering in their current homelands, to Sofia Gubaidulina's String Quartet no 2, which works with a symbolic transformation of the music’s acoustic properties. From Clara Iannotta's You crawl over seas of granite, where the strings of the instruments are tuned so far down that they lose their tension and their pitch become almost impossible to control, to Anahita Abbasi's Distorted Attitudes IV / Facile Synthesis, which challenges the physicality of the individual instruments by, for instance, turning the violins and viola into cellos. And finally, Tanya Tagaq's Sivunittinni, which is originally based on recordings of the composer's own voice, but which has been arranged for string quartet by Jacob Garchik.

 

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Support

“The Journey of the Horizontal People” og “Sivunittinni” has been commissioned “Kronos Fifty for the Future”, a project by Kronos Performing Arts Association in 2016. The score and parts are freely available for use at  kronosquartet.org

 

Venue

ALICE CPH

Nørre Allé 7 2200 København

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Artists

Copenhagen Contemporary String Quartet

Copenhagen Contemporary String Quartet is Denmark's newest ensemble for contemporary music. They debut at KLANG 2025 as an ambitious string quartet that wants to disseminate and communicate today's best new compositional music to a wide audience. Their concert programs are carefully tailored to the individual concert hall and the specific audience.

Raven Chacon ((f. 1977))

Composer, performer, and installation artist born in Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation, USA. Of Navajo descent, Chacon is known for his innovative approach to music and art, often exploring themes of identity, culture, and time. Chacon received the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his composition Voiceless Mass.

Sofia Gubaidulina ((f. 1931-2025))

Composer born in Chistopol, Tatarstan, Soviet Union. In her music, she often incorporated elements of both Russian folk music and religious symbolism, which was controversial in the Soviet Union, where her music was considered challenging to official doctrine. At the age of 93, she passed away in March this year, leaving behind one of the most important oeuvres in contemporary music. 

Clara Iannotta ((f. 1983))

Italian composer and curator, working between Berlin and Paris. Her works are characterized by their theatrical style, where sound and gesture are closely connected. As a result, her scores function as choreographies with detailed instructions for the instrumentalists.

Anahita Abbasi ((f. 1985))

Iranian composer who lives and works between New York, Graz, and Paris. Abbasi is committed to exploring both the emotional and intellectual aspects of music, with her works often creating mysterious and challenging listening experiences that invite listeners on a journey of discovery and reflection.

Tanya Tagaq ((f. 1975))

Canadian/Inuit singer whose unique vocal expression has roots in Inuit throat singing. Her music draws as much on electronica, metal music, and industrial influences as it does on traditional forms of expression. She is known for her artistic collaborations that challenge conventional genre boundaries.