Tzlil Meudcan 2015 | 18 – 23 July

Saturday, July 18th – Chelouche Gallery for Contemporary Art

20:30 Exhibition // Festival kick off
In parallel with the festival days, the Chelouche Gallery for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv will be hosting the exhibition – “Islands in the Stream” presenting in its 3 floor notorious eclectic architecture building works from Leif Inge (“9 Beet Stretch”), Johannes Kreidler (video works collection), Amnon Wolman – new work and an assembly of recent and past creations, Uli Fussenegger (remixes), Simon Steen Andersen (video works) and John Cage’s – “diary: How to improve the world (you will only make matters worse)”.
* kick off evening to include live performances of solo works by Karlheinz Stockhausen & Laurence Crane.

Monday, July 20th – Felicja Blumental Music Center

19:00 Meet the composers // …Lectio
A talk with composers Pierluigi Billone & Dmitri Kourliandsky

20:00 Opening concert – “Mania” // Ensemble asamisimasa (NO)
Simon Steen Andersen – rerendered for piano, 2 assitants & video (2003-04)
Simon Steen Andersen – Study for string isntruments number 3 for cellsit & video (2011)
Laurence Crane – John White in Berlin for egtr, perc, vlc & pno  (2003)
Bnaya Halperin Kaddari – Supercentenarians for egtr, perc & vlc  (2015) WP
Esaias Järnegard – Nagug for egtr, perc, vlc & pno  (2015) WP

21:30 Flute recital – Matteo Cesari (IT)
Franco Donatoni – Nidi for  piccolo (1992)
Pierluigi Billone – Staglio (Recta Lectio) for bass flute (2013) WP
Aureliano Cattaneo – Visible for piccolo (2002-03)
Dmitri Kourliandski – FL (Falsa Lectio) #2 for bass flute (2008)
Brian Ferneyhough – Superscriptio for piccolo (1981)

Tuesday, July 21st – Felicja Blumental Music Center


19:00 Talk // “Back to the 80’s”
The actions of individuals and their impact on the new music scene from the 80’s till today. A talk with double bass player Uli Fussenegger – founding member of Klangforum Wien & cellist Lucas Fels – founding member of Ensemble Recherche and currently cellist with the Arditti Quartet.

20:00 Concert // Fussenegger-Siewert (AT), Dubester-Weinstein (ISR)
Uli Fussenegger – San Theodoro 8 for sax, egtr, vlc, db & tape (2014)
Giacinto Scelsi – Mantram for doule bass (1987)
Adi Snir – Charasim for sax, egtr & db (2015) WP

21:30 Cello recital // Lucas Fels (DE)
Helmut Lachenmann  – Pression for cello (1969-70)
Hans Thomalla – Cello-Counterpart for cello (2006)
Yuval Shaked – Rhymodo for cello (1985)
Giacinto Scelsi – Triphon for cello (1956)

Wednesday, July 22nd – Felicja Blumental Music Center

19:00 Introduction // revolution with screws, bolts, plastic & rubber
Pianist, Antoine Francoise, invites audience on stage and “into” the piano, introducing public with the construction and preparations made at the later to be performed John cage classic – sonatas & interludes.

20:00 Piano recital // Antoine Francoise (CH)
John Cage – Sonatas & interludes (1946-48)

21:30 concert // Musica Nova Consort (IL)
Ian Power – BUOY (natandum novum) for ensemble (2015) WP
Avshalom Ariel – Bekhol Zot for ensemble (2015) WP
Sivan Eldar – Béla for ensemble (2015) WP
Yoni Niv – Deviations for ensemble (2015)

Thursday, July 23rd – Felicja Blumental Music Center


19:30 Aviv competition winner’s concert  // Saxophone recital – Amit Dubester (IL)
Karlheinz Stockhausen – In Freundschaft for soprano saxophone (1977)
Giacinto Scelsi – Tre Pezzi for soprano saxophone (1956)
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Knabenduett for saxophone duo (1980)

20:00 Concert // Nikel (IL)
Ian Power –  For Current resonance for perc & pno (2012/13)
Simon Steen Andersen – De Profundis for saxophone solo (2000)
Goni Peles – New piece for sax & perc (2015) WP
Giulia Lorusso – Here, beyond this place for sax, perc & pno (2015) WP
Elena Rykova – 101% mind uploading for 3 performers, pno, objects & perc (2015) WP

21:30 Closing event “Melancolia” // Ensemble Interface (DE)
Helmut Oehring – Melancolia I for fl & pno (2010-12)
Helmut Oehring – Leuchter for fl, vlc & pno (1994)
Julien Malaussena – interlaced (interrelated) for fl, vlc & pno (2015) WP
Adam Maor- New piece for fl, vlc & pno (2015) WP
Salvatore Sciarrino – Melancolia I for vlc & pno (1980-82)

Each year since the inception of the Tzlil Meudcan Festival for Contemporary Music, there has been a focus on an individual composer and the aesthetics presented within the compositions. The goal was to establish a series of concert programs around an individual compositional aesthetic, in an effort to present a possible analogue to current practices in contemporary music. At the same time, this approach served to introduce the local audience to works and composers of great significance whose names and music, which, for the most part, had been rarely – if at all – played in the region. Names like Helmut Lachenmann, Salvatore Sciarrino, Brian Ferneyhough, Chaya Czernowin, Georges Aperghis or Pierluigi Billone, were all featured composers in the festival’s previous years.
The summer of 2014 is still resonating within people of the region and accross the world, as well in the minds of the artists taking part in the 2014 Tzlil Meudcan edition. The sounds of war sirens envading the concert hall and the reality of men, women & children being held captive to death and destruction by horrific choices of leaders reminded us all how sadly insignificant can a singular opposing voice can be while the motor tanks are roaring.
Whether in a democracy or not, lt seems “a (different) voice” can maybe be heard but lt is unfortunately impotent. As so a personal choice to withdraw into an “island” of one’s own thoughts/actions might be favored while at the same time it enhances a given state of limbo, or actually deepen the stalemate of the status quo. And still, in the fields of art, a conscious choice of becoming an island, or voting for singularity while rejecting the common thinking is more often to succeed in having an impact – larger then the actual size of the singular voice –  for presenting alternatives to the institutions one has voted to swim opposite of or simply stand firm within its stream, offering original directions and hanging points for a new perception on the current.
As so, our edition devotes itself to “islands” where collection of known islands help us to exemplify individuality as a theme and therefore “individuality” is the “name” to be in focus. May the goals of diversity and pluralism lead us to an alternative away from the the conformism of the status-quo or not, being an “island” seems at the moment to be a worthy consideration. This quality of singularity was the one leading the artistic choices made in formulating the 2015 Tzlil Meudcan program presenting a matrix of connections between composers such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Giacinto Scelsi, Helmut Lachenmann, Pierluigi Billone, Simon Steen Andersen & Dmitri Kourliandski to name a few,  all offering their individuality as not only a creative source but as an inspiration to the singular person’s output in influencing its community by “introvert” actions that might stand in contrary or along the outspoken ones.
Continuing our summer academy platform, seven composers were chosen to take part – all to be presented with a new piece. They are: Giulia Larusso (IT), Bnaya Halperin Kaddari (ISR), Esaias Jarnegard (SE), Julien Malaussena (FR), Adi Snir (ISR), Elena Rykova (RU) Goni Peles (IS).
Also while festival days, the Chelouche Gallery for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv will be hosting the sound exhibition – “Islands in the Stream”, amplifying the festival theme with works by John Cage, Leif Inge, Uli Fussenegger, Johannes Kreidler, Simon Steen Andersen & Amnon Wolman
Guests performances on the bill will be: Ensemble asamisimasa, Matteo Cessari, Uli Fussenegger, Martin Siewert, Lucas Fels, Antoine Francoise, Musica Nova Consort, Amit Dubester, Ensemble Nikel & Ensemble Interface.