The experimental music festival Skaņu mežs invites kids and adolescents aged from 7 to 18 years to take part in performing works by Peter Ablinger and Sylwia Zytynska from 3 -7 October. The invitation is intended for participants who are studying or have studied music, as well as those who have no musical skills. Participants can either take part on all days or for a shorter period of time. Participation is free of charge.
Ablinger is one of the world’s most renowned composers of contemporary music and his collaborative partner Zytynska is a highly rated Polish percussionist and composer. In turn, last year, the British music magazine The Wire described Skaņu mežs as the “biggest avant-garde music festival in the Baltics”.
Zytynska and Ablinger will conduct workshops for adolescents and kids, who they will then involve in producing heir works in Riga. The works will be presented at a Skaņu mežs concert intended for kids and adolescents that will take place at 13:00 on 8 October at Hanzas perons, Hanzas Street 16A in a programme lasting about 45 minutes. The programme, which will be announced later will also include works by other foreign and Latvian musicians.
From time to time, Ablinger teaches composition at the Berlin Academy of Arts, while from 2012 to 2014 he was a lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, and has also served as guest conductor for prestigious ensembles including Klangforum Wien, United Berlin and Insel Musik Ensemble. Ablinger’s music has been performed by celebrated contemporary music performers and group including Irvine, Arditti, JACK Quartet, Quatuor Diotima and Wet Ink. Both Zytynska and Ablinger are experienced and original educators much respected by students.
Silvija Zytynska was born in Warsaw and learned to play piano, cello and percussion in Poland and Sweden. She plays both contemporary music and its free improvisation. She has taught students how to play percussion instruments at the City of Basel Music Academy since 1985, as well as being a member and co-founder of Zuhören Schweiz, an organisation dedicated to music education. For over 10 years, she has been one of the presenters of the radio programme Musik unserer Zeit on the Swiss station SRF2, where she joins colleagues in commenting on the latest contemporary music recordings.
DATES: 3 – 7 October
START TIMES (ON ALL DATES): 16:00-19:00 with the option to adjust the timing of the workshops to the participants’ needs
VENUE: Thirst for Knowledge Centre Futurimo Riga (Meža Street 1 k-6)
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BRING WITH THEM: a good mood and musical instruments if they have them. If they plan to bring instruments with them, please write to the e-mail address below and specify which instruments.
AGE OF PARTICIPANTS: 7 – 18 years
DURATION: maximum five, minimum – one day
The workshop will be conducted in English with Latvian translation if needs be.
Participation is free of charge!
Applications can be made in free form, by writing to the following e-mail address: simonakaupuza@gmail.com or calling: +371 27485473.
From 13 – 15 September, masterclasses will be conducted in Daugavpils, Riga and Liepaja by electronic musical and synthesiser maker Eric Synths representative Kodek. In turn, on 9 October a masterclass conducted by electronic musician and vocalist Evita Manji will take place in Riga. All the aforementioned events are intended for kids and adolescents. More detailed information will follow in future notifications.
LYRA receives grants in the amount of EUR 206,256.00 within the framework of the EEA Grants and Norway Grants funded by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. The project aims to introduce kids and teenagers to experimental music and to get them involved in its creation. As it is democratic and non-hierarchical in essence, experimental music gives trained and untrained kids the chance to take part in making music. Since the project crosses social and ethnic divides, it is also socially inclusive.
Total LYRA eligible costs: EUR 202,510.00, European Economic Area financial instrument programme Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Culture Cooperation support sum: 85% or EUR 85,000.00, of which:
European Economic Area financial instrument co-financing: 85% or EUR 175,317.60;
State Budget co-financing: 15% or EUR 30,938.40.
