River Symphony

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

River Symphony is a musical composition and installation developed with SymbioticLab and MONOM Studio. It listens to the endangered, darkening waters of North Karelia, tracing the shifting ecosystem of the Anninkoski river. Using sensor technology, hydrophones, and spatial sound, the flow and data of the Anninkoski river are translated into a living soundscape where the river itself becomes a co-composer. At its core, the work retells the proto-mythical story of Aino from the Kalevala, a woman who transforms into the fish, Vellamo, reinterpreting her not as a tragic figure but as an embodiment of transformation and ecological resilience. The project brings these ancient myths into dialogue with post-extractivist landscapes and ecological collapse, asking what forms of empowerment and renewal can still emerge from them. Working with Professor Maari Kallberg, the composition draws on ancient Karelian healing spells and the trochaic tetrameter of runo-singing to build a five-act libretto. The performance reinterprets ancestral forms through advanced spatial sound technology, combining the kantele and electronic sounds within a 36-speaker setup. Performed in complete darkness, the audience is enveloped in sound with no fixed point of origin, immersed in a living hydrological world. An accompanying installation extends this connection. Sensors in the Anninkoski river transmit real-time ecological data that modulate the soundscape, allowing the music to breathe and change with the river itself. At the centre stands a metallic bowl inspired by the mythic Sampo, filled with darkened water that vibrates in sync with the music; an echo of the river’s pulse. The live premiere will take place at the Spatial Festival at Funkhaus Berlin in September 2025, with a binaural recording completed at MONOM Studio. The installation will open at m47 in Leipzig in September 2026.