Juan Carlos Higuita, Violín
Music Production
Recording, Editing, and Mixing
Recorded
Executive Production
Textos
Copyediting
Cover
Graphic Design
Festival Mujeres en la Música Nueva
Luca Gardani
Bogotá,Colombia 2023
Klassic Cat | Bogotana Records
Melissa Vargas, Juan Carlos Higuita
Adriana Forero
Juan Carlos Higuita
Viviana Guachetá
Klassic Cat 2023 | Bogotana Records | All rights reserved.
Esta producción discográfica es uno de los resultados de la larga colaboración entre el Festival Mujeres en la Música Nueva [FMMN] y el destacado violinista colombiano Juan Carlos Higuita. Hace unos años, a partir del desarrollo de las clases magistrales sobre ‘técnica actual’ que llevamos a cabo junto al Ensamble CG (Colombia) en 2020, Higuita entró en contacto con nosotras, preguntando acerca de repertorio escrito por compositoras para violín solista o en formato de cámara. En medio de esa búsqueda, y conociendo el riguroso, serio y propositivo trabajo de este intérprete, decidimos lanzar una convocatoria internacional para reunir estas obras y ampliar nuestro conocimiento sobre la música para violín con y sin electrónica.
¡Con mucha alegría celebramos el haber recibido 89 obras de 72 compositoras de 30 países!
Como parte de la sexta versión del FMMN (agosto de 2023), se realizó el concierto con las obras seleccionadas y nos emociona que ahora hacen parte de la producción discográfica •revelaciones femeninas•. Ésta incluye música para violín en una multiplicidad de opciones: solista, con soporte fijo, amplificado, preparado, y con electrónica pregrabada, de las compositoras Gloria Mui Man Sze (Hong Kong), Jenny Hettne (Suecia), Linda Dusman (E.U.A.), Elisabeth Angot (Francia), Santa Bušs (Letonia), Ana Baquero (Colombia), y Molly Joyce (E.U.A.).
La importancia del compromiso de intérpretes con la música actual y, en el caso de Higuita, con las protagonistas locales, se refleja en esta publicación al incluir obras de las compositoras Mariana Villanueva (México) y Carolina Noguera (Colombia). Esto pone en relevancia la conversación que debe darse entre estas dos partes fundamentales de la música viva: compositoras e intérpretes. Sin este entrelazamiento constante sería muy difícil construir nuevos escenarios que inviten a descubrir las propuestas musicales actuales de las mujeres en el mundo y seguir cerrando la brecha de género en nuestro entorno.
Quisiera invitarles a escuchar más música de compositoras, la que siempre ha estado ahí y la que va naciendo de los tiempos actuales; a que disfruten y analicen sus propuestas; a que las incluyan en sus espacios de formación y de concierto. Les invito también a que permitan a las nuevas generaciones seguir contemplando un pasado, pero atravesado por reflexiones del presente que les estimule potenciar nuevos mundos, sin encerrarnos en radicalidades inútiles y nocivas para el bienestar de toda la comunidad. •revelaciones femeninas•, segunda publicación apoyada por el FMMN, es un ejemplo de ello: de cómo alguien dispuesto a escuchar y colaborar, puede revelarnos mundos de sonoridades desafiantes, meditativas, virtuosas y potentes.
MELISSA VARGAS.
Molly Joyce has been deemed one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new-music dome” by The Washington Post. Her work is concerned with disability as a creative source. Molly’s creative projects have been presented and commissioned by Carnegie Hall, TEDx Mid Atlantic, SXSW:EDU, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Bang on a Can Marathon, Danspace Project, Americans for the Arts, National Sawdust, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, National Gallery of Art, Classical NEXT, and in Pitchfork.
Lean Back and Release was written in the winter of 2013 in New York City and was first performed professionally on the 2014 Bang on a Can Marathon.
“Upon starting the work, I knew that I wanted to create a very gradual descent for the violin in range that drives the whole piece. I imagined the violinist gradually “leaning back” and finally “releasing” the distinct low register of the violin. Therefore, I also wrote two accompanying violin tracks in order to propel this descent. The two accompanying tracks were previously recorded by the violinist and subsequently processed electronically with delays and distortion. For more information, visit: www.mollyjoyce.com
Elisabeth Angot was born in Paris in 1988. After many years of piano studies, she started to study instrumental composition with Thierry Blondeau and electroacoustic composition with Christine Groult in the Conservatoire of Pantin. From 2013, she studied at the University of Arts in Berlin (UdK Berlin) and in Maura Lanza's and Elena Mendoza’s classes. In 2018 she graduated from the Master of Composition at the UdK with a masterthesis about Francesco Fildiei's first Oper "Spuren der Tradition in Francesco Filideis Giordano Bruno : Erneuerung der Gattung Oper von inner heraus".
Her work titled "Pieza para Violín Solo" explores microtonality, initially featuring recurring scales that culminate in a minimalist play leading to a climax towards the end of the piece.
For more information visit: www.elizabeth-angot.com
Verde azurro
Santa Bušs is a Latvian composer especially interested in the detailed pre-compositional process and, peculiarly, in working with extra-musical ideas (found in other disciplines of art, physiology, history, mythology, nature, architecture, medicine, sports, philosophy, etc.). Although her main focus and also form of expression has been linked with instrumental music, lately she has discovered a deep interest in voice and its possibilities. She is very keen to expand her approach towards sound and composition exploring different forms of collaboration. This includes not only exploring territories between conventional and unconventional notation and performance techniques, but also experimenting between the boundaries of music, theatre and opera, and focusing on the physical manipulation of instruments and the presence of musicians as a source of drama.
Her piece "Verde Azurro" explores new timbral possibilities of the violin in a highly original manner, transforming it into a completely new and different instrument.
Gloria Mui Man Sze is currently pursuing a Master of Music (MMus) degree at the University of Calgary, with a concentration in composition. She studied composition under the guidance of Prof. Laurie Radford and Prof. Allan Gordon Bell. Mui graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Honours) from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2022, majoring in violin and music composition under the guidance of Prof. Christopher J. Keyes, Dr. Camilo Mendez, Dr. Eugene Birman, Dr. Matthew W. Schreibeis, and Dr. Maria KALLIONPÄÄ.
According to Mui "Fiddle Twiddle is a piece composed for solo violin. The inspiration for this composition stems from the imminent arrival of the Chinese New Year (CNY). This year is markedly different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing us from celebrating outdoors. The work
is divided into three sections: The opening section invites us to imagine a world without COVID-19, where everyone eagerly anticipates the upcoming New Year festival. They are busy with pre-Chinese New Year preparations and activities. The middle section serves as the climax of the piece. It is characterized by its rapid tempo, describing the excited festive mood and joyful moments of every CNY, such as the lion dragon dance and fireworks. In the end, we return to the reality of this year, where we are confined to our homes for a long vacation, feeling a sense of loss."
Jenny Hettne is a Swedish composer of contemporary chamber, orchestra and electroacoustic music, focusing on the exploration of sound and timbre. Her composing often involves close and innovative collaborations with the musicians.
Jenny’s music, called ”a subtle sonorous poetry” and ”both surrealistic and groovy” is performed worldwide by ensembles such as Duo Harpverk (Iceland), Riot Ensemble (UK), New European Ensemble (The Netherlands), Busan Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra (South Korea), The Griffyn Ensemble (Australia), Gageego!, Norrbotten Neo, KammarensembleN and UmeDuo (Sweden). The composer explains: “’While she was dreaming’ was written for Swedish violinist Karin Hellqvist. Its fundament is a fragmented Swedish folk tune (polska) from Dalecarlia, the folklore region of Sweden where Karin was born and raised. Without having a background in folk music myself, I used it as a musical material, mixing the characteristic techniques and timbre of the polska with contemporary techniques and, for the electronic part, ring modulation. While she was dreaming was mainly written during dark winter days and nights while my daughter Ejla was asleep. The piece is dedicated to her.”
More information: www.jennyhettne.com
Ana Baquero, also known as La Musiclera, is a violinist pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Music at the National Pedagogical University, Colombia . Apart from her passion for music, she is a cycling fan and a lover of nature and gastronomy. Baquero seesusic as a subjective medium for expressing emotions and transcending boundaries. Through education, she applies and shares her developed knowledge to transcendeocultural context.
Her composition "Encuentro" stems from a compositional exploration where musical elements from her country come together with unusual violin sounds. It represents a blend of melodic and rhythmic components, drawing inspiration from the popular genre of the Colombian Caribbean region, the "porro." Baquero incorporates extended violin techniques and percussive alternations to introduce contrasting sound textures.
Linda Dusman’s compositions and sonic art explore the richness of contemporary life, from the personal to the political. Her work has been awarded by the International Alliance for Women in Music, Meet the Composer, the Swiss Women’s Music Forum, the American Composers Forum, the International Electroacoustic Music Festival of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Ucross Foundation, and the State of Maryland in 2004, 2006, and 2011 (in both the Music -Composition and the Visual Arts - Media categories).
According to the composer, “when violinist Airi Yoshioka asked me to compose a new solo violin work for her, I began to study the Paganini Caprices, monumental violin works that explore many nuances of expressive possibilities on the instrument. At the same time, my heart was breaking at the news of the worldwide immigrant crisis, especially for Syrian refugees, and especially for the children. Listening to an Arabic
lullaby, I discovered it used a similar mode to the 6th Paganini Caprice. Combining the two as a metaphor for peaceful and fruitful uniting of cultures became the gestalt of the work. As I worked to finish the piece in the spring and summer of 2018, the United States government was separating children from their families at the southern US border. I decided to fold in another lullaby, this time from the Andes. The focus of Dream Prayer Lullaby ultimately became three-fold: a dream of a peaceful integration of peoples as they are forced from one land to another, a prayer that this dream might be realized, and a lullaby to comfort the children who suffer and wait.”
For more information visit: www.lindadusman.com
“Carolina Noguera, a composer and educator with over twenty years of experience, currently serves as the Coordinator of the Composition Area at the Music Department of the Faculty of Arts of the Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia. She graduated from the Music Studies Program of the same institution and obtained her Master's and PhD in Composition from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in England, supported by scholarships from the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS) of the United Kingdom, the Banco de la República de Colombia, and Colfuturo.
"‘Revelaciones suspendidas para violín preparado’ is one of Noguera's ceremonial compositions, a chant with a bell-like resonance of a prepared violin, manipulated to evoke other sounds and modal melodies that connect it with ancient traditions. It was written for Juan Carlos Higuita in 2023 during a period of spiritual introspection for the composer."
Mariana Villanueva, born in Mexico City in 1964, approaches music as a deeply spiritual experience, drawing inspiration from a wide range of traditions spanning from pre-Gregorian chants to the works of composers like J.S. Bach, Manuel de Falla, and Julián Orbón. Her intimist approach takes dreamlike images and symbols.
"Villanueva completed her bachelor's and Master's degrees in Composition at Carnegie Mellon University under the guidance of Leonardo Balada. She has received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Guggenheim Fellowship (1999) and the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship (1995).
"Her music has been performed in various forums and cycles dedicated to contemporary music in Mexico, the United States, Europe, and Latin
America. Her compositions range from solo instrument scores and chamber groups to symphony orchestras. Additionally, she has collaborated with the Ballet del Teatro del Espacio and the Drama Department of Carnegie Mellon University.
"One of her notable compositions, 'Canto Obscuro' (1992), was written during her student years at Carnegie Mellon University under the guidance of violinist Monique Meade. However, it was Saul Bitrán, the first violinin of the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, who advised her week by week to write the piece. Thanks to Bitrán and his valuable collaboration “Canto Obscuro” speaks the language of the violin.
The initial inspiration for the composition came from a phrase of the composer, singer, and poet Patti Smith: 'never let go that fiery sadness called desire."
"An exceptional performer" (Blas Emilio Atehortúa).
In addition to being a renowned Colombian violinist and a Latin Grammy nominee, Juan Carlos Higuita holds a unique place in the musical world. He is a highly distinctive specialist: an instrumentalist who has bet everything on contemporary Latin American music.
Throughout his exceptional career, he has performed as a soloist with the most important orchestras in Colombia and as concertmaster or guest musician with Florilegium Musicum Wien, Orpheon Consort Wien, Orpheus Ensemble München, Tonkünstler Ensemble, City of London
Sinfonia, and others.
With academic excellence, he completed undergraduate studies in instrumental pedagogy at the University of Music in Vienna and both undergraduate and master's degrees in violin performance at the conservatory of the same city. He was a disciple of maestros Roswita Randacher, Jussuf Karajev, and Timon Hornig. Under the tutelage of maestro Richard Young, he received a master's degree in music with an emphasis in chamber music from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. His participation in masterclasses with great maestros such as Herman Krebbers, Gidon Kremer, and Zakhar Bron has enabled him to perform a diverse range of
genres with versatility.
His interest in chamber music has led him to participate in festivals such as the Donaueschinger Musiktage in Germany, the International Guitar Festival in Nürnberg, Die Lange Nacht der Musik in Vienna, the Early Music Festival in Gijón, the Cartagena International Music Festival, the Chicago Latino Music Festival, the Instrumenta Oaxaca Festival, and others.
For 9 years, he was the first violin of the Q-Arte Quartet and the "La Sociedad" ensemble. He currently teaches violin and chamber music at the National University of Colombia, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and the University of Los Andes. Additionally, he is a member of the Bogotá Piano Trio and the CG Ensemble. His discography includes more than 10 albums of various styles and trends to date.
"The new album by Colombian violinist, titled 8 mundos, confirms him as one of the greatest contemporary music performers in Colombia" (Irene Littfack - El Espectador)
"One of the most outstanding violinists in Latin America today. Possessing great technical skill, what stands out the most, however, is his charismatic musical personality" (Saúl BitránCuarteto Latinoamericano).
For more information visit: www.juancarloshiguita.com
Carlos Higuita
1. Lean Back and Release (composer: Molly Joyce)
2. Pièce pour Violon seul (composer: Elisabeth Angot)
3. Verde azurro (composer: Santa Bušs )
4. Fiddle Twiddle (composer:Gloria Mui Man Sze)
5. While she was dreaming (composer: Jenny Hettne )
6. Encuentro (composer: Ana Maria Baquero)
7. Dream Prayer Lullaby (composer: Linda Dusman)
8. Revelaciones Suspendidas (composer: Carolina Noguera)
9. Canto Obscuro (composer: Mariana Villanueva) 7:15 5:42 3:27 2:38 9:21 3:51 8:28 8:49 11:17
