The Black Hall will resound with the works of maestro Elżbieta Sikora, a composer directly related to the history of the Musica Electronica Nova festival – until 2017 she was its artistic director. The common denominator of the works Lisboa, tramway 28 and Happy Valenciennes is the saxophone instrumentation, which during the concert in combination with tape and live electronics will become even more intriguing.
“Lisboa, tramway 28 was created after my trip to Lisbon in search of the traces of the writer Fernando Pessõa. This four-movement composition for saxophone(s) and tape is a sound journey in which distant, unreal sounds of the city appear juxtaposed with a closer, more real, because coming from the stage, playing of the soloist. In the work composed in 2019, authentic street sounds of a vibrant city can be heard, such as the sounds of a tram, people on the streets or those coming from the Brasiliera cafe. The work is also a continuation of the artist’s formal explorations initiated in 1990 in her Suites.
Happy Valenciennes for saxophones, tape and live electronics had its world premiere in November 2012. The composition was commissioned by the French Art Zoyd Studios. Its title indicates a connection with a city located in the north of France, in the region of Hauts-de-France – Valenciennes. The work, which lasts almost an hour, will be performed by young musicians belonging to the saxophone classes of the Karol Szymanowski State Secondary Music School and the Ryszard Bukowski Music School of the 1st and 2nd degree in Wrocław. They will be led by the acclaimed saxophonist from Wrocław, Władysław Kosendiak, and Maciej Michaluk will be responsible for the electronics.