CONCERT | ReDDeeR FEATURING: ELISABETH HARNIK, DOMINIC LASH & FAY VICTOR
100% improvised music with a radical and vast dynamic range of expression coming from three strong and powerful musical voices in improvised music today.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
ReDDeer
Fay Victor, vocals
Elisabeth Harnik, piano
Dominic Lash, bass
ELISABETH HARNIK | Elisabeth Harnik, free-lance composer and pianist, was born 1970 in Graz and currently lives in Gams (County of Styria / Austria). She studied classical piano and later – with Beat Furrer – composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz. She started her artistic career both as interpreter of her own works as well as pianist in various areas of improvised music. The ‘repertoire’ and it´s extensions in composition and improvisation is her central focus. Harnik works within an electro-acoustic inspired sound-world, using unique preparations and extended techniques.
In addition to her work as composer, she appears as improvisator at various national and international festivals. Besides her solo performances, she is member of many ensembles for improvised music and has performed with numerous internationally respected musicians. She has toured in Europe, USA, China, Australia and her compositions have been performed regularly at concerts and festivals for contemporary music.
Performances include: Easterfestival Graz 2002, Hörfest Graz 2003/04/05, Styrian Chamber Music Festival 2003, Klangmühle Orth an der Donau 2005, Munich Opera Festival 2006, Mozart-Year Vienna 2006, Paul Hofhaimer Musiktage 2006, Composers’ Forum Mittersill 2008, Haydn Year 2009, Festival 4020 Linz 2009, Soundings Festival London 2010, Opera Graz, Musikprotokoll (Steirischer Herbst) 2011, E_May 2011/2012, Klangspuren Schwaz 2012, Transart Bozen 2012, Wien Modern 2012/2013 a.o. She has worked with renowned artists and ensembles such as Ensemble Zeitfluss Graz, RSO Vienna, Klangforum Vienna, Ensemble Reconsil Vienna, Ensemble PHACE Vienna, Ensemble “die reihe“ Vienna, Ensemble Kontrapunkte Vienna, Ensemble Platypus Vienna, Trio AMOS Vienna, Trio EIS Vienna, Haydn-Trio-Eisenstadt, Thürmchen Ensemble Cologne, Fidelio Trio London, Cantus Ensemble Zagreb, Ensemble mise-en New York and various national and international soloists.
Harnik has performed piano improvisations at V:NM Festival Graz, Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, Soundgrube Vienna, Artacts Festival St. Johann, Nickelsdorfer Konfrontationen, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Festival Offene Ohren Munich, Comprovise Festival Cologne, A L’ARME! Festival Berlin, Jazz & More Festival Sibiu, Alpenglow Festival London, Nuit d´Hiver Marseille, All Ears Festival Oslo, Musicacoustica Beijing, Umbrella Music Festival Chicago, SoundOut Festival Canberra/AUS a.o.
She received a great number of rewards and prizes, most recently she was Artist in Residence at the OMI International Arts Center New York and the eu-art-network international art symposia in Oslip/Austria. 2013 she was Composer in Residence at the IZZM/Internationales Zentrum für Zeitgenössische Musik in Ossiach/Austria.
>> http://www.elisabeth-harnik.at/
FAY VICTOR | In command, infectious, energetic and strong, Fay Victor hypnotizes audiences, whether she sings a blues, sculpts a free piece, reinvents a Herbie Nichols tune through her own lyrics, or effortlessly improvising over the harmonies of a jazz standard or her own material with lyrics that speak of universal themes in story-driven ways, running the full gamut of human emotion in an original mix of traditional song forms and free improvisation – or “FreeSong” – that has become Victor’s trademark approach to improvised vocal music.
The trademark not only applies to Victor’s own groups and original music but also to esteemed ensembles and band-leaders that have featured her unique vocal abilities, so unique in fact, that the ensembles Victor is now featured rarely, if ever, have vocalists in them. Other Dimensions in Music (ODIM), the perennial free jazz outfit going on 40 years of existence joined forces with Victor for 2012′s Silkheart Release, Kaiso Stories (which Victor also produced) that was lauded for its unique fusion of Calypso and free jazz as well as the original synthesis of Victor’s vocal approach with the groups’ dynamic range of expression. Victor has also been featured with the Misha Mengelberg/Han Bennink outfit the Instant Composer’s Pool Orkest, touring with the Dutch group in 2010 and appearing with them during their 3-day run in Philadelphia last year while on their US tour. Victor is one of the vocalists in Anthony Braxton’s Tr-Centric Orchestra, featured on Trillium E (New Braxton Records 2011) and the performance of Trillium J during the four-day Braxtonian Festival held in October 2011 at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY and Victor toured with the Dutch reedist Ab Baars celebrating 20 years with his trio. It was the first time the reedist had written material for voice and specifically for Victor.
Victor’s own projects, starting with the Fay Victor Ensemble, Victor’s flagship group now over eight years old has released two critically acclaimed recordings of all original music and are about to release the third in the Fall of 2013. The music is an expansive and cohesive mix of jazz, rock, blues, new music and free improvisation written by Victor and bass guitarist/collaborator Jochem van Dijk. The group’s last release, The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music 2009), was The Jazz Session’s Jason Crane TOP Pick for 2009. The record also placed 4th Place in the Jazz Vocal Category of the 2009 Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll and a spot on the 2009 best of lists in AllAboutJazz-New York, NPR and Popmatters.com amongst others. This recognition has gone on to get Victor listed on Downbeat Magazine’s Annual Jazz Critics Poll for the first time in 2010 (and again in 2011 and 2012); tremendous attention for an all-original program and an avant-garde vocal project. Absinthe & Vermouth (Greene Ave Music 2013) just out this past November has revealed the evolution of the group’s musical and theatrical personality even further.
DOMINIC LASH | Dominic Lash is a freely improvising double bassist, although his activities also range much more widely and include playing bass guitar and other instruments; both writing and performing composed music; and writing about music and various other subjects.
Born Cambridge, England, in January 1980; played bass guitar since 1994; studied with Hugh Boyd and Pascha Milner and at Basstech (London) with Rob Burns, Terry Gregory and others. Played double bass since 2001; basically self taught, with grateful thanks to Simon H. Fell. First class BA in English Literature from Oxford University (2002). Received MA Composition from Oxford Brookes University in 2003, having studied with Paul Whitty, Ray Lee and others. Received PhD from Brunel University in 2010, having studied the work of Derek Bailey, Helmut Lachenmann and JH Prynne and been supervised by Richard Barrett and John Croft.
He has performed with musicians such as Tony Conrad (in duo and quartet formations), Joe Morris (trio and quartet), Evan Parker (duo, quartet and large ensemble) and the late Steve Reid. His main projects include The Dominic Lash Quartet, The Set Ensemble (an experimental music group focused on the work of the Wandelweiser collective) and The Convergence Quartet.
Based in Bristol, Lash has performed in the UK, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and USA. For nearly a decade he was based in Oxford and played a central role in the activities of Oxford Improvisers; much of 2011 was spent living in Manhattan. In 2013 & 2014 he is taking part in Take Five, the professional development programme administered by Serious.
Festival appearances include Akbank Jazz Festival (Istanbul), Audiograft (Oxford), Freedom of the City (London), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Hurta Cordel (Madrid), Konfrontationen (Nickelsdorf), LMC Festival (London), Manchester Jazz Festival and Tampere Jazz Happening.
His work has been broadcast on a number of radio stations, including BBC Radios 1 and 3 and Germany’s SWR2, and released on labels including Another Timbre, b-boim, Bead, Cathnor, Clean Feed, Compost and Height, Emanem, Erstwhile, FMR, Foghorn, Leo and NoBusiness.
Since moving to Bristol he has been involved in organising concerts under the banners of Bang the Bore and Insignificant Variation. A new venture is the monthly series happening every second Wednesday at the Arnolfini entitled Several 2nds. Events include performances, workshops, film screenings and discussions.
>> http://dominiclash.blogspot.co.uk/
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