International Concert Series 2024-25, in collaboration with Illuminate Women’s Music
Thursday, 10th October 2024 Picture Gallery, Founder’s Building with Maja Horvat Violin Joseph Havlat Piano
EVENT PROGRAMME
Angela Elizabeth Slater (b. 1989) Dispersions in watercolour (UK premiere)
Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931) Dancer on a tight rope
Tonia Ko (b. 1988) Tribute (Axis II)
Estimated finish time: 9.15pm
There will be a short interval during this evening’s performance.
Please no flash photography or visual/audio recording throughout the event.
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Angela Elizabeth Slater (b. 1989) Dreams
PROGRAMME
NOTES
Angela Elizabeth Slater (b.1989)
Dispersions in watercolour
Dispersions in Watercolour explores ideas the ways that the colour of watercolourpaintsdissipatesacross acanvas.Whenyouinitiallymakea mark on acanvasthecolourisrich, before seeping away on the contours of the surface’s texture, creatingdelicatebranchesoffading colour.Itwaswiththisinmindthat Dispersions in watercolour was written.
Programme note by Angela Elizabeth Slater
Sofia Gubaidulina (b.1931)
Dancer on a tight rope
The title stems from a desire to break away from the confines of everyday life, inevitably associated with risk and danger. The desire to take flight, for the exhilaration of movement, of dance, of ecstatic virtuosity.
A person dancing on a tightrope is alsoametaphorforthisopposition: life as risk, and art as flight into another existence.
Inthispiecewhatinterestedmewas to create the circumstances for the playofcontrasts,wheretheprecise dance rhythm of the violin overcomes its inclusion in the eventfulcourseofthepianopart. Forexample,thisisachievedbythe deformation of this rhythm by playing on the strings of the piano withaglasstumbler;bythegradual transformationofthesetransparent harmonic sounds into aggressive fortissimoonthebassstringsbythe serrated bottom of the tumbler; by the menacing sound of this rhythm when it is performed by the pianist using metal thimbles and, finally –the main event in the form of the piecebythetransitionbythepianist fromstringstokeyboard.
All these events are overcome by theviolinistinanecstaticdancethat ascendsfinallytotheupperregister oftheinstrumenttotremolodouble harmonics; risk, overcoming, the flightoffantasy,art,dance.
Programme note by Sofia Gubaidulina
Tonia Ko (b.1988)
Tribute (Axis II)
Tribute (Axis II) explorestheconcept of horizontal motion across the surfaceofonestring,inspiredbythe elegance, simplicity, and “antivirtuosity” of Beethoven’s Violin SonataNo. 10,Op. 96. The distinctive opening trill of the first
movement isre-interpreted as an intensification of line – one that is bothamelodiclineandthephysical one of the string. From the outset, theborderblursbetweendistortion and pitch, especiallyas the violinist playsalongthevariousaxesofbow weight, bow speed, and sounding point. This idea is also prevalent in thepiano writing, whichmaximizes the sound world of the lowest two notes by activating harmonics and resonancesalongthestrings.
Angela Elizabeth Slater (b.1989) Dreams
Dreams follows a series of works I havewritteninspiredbypoetry,and notions of memory. For this piece I haveengagedwiththeworksofthe poetMaryOliverfromhercollection Dream Work, particularly drawing inspiration from her poem Dreams whichIhaveusedasthebasisforthe intentionality of the work and its architecturalstructure.
Maja Horvat communicates the spiritualpowerofmusicthroughher performances, offering joy and comfort which enable her audience members to develop their own unique and meaningful connection with the Arts. She explores the full range of magic and versatility of which the violin is capable through her work as a soloist, chamber musician and in collaboration with ensembles, orchestras and composersallovertheworld.While constantly exploring masterpieces of all eras, Maja’s true passion is giving contemporary works a good start in life and finding fresh resonance in lesser-known gems of 20th-centuryrepertoire.
Majagaveherdebutperformanceat Wigmore Hall in 2021 as first violinistoftheBromptonQuartet,of whichsheisafoundingmemberand withwhomshegivesfrequentworld premieres.TheywontheSt.Martinin-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition and have collaborated with record producer Andrew Keener and many currently active composer. Shehasperformedwith someoftheworld’smostprominent chamber musicians includingSir Andras Schiff,Tabea Zimmerman,
Christian Tetzlaff,Vladimir MendelssohnandDavidCohen.
In2019MajawasawardedtheRoyal Philharmonic Society’s Emily Anderson Prize for an outstanding violinist. She is a Tillett Debut Scheme Artist. She has performed asasoloistwithorchestrasincluding the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Mladi Solisti and the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra. She has appeared at festivals including theTartini Festival, StiftInternational Music Festival,ChamberJam DüsseldorfandFestival Ljubljana. Among other accolades, Maja has won theTemsigSlovenian National Competition and theInternational Tartini Competition; she was awarded the SpecialSzymanowskiPrize at the inaugural Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition. Maja is also an active orchestral member. She has performedas concertmaster oftheRoyal College of Music’s Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra, Fidelio Symphony Orchestra and the Echo Ensemble.She has played withSymphonisches Orchester der Jeunesse Leibnitz,Ljubljana International Orchestrathe Symphony Orchestra at the
ConservatoryofMusicandBalletin Ljubljana.
Joseph Havlat is a pianist and composer from Hobart, Australia, based in London. Working as a soloist and chamber musician for music very new, very old and some things in between, he has performed in major concert venues around the UK, Europe, America, Japan and Australia. Joseph is a leading interpreter of new music, having collaborated with such composers as Hans Abrahamsen, John Adams, Thomas Adès, Gerald Barry, Brett Dean, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Michael Finnissy and Thomas Larcher. As a chamber musician he has performed with William Bennett, James Ehnes, Steven Isserlis, Katalin Károlyi and JackLiebeck,alongsideregularduo partners Lotte Betts-Dean and CharlotteSaluste-Bridoux.Heisalso a member of the LSO percussion ensemble with whom he has releasedaCDontheLSOLivelabel, featuringthepremiererecordingof John Adams’ two-piano work ‘Roll OverBeethoven’.
DrAngelaElizabethSlater isaUKbased composer, whose compositional voice focuses on musically mapping aspects of the natural world into the fabric of music. Nominated for an Ivors Classical Award for her work Through the Fading Hour, hermusic
has been described as “intricate...and often ravishingly scored’ and making ‘deft and vivid use of instrumental colour” . Slater collaborates with performers, ensembles, and initiatives worldwide to musically explore sounds,colours,andtextures.
Her work The Louder the Birds Sing received its Dutch premiere by Residentie Orkest den Haag after being selected as the winner Gaudeamus’sorchestralcategory.
Slater’s recent creative projects include fellowships at the ModernMusicFestival,HongKongIntimacy of Creativity Festival, working with the Viano Quartet on Distorted Light; Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival,foracommissionof Where skies aflame;andCreativeDialogues Festival,fortheworldpremiereof a tulip, iron. She has previously held Composition Fellowships at Tanglewood Music Center, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal PhilharmonicSocietytonameafew and also been in Mendelssohn ScholarshipAward.
In2024-2025sheislookingforward to several exciting performances and commissions including performances of Kármán line for symphonyorchestra, Orbits edge for chamberensemble,and This is Jane minioperascenefor2sopranosand piano as part of her compositional fellowship at Aspen Music Festival.
Sheisalsoenjoyingworkingonher work Mountains become Oceans concerto for harp and percussion which is due to be premiered by Amarillo Symphony Orchestra with conductor George Jackson, harpist Rosanna Moore and percussionist Hannah Weaver on 28th February and1stMarch2025.
ILLUMINATE WOMEN’S
MUSIC
Illuminate wasestablishedin2017by Dr Angela Elizabeth Slater, a freelance composer and a strong advocate of women’s music both past and present. The classical music industry is notoriously unbalanced in its representation of women musicians. Despite some positivechangesin recent years,as well as announcements of new commissioning initiatives, there is stillalongwaytogobeforereaching more equal representation and sustained efforts are needed to makerealchange.
Illuminate aims to address gender inequality in the creative industries withafocusonsupportingemerging female musicians through commissioned concert opportunities and repeat performances of new works. Such opportunities are of vital importance to the creative development of emerging women composers and performers. Illuminate is giving women composers the space to be heard and celebrating the wonderful repertoire that has been written by women,bothinourowntimeandin thepast.
