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Sonic Explorations: Music Improvisation and Live Performances

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

I am applying for a one year working grant from the Kone Foundation to support my artistic research project titled "Sonic Explorations: A Journey through Improvisation and Live Performances." This project seeks to push the boundaries of musical creativity and engage audiences in unique, immersive live performances over the course of one year. This is an umbrella project, consisting of three works: Nature, Playing Cities and Neons II - Sound Textures. For every stage, I will dedicate time for experimenting and composing and then I will perform them in different venues. At its core, Sonic Explorations is driven by the idea that improvisation transcends traditional boundaries, creating a space where creativity and expression intertwine effortlessly. I will explore how improvisation not only creates an enchanting environment for communication and interaction but also bridges the gaps between art, nature, and the vibrant pulse of our cities. Nature Scores is an artistic collaboration with German composer Mareike Dobewall. We will work on the co-creation of an eco-conscious music performance based on “nature scores” (graphic scores). The aim is to create a music performance that highlights the beauty and resilience of nature while fostering environmental consciousness. Playing Cities is a work based on "city scores" that reflect spatial aspects of urban environments and their relationship with the environment. This pieces are electroacoustic, where I use my bandoneon as a controller to trigger live-electronics. Neons II - Sound Textures is a work that seeks to explore a rich blend of sonic elements, textures, and spatial experiences. It is a piece for bandoneon and electronics in three movements. The integration of sounds from nature, machines, cities, and the bandoneon can create a rich tapestry of auditory experiences.

They say a year is not a long time. But when you spend it listening, to forests, to cities, to machines, to breath, it expands and folds like sound in an empty room. With support from Kone Foundation, I composed and performed three interconnected works: Nature Scores, Playing Cities, and Neons II – Sound Textures. Each series of pieces stood alone, yet together they mapped an invisible terrain shaped by the bandoneon, movement, and listening.

Nature Scores, co-created with Mareike Dobewall, translated moss, wind, and roots into graphic scores and acoustic gestures. The works emerged from walking, observing, and responding, with performances in Helsinki, Kajaani, and Sweden. All recordings were completed at EMS Stockholm for a forthcoming album.

Playing Cities explored urban resonance: traffic rhythms, architectural echoes, and grid-like pulses. The bandoneon became an electronic trigger, blurring the line between body and system. It was performed at NYCEMF (New York), Oodi Library, KaeKuu Festival, Fiskars, and Sibelius Museum.

Neons II – Sound Textures brought it all together: organic textures, imagined machines, and sonic breath. It closed the cycle in Lithuania and Kuopio.

This year also saw the launch of www.extendedbandoneon.com, a living archive for those working at the acoustic-electronic edge.

The work carried me forward: I was accepted into the doctoral program in Artistic Research at Sibelius Academy. The journey continues.

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