Sun 17 June – Resonant Bodies (‘Loci’ and ‘myths & visions’)

I will be joined by dear friends dancer and choreographer Joëlle Pappas and musician and composer Bruno Guastalla in a dance and music evening at beautiful The Abbey Sutton Courtenay.

We will be performing our newly devised trio – Loci, Joëlle and Bruno will be performing their beautiful duo Traits, and I will be performing my beloved myths & visions (this may be the last performance of myths & visions in the UK, a project that is so special to me!).

This will also be my last performance as an Oxford resident, as I am moving out now with the end of my PhD. It feels so special, the end of an era, a incredible time in my life.

Come, if you can, to celebrate with us, also to support the Refugee week – donations will go towards charities which give assistance to refugees in Oxfordshire.

7pm

The Abbey Sutton Courtenay

The Abbey Sutton Courtenay
The Green
Sutton Courtenay
OX14 4AF

Suggested donation: £15

Programme

LOCI
‘Tout organisme est une mélodie qui se chante elle-même.’ (Maurice Merleau-Ponty)
Working together on this piece, the ‘places’ of the title are not set positions: we inhabit the same space for a while, a space which is resonant and elastic.

Dancer and Choreographer: Joëlle Pappas
Piano: Késia Decoté, Cello/Bandoneon: Bruno Guastalla

…

Traits

Dancer and Choreographer: Joëlle Pappas
Music and Soundscape: Bruno Guastalla
Dramaturgy adviser: Miranda Laurence

Traits explores the attitudes and behaviour of a complex character fervently looking for a sense of coherent identity. It draws inspiration from puppetry traditions from around the world. This piece was commissioned by Dancin’Oxford and the Pegasus Theatre for Moving With The Times, 2018.

…

Myths and Visions

Part I
Henry Cowell – The voice of Lir, for piano [tone clusters] (1920)
                             Aeolian Harp, for piano strings (1923)
The Banshee, for piano strings (1925)
John Cage – Bacchanale, for prepared piano (1940)
Part II
Sara Carvalho – inside silence, for prepared piano and toy piano (2012)
Marisa Rezende – Miragem [Mirage], for piano and mallets (2009)
John Cage – A flower, for voice and closed piano (1950)

Performer: Késia Decoté
Movement director: Joëlle Pappas

Myths and Visions was originally conceived as part of Késia Decoté’s doctoral research at Oxford Brookes University. It combines piano performance with dance, offering an alternate experience of a classical music recital.

‘Késia Decoté takes bold risks both with her choice of repertoire and by challenging the conventions of piano performance, and she emerges triumphant.’
– Colin May, music writer (Nightshift, Oxford Times)

 

image and poster by Bruno Guastalla

 

Anúncios

Fri 15 June – Vexations, in Orkney

Making the most of my visit to Orkney, I will be joining an epic performance of Satie’s Vexations, organised by my dear friend Gemma McGregor.

The performance will be at the second floor of Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, starting at 10:30am and lasting all day long. Audience is welcome to come and go as they wish.

Can’t be more thrilled to be part of this!

work by Barbara Hepworth at Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney.

Thurs 14 June – ‘A room of her own’ (piano & flute)

One of those times that music brings friendship, and friendship brings more music…

I met Gemma through the Illuminate Women’s Music Project, when we played piano and flute pieces by historical women composers, and I played two of Gemma’s pieces as well.

A dear friendship came so instantly, enveloped by a lovely musical affinity, that we decided to enjoy it more, so I will travelling up north to play a piano and flute recital with her on the 14th June in Orkney!

We will be playing pieces by Lili Boulanger, Louise Marie Simon, Edmundo Villani-Côrtes, Julius Eastman, Marisa Rezende, Sarah Westwood, Carol J. Jones and Gemma McGregor herself.

It will be at 7:30pm, at Stromness Town Hall, tickets to be purchased on the door.

 

Fri 08 June – Body & Music (‘Loci’ and ‘myths & visions’)

An evening of dance and music where I will be joined by dancer and choreographer Joëlle Pappas, musician and composer Bruno Guastalla and composer Sarah Westwood to bring you pieces inspired by puppetry, myths, visions, and cable cars.

I am so happy to open the evening a new trio piece especially devised for this show, with dear Joëlle and Bruno. I will also be performing my myths & visions (this can be your last chance to see this beloved beloved solo piano + dance show in central Oxford. Do come!)

More details of the programme are below, including Joëlle and Bruno’s beautiful duo, and Sarah’s enchanting solo.

This show is promoted by CARU | Contemporary Arts ReSearch Unit and OCM, with support by SARU.

7pm (doors, 7:30 performance)

OVADA

The Warehouse
14A Osney Lane
Oxford
OX1 1NJ

Tickets £10 at Eventbrite

Programme

LOCI

‘Tout organisme est une mélodie qui se chante elle-même.’ (Maurice Merleau-Ponty)

Working together on this piece, the ‘places’ of the title are not set positions: we inhabit the same space for a while, a space which is resonant and elastic.

Piano: Késia Decoté

Dancer and Choreographer: Joëlle Pappas

Music and Soundscape: Bruno Guastalla

…

Cable Veins 2016

piano + electronics

Composer and performer: Sarah Westwood

Cable Veins was conceived after two moments: 1) watching a dancer/non-pianist playing across a piano before one of our rehearsals at Centre national de la danse, and 2) whilst taking a cable car ride. What struck me in both instances was the amount of movement seen verses the sounds heard; both the dancer and the whirring cogs of the machine making sound yet producing a more intricate movement. This was a quality I wanted to investigate, to create a ‘pianistic cog’ gesture, which in turn would create the sound. All in a meditative state.

…

Traits

Dancer and Choreographer: Joëlle Pappas

Music and Soundscape: Bruno Guastalla

Dramaturgy adviser: Miranda Laurence

Traits explores the attitudes and behaviour of a complex character fervently looking for a sense of coherent identity. It draws inspiration from puppetry traditions from around the world. This piece was commissioned by Dancin’Oxford and the Pegasus Theatre for Moving With The Times, 2018.

…

Myths and Visions

Part I: Myths

Henry Cowell – The voice of Lir, for piano [tone clusters] (1920)

Aeolian Harp, for piano strings (1923)

The Banshee, for piano strings (1925)

John Cage – Bacchanale, for prepared piano (1940)

Part II: Visions

Sara Carvalho – inside silence, for prepared piano and toy piano (2012)

Marisa Rezende – Miragem [Mirage], for piano and mallets (2009)

John Cage – A flower, for voice and closed piano (1950)

Performer: Késia Decoté

Movement director: Joëlle Pappas

Myths and Visions was originally conceived as part of Késia Decoté’s doctoral research at Oxford Brookes University. It combines piano performance with dance, offering an alternate experience of a classical music recital.

‘Késia Decoté takes bold risks both with her choice of repertoire and by challenging the conventions of piano performance, and she emerges triumphant.’

– Colin May, music writer (Nightshift, Oxford Times)

 

Sun 03 June – ‘Candles’ – piano recital at Music at The Limes

In Candles – piano music by 20th and 21st century composers, I present a programme pairing works by masters of the 20th century – Schoenberg and Ruth Crawford-Seeger – with talents of the 21st century based in the UK – Michael Taplin, Yfat Soul Zisso, Angela Elizabeth Slater, Max Gibson and Maja Palser – wrapping up with music by Brazilian composer Marisa Rezende (who, in my view, offers a unique transition between those worlds).

This is new recital programme for me, which I have been discussing in collaboration with composers Michael Taplin and Yfat Soul Zisso. We have been caring to shed a light on beautiful works of unjustly underrepresented composers, such as Ruth Crawford-Seeger (who was such a pioneer in her time), and  Marisa Rezende (who is an icon in Brazilian Contemporary Music but still not largely performed in the UK). Also, of course we want to promote the works of these amazingly talented young composers, as well as curating a as much gender-balanced programme as we can.

The title of the recital borrows from a new piece that Michael is writing for me, and translates what I feel when I play this repertoire – these works come like little brief sparkles, ethereal little things, very delicate, volatile, yet vital and exquisite…

This recital is the beginning of a journey, which will culminate in a series of concerts in London, Oxford and Cardiff next Autumn. Make a note in your diary!

This recital is presented within the Music at the Limes Series, with donations collected in benefit of Exuberant-Trust for the support of young artists in Oxfordshire.

Sunday 03 June 2018

7pm

The Pavilion at The Limes

Standlake, Oxfordshire OX29 7RH

Free entry (donations – preferably gift-aided)

 

Programme

PART I

– A. Schoenberg (1874-1951) – 1. Light, tender [from Six little piano pieces Op. 19, 1911]

– Angela Elizabeth Slater (1989) – Night Mirrors (2017)

– A. Schoenberg – 2. Slow

                                3. Very slow [from Six little piano pieces Op. 19]

– Yfat Soul Zisso (1987) – Recollection, for toy piano (2015)

– A. Schoenberg – 4. Quick but light

                                5. Somewhat quick [from Six little piano pieces Op. 19]

– Max Gibson (1992) – times when… all there is… (2017)

– A. Schoenberg – 6. Very slow [from Six little piano pieces Op. 19]

 

PART II

– Ruth Crawford-Seeger (1901-1953) – 6. Andante Mystico

8. Leggiero

[from Four Preludes for Piano, 1927-28]

– Maja Palser (1984) – a cry (2015)

– Michael Taplin (1991) – Wax Candles (2018) [in six sections] *pre-premiere

– Marisa Rezende (1944) – Miragem [Mirage] (2009)

 

 

Tue 15 May – Concert with Oxford Improvisers (special guest Marcio Mattos)

I am very happy to be part of the next Oxford Improvisers’ concert at The Loft Room @ The Old Fire Station. These bimonthly performances are always a feast of creativity and good free music, frequently featuring great musicians from the improvisation scene across the world, alongside our brilliant Oxford Improvisers’ musicians.

This month, our special guest is Marcio Mattos: born in Rio de Janeiro in 1946 double bass ‘cello performer Marcio Mattos has, since coming to Europe in 1970 has performed, recorded and broadcast in Britain and abroad. Mattos has performed with a host of improvisers including Evan Parker, Derek Bailey’s Company, Marilyn Crispell, Dewey Redman, Georg Graewe, Chris Burn, John Butcher, Phil Minton, Martin Blume, Eddie Prévost and many more. He also trained as a Ceramic artist at Goldsmiths college and continues to make and exhibit work in clay.

This concert will be a special occasion for me, marking a special moment in my story in Oxford, and being part of the Oxford Improviser’s ‘family’.

Hope seeing you there to share this moment with us!

 7:45 – 10pm

Arts at the Old Fire Station
40 George Street
Oxford
OX1 2AQ

Tickets : £9 / £6 

 

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Thurs 19 April – myths & visions at Pegasus Theatre

I am so happy to be performing myths & visions – a piano (& body) performance again! It has been nearly an year when I had this project – which as a dream – coming true, and receiving such a warm response from all who were there with me!

myths & visions combine solo piano performance and dance, offering an alternative experience of a classical music recital. I will be playing works by Henry Cowell, John Cage, Sara Carvalho and Marisa Rezende.

This performance is part of Oxford Brookes OutBurst Festival, in an evening specially curated by CARU [Contemporary Arts ReSearch Unit], making a double bill with the theatre play John Cage and Teeny Duchamp play chess in front of a Live Audience [Readymade Theatre – Austin Sherlaw-Johnson and Stavroula Kounadea].

Hope seeing you there!

Pegasus Theatre

Magdalene Road, OX4 1RE

Oxford, UK

Tickets £2.50/£1, online and on the door

7pm

Credit of Késia’s photo: Stu Allsopp

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