Taking place in Venice between 16th to 29th October, the 67th edition of the International Festival of Contemporary Music of La Biennale di Venezia is primed to deliver two weeks of sonic inspiration through an array of performances from the likes of Autechre, Kali Malone, Loraine James and Robert Henke.
Directed by Italian composer Lucia Ronchetti, the festival programme is dedicated to digital sound, presenting a spectrum of stylistic trends and innovative creative research on the international music scene. Spanning installation, performance and online forms, including world premieres commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia and co-productions with leading international festivals including Germany’s CTM Festival, Austria’s Ars Electronica Festival and Dutch organisation Sonic Acts.
‘Micro-Music‘ is the festival theme and is aimed to evoke music generated by means of microphone receiving devices and to explore the microscopic nature of sound, highlighting the beauty and complexity of digital sound and of the new compositional possibilities it offers.
UK-based production duo Autechre are set to perform a rare live set, whilst Brian Eno will explore sound microscopes at the Teatro La Fenice with his album ‘Ships‘. Featuring the Baltic Sea Philharmonic conducted by Kristjan Järvi, together with actor Peter Serafinowicz, guitarist and long-term collaborator Leo Abrahams, and software designer Peter Chilvers. Brian Eno will also be present on stage, interacting with the orchestral atmospheres diffused and processed for the theatre’s particular acoustic space.
American composer Kali Malone is set to perform a world exclusive with her new ensemble ‘Trinity Form‘, composed specifically for San Pietro di Castello. The composition consists of the church’s pipe organ played by organist Kali Malone along with her collaborators Lucy Railton on cello and Stephen O’Malley on bowed acoustic guitar.
Meanwhile, for those looking for something more heavy hitting – Nero’s Night features Loraine James, Kode9 and Nero Sound System taking reins of the rave continuum. Loraine James will perform a live performance built around the use of laptop, voice and MIDI controller. Closing the evening is Hyperdub boss Kode9 primed to explore jungle, drum and bass, grime and dubstep.
