The framework of all of the projects consists of providing a group of arts-interested people with a highly creative artist of international rank. The role of each of the creative artists selected is to focus on nurturing creativity within the context of engagement over the entire duration of the project, from the initial concept phase to the actual moment of performance. The key concept of the project is evident in that it offers something of value to the general community by providing a one-of-a-kind performance of the highest quality within public space and one that also engages the public in a highly creative manner.

The event "SUSTAN IT!” picks up several aspects of public culture as it manifests already at and around the Underpass at Esplanade, which is used as a performance platform and where a kind of "hand-to-hand" system of learning plays a large role. With this event, the idea for the space is to bring the worlds of teaching, being taught, and performing together by extending and uniting the roles of each as they have manifested in the space. This "know how show how" role will allow for a new type of hybrid learning experience between a workshop and a performance where those taught teach back what they have learned.

The concept of Sustain It! is based on the idea of inviting a group of composers to write an ensemble piece in a minimalist style using hand held percussion instruments and sound circuits so that the work can be easily taught and learned by a group of players having varied abilities. The work functions modularly so that people who enter the space with an interest to participate can observe, pick up on the "vibe" and join in ad lib. By the end of day many will have learned something new and all will have participated in an ever-changing music that runs over the entire span of an evening.

Guest Artists / Educators

Roland Dahinden (CHE)

Roland Dahinden studied trombone and composition at Musikhochschule Graz (Erich Kleinschuster, Georg F. Haas), Scuola di Musica di Fiesole (Vinko Globokar), Wesleyan University Connecticut (Anthony Braxton, Alvin Lucier) and Birmingham University England (Vic Hoyland). As a trombonist, he spezializes in the performance of contemporary music and improvisation/jazz world wide. Composers such as Maria de Alvear, Anthony Braxton, John Cage, Joelle Léandre, Alvin Lucier, Chris Newman, Pauline Oliveros, Christian Wolff amongst others wrote especially for him. Since 1987, he works in the duo with Hildegard Kleeb and since 1992 together in the trio with the violonist Dimitrios Polisoidis. As a composer, he collaborated with visual artists Andreas Brandt, Stéphane Brunner, Daniel Buren, Rudolf de Crignis, Sol LeWitt amongst others as well as with the architects Morger & Degelo, and with the author Eugen Gomringer. Exhibitions with sound installations and sculptors in Europe and America.
http://www.roland-dahinden.ch/

Hildegard Kleeb (CHE)

Hildegard Kleeb is a well-known pianist who specialises in the performance of New Music and improvisation. After completing her studies in Zurich, she continued with Claude Helffer in Paris and with Jürg Wyttenbach in Basel. In 1990 she was a visiting scholar at the Academy for Visual Art Design in Helsinki and from 1992 to 1995 she was a resident artist at Wesleyan University, Connecticut. She has premiered numerous new works including compositions from Peter Ablinger, Maria de Alvear, Anthony Braxton, John Cage, Roland Dahinden, Hauke Harder, Bernhard Lang, Alvin Lucier, and Christian Wolff. She has recorded for Everest Rec. Berne, hatART Basel, Lovely Music New York, Mode Rec. New York, World Music Cologne and several others. Since 1987, she has been playing in duo formation with Roland Dahinden, since 1992 as a member of the Trio Dahinden-Kleeb-Polisoidis, and as a duo with Pelayo Fernandez Arrizzabalaga. Recently she has been involved with a series of “Social Performance“ projects such as „Zitronenbaum“ and „Kirschblütenzweig und Uristier” that addresss important social and political issues of today.
http://www.hildegard-kleeb.ch/

Michael Spicer (AUS/SGP)

Michael Spicer is, depending on the day, a composer, performer, programmer, sound designer and/or educator. He has been involved with music professionally since 1978, playing keyboards/synthesizers and flute, as well as many home made electroacoustic and software instruments. Notable groups in which he was a key member include “Redgum”, which had several hits in Australia during the 1980’s, “Electric Muse”, an experimental electronic duo active in Singapore in the early 2000’s, and the improvisation group Sonic Escapade, which he formed in 2007 and has performed in Singapore, Australia and UK.Michael holds degrees in both music and computer science and has constantly looked for interesting ways of combining the two. Over the past 15 years, he has built a number of interactive performance systems based on the idea of creating virtual ensembles of computer improvisers. In addition to showing these at international conferences, these systems have been regularly used in concerts and theatre productions. Michael currently teaches composition, performance and synthesis in the Diploma in Music and Audio Technology course, at Singapore Polytechnic.

Page last modified on April 15, 2013, at 06:45 PM