This spring I am curating and hosting Whiteness and Sound Studies, a series of online talks by artists and scholars exploring whiteness, racialisation and coloniality in sonic theory and practice. The series is co-hosted by the Centre for Experimental Practices at the University of Huddersfield and University of the Arts, Helsinki.


Resource list





φρούτα ονείρων · dream fruit is a new artistic research project I launched for Xarkis Festival in Cyprus. This edition of the festival took place in the village of Kornos, just 15 km from my mother and my grandmother’s village of Mathiati. The performance involved shelling 30kg of fresh black-eyed peas, a performative script-reading, a four-channel sound installation, various chance events and the eating of beans with lemon and olive oil. 

I am slowly making an extensive document that shares moments of the residency and performance but also extends some of the themes and reflections of the work. For now, here are some impressions. 




Clockwise from left, pictures 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 14 are by Louiza Vradi and 9 and 15 are by Skevi Laou. The rest are by me or other participants in the performance. Pictured in imaged 5 and 8 are Mr. Kostis and Mrs. Toulla, the producers of the louvi. Their voices can be heard in the installation audio.





Μουσικός Περίπατος στη Βάβλα / Musical Promenade in Vavla took place in the mountainous village of Vavla in the Larnaka district of Cyprus. I co-produced and co-curated this festival with other community members, and also performed songs of Asia Minor and the Aegean islands with Veronika Aloneftou and Elena Xyda.

The event included seven acts performing in traditional houses, courtyards and stone-paved streets of the village, followed by a DJ set in the centre of the village, with various homemade local products on sale. It also involved an art exhibition by local painter Paskalis Anastasi, whose painting “Vavla Village, Morning Light” is featured in the poster and brochure.  

The event was held under the auspices of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture as part of the 2023 Cultural Decentralisation Program, with additional support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.




Graphic design by Popi Pissouriou
Photos by Panayiotis Mina





Video of Appalachian ballad ‘Pretty Saro’ at Sage Gateshead artist residency:







Sage Gateshead residency announcement








From 2020-2021 I was the performance doula for this project at Momentum Theatre in Odense, Denmark. Among the many things that emerged from this project was this durational, open form, installation-performance called På Jorden (On Earth).

Team: Monia Sander (director), Marius Ursu, Louisa Yaa Aisin, Alaa Abdol-Hamid, Ylva Maia Havndrup (performers), Line Dahler Eriksen, Nanna Katrine Hansen, Samara Sallam (research team), Charlotte von Magius Gross (permagardener), Cæcilie Tørnsø (scenographer), Eliza Bozek, Stephen McEvoy (sound artists), Flora Brandt (light artist),  Linda Lamignan (costume designer).










Album release performance at Fengaros Reacts online festival, November 2021


Photos by Paris Christophi





Video for ‘Almonds for the Present Moment’ from my album Abundance, featuring a special votive candle released with the album, made in collaboration with Vasiliki Riala and Savvas Avraam. Video by Giorgos Sylianou. 






In July 2021, Phil, Lucy and I had a wonderful conversation about music and rivers and mourning and plants and S bahns and practice and duration and materiality and prayer and bells (++++++) and Phil turned it into this gorgeous poetic meander for his show on NTS radio. Have a listen below. 






In May I recorded a new song called ‘Don’t Lament in Sorrow’ with Marios Takoushis and Giorgos Stylianou, for Marios’ youtube channel Warehouse Diaries. This is the first release of some new marterial that will be emerging slowly. The lyrics can be found in the description.






Bist du bei mir from my album Abundance on the The Wire’s radio show on resonance fm, presented by Shane Woolman.





A little series of home movies made in and around the village of Vavla, in Cyprus.  














A version of the 18th century German aria Bist du bei mir that Fred Thomas and I made together is out on vol 4 of Nonclassical's Outside the Lines compilation series. Here is a short text I wrote about the release:

This little song was copied by Anna Magdalena Bach into her musical notebook, sometime around 1725. The song used to be attributed to J.S. Bach, but actually it is probably by the composer Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel.
It is one of many songs and arias in the notebook that take death as their subject in a manner that expresses the Lutheran concern with the spiritual practice of ars moriendi, the art of dying.

When Lefteris, Andreas, Fred and I gathered to record my album Abundance, I hadn’t decided to put this song on it. But, being an album of ritual, transition, celebration and devotion, it made perfect sense when Fred suggested it.

The song is about leaving this world with confident assurance of salvation in Christ. It begins, "If you are with me, I will go joyfully / To my death and to my rest."

Since the time of recording, I have learned a deeper lesson about the importance of ars moriendi, of practicing a relation to death, of preparing to greet death with a radiant and devotional gratitude for living.

I feel that music is at its deepest level of sedimentation a devotional practice, a spiritual practice, and I've always been struck by the devotional power of this song. The absolute foreverness of those words.
As with all acts of making, this version grew from many seeds. One of them is a birthday present I made for Fred many years ago, a layered recording made in my bedroom with the melody of the song woven into lines from Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet.
It was an afterthought, and we recorded it last, and it will appear last on the album, as it does here in this compilation. It is a final song, but not a song of ends. It is a song that passes into the other side of repetition.
Bist du bei mir was recorded and mixed by Andreas Trachonitis at Studio eleven63, with additional recording by Alex Harker.








My piece “The Resurrection” is out on with UK label nonclassical, on volume 4 of their lockdown compliation series. 100% of the revenue from sales go straight to the artists.
https://nonclassical.bandcamp.com/album/i-hope-this-finds-you-well-in-these-strange-times-vol-4  







From July - September 2020 I had the great pleasure of serving as musical director (although I prefer the term ‘performance doula’) for Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Sky in a Room, which took place in the stunning church of San Carlo al Lazzaretto in Milan. Having been transformed by this piece when I played in it myself three years ago, it was a profound joy to be able to facilitate its rebirth into the world with a wonderful new group of performers.

Performers: Serena Erba, Kleva Metolli, Alessandra Bordiga, Zhou Fang, Yukiko Aragaki, Fausto Caricato and Francesco Leineri
Lilja Gunnarsdóttir, studio manager for Ragnar Kjartansson
Barbara Roncari, production manager
Produced by  Fondazione Nicola Trussardi
Curated by Massimiliano Gioni

https://www.fondazionenicolatrussardi.com/en/mostre/the-sky-in-a-room-2/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/arts/design/ragnar-kjartansson-milan.html


Performer: Serena Erba





Arïanna: Liefde Zonder Grenzen
A production by Podium Mozaïek and World Opera Lab

Director: Miranda Lakerveld Composition: Aspasia Nasopoulou, Kaveh Vares, Haytham Safia  Singers: Aylin Sezer, Sinan Vural, Shwan Sulaiman, Sophie Fetokaki, Youmni Abou al Zahab  Dancers: Nyanga Weder, Vanessa Felter Haytham Safia Musicians: Haytham Safia (ud), Wim Dijkstra (organ), Tara Kumar (cello), Osama Mileegi (percussie), Vincent Martig (klarinet) en Emmy Storms (viool)  Set: Makers Unite  Video: Amjad Hashem, Gandy Mansour, Jaap Dankert Boventiteling: Mattias Konecny, Kavita Huizing and Rozemarijn Tiben (libretto translation) Light: Bart van den Heuvel  Costumes: Jantine Kraaijeveld Make-up: Carol Zaraï Korver, Armine Vardanyan Assistant director: Anne-Lieke Terpstra, Yousef Al-Kabra Coaching Afro-Surinamese song: Black Harmony Producer: Jasper Berben 

https://www.podiummozaiek.nl/arianna#over-de-voorstelling









The Resurrection
for the eavesdropping end-of-season playlist

Holy week on Thassos, an island just south of the Eastern Macedonian mainland. Since congregating is forbidden, religious services are held behind closed doors, delivered by the priest and two cantors and amplified via megaphone speakers mounted on the outer walls of the church.

On Good Friday, the bells perform an exquisite work of durational performance art, pealing out the three tones of a minor triad, one tone every four seconds, for six hours.

On Easter Sunday, a shortened version of the liturgy, roughly one hour long, resounds throughout the village.

On Monday, I go to the hills.







Performance at eavesdropping concert series, curated by Juliet Fraser
Oxford House, London
January 24th, 2020


photos by Nayari Cepeda



Live recordings by John Croft and Chiaro





Poems for the Fire was a joint commission from  Departure Duo, for which Haukur Þór Harðarson made the music and I made the text. 
January 2020
 







BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF INTIMACY
An album of music by Frank Denyer on which I had the honour of singing with  Juliet Fraser (voice) and Jos Zwaanenberg & Carlos Anez (flutes) in Two Female Singers and Two Flutes (2013). Out on Another Timbre, Nov 2019







LUNCH / HÁDEGISVERÐUR

Devised during the ‘Northern Creation’ Residency of the Northern Network for Performing Arts
Tjarnarbíó, Reykjavík
October 25th, 2019
with Erlend Auestad Danielsen (NO), Anni-Kristiina Juuso (Sápmi), Mari Keski-Korsu (FIN), Emma Langmoen (NO), Júlía Mogensen (IS) Riikka Vuorenmaa (FIN) and Jacob Zimmer (CAN / WHITEHORSE)
More information:  northernperformingart.com/projects/



Photos and trailer by Christoffer Collina






Fengaros Music Festival
Solo performance of traditional and original songs
August 2nd, 2019
Kato Drys, Cyprus







Hringflautan / Circleflute
collaboration with Þráinn Hjálmarsson, Brynjar Sigurðarson and Veronika Sedlmair
with Björg Brjánsdóttir,  Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, Steinunn Vala Pálsdóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir
October 25th, 2018
www.cycle.is

Click here for full documentation







αἰ αί / æ æ / ay ay — a few pieces about words, and other things that fall apart

September 21st, 2018
Perdu, Amsterdam, Netherlands
https://perdu.nl/en/archief/avonden/r/seizoensopener18/








SONG CYCLES
Koilani, Cyprus
August 13th - 19th 2018

Click here for full documentation.



Photo by Emma Louise Charalambous  





Singing folk songs at Feggaros Music Village, Kato Drys
June 21st 2018


Photos: Andreas Christofides
Featuring: Giorgos Kalogirou, laouto and Charis Ioannou, saxophone 





Performing “Uncle Falling” with Anne Carson, Robert Currie, James Merry and others
Mengi, Reykjavik, Iceland
July 2018







Reading Emily Dickinson 
Mengi, Reykjavik, Iceland
July 2018


Photo by Steinn Þorkelsson





Singing some Greek folk songs at a release of books by Anne Carson and Ragnar Helgi Ólafsson
Einar Jónsson Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland 
June 28th 2018


        





Meta/morphē
created with  María Arnardóttir
Click here for full documentation.









QUAD
Samuel Beckett
April - May 2018 (series of performances in locations around Huddersfield, created with David Pocknee)
November 2018 (Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival)

For full documentation click here.


Photo by Sam Gillies


video filmed by Lynette Quek





DAYS OF SILENCE
by  Haukur Þór Harðarson
with Ensemble Caput, recorded live at Norræna húsið, Reykjavík, Iceland on February 18th, 2018
http://nordichouse.is/event/1515-tonleikasyrpan-tonskaldin-ungu/
soprano







THE SKY IN A ROOM
art work by Ragnar Kjartansson
commissioned by Artes Mundi
February - March 2018
https://inews.co.uk/culture/arts/ragnar-kjartannson-sky-room-national-museum-wales-review-moments-hypnotic-transcendence/
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/feb/02/ragnar-kjartanssons-five-week-marathon-of-music-the-sky-in-a-room-review


photo by Gareth Phillips

Video on Vimeo: 



Ragnar Kjartansson
The Sky in a Room, 2018
Performer, organ and the song "Il Cielo in una Stanza" by Gino Paoli (1960)
Commissioned by Artes Mundi for the National Museum in Cardiff
Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik

Recorded during the performance at the National Museum in Cardiff 3. February - 11. March 2018, performance by Sophie Fetokaki and Sam Roberts.





THE LOINPRES, OR HOW TO SURRENDER YOUR WILL AND YET TO WRITE
December 2017
Perdu, Amsterdam, NL
https://www.perdu.nl/en/archief/sophie-fetokaki/r/poezie-en-mystiek/








ReFeRe
radioplay/electronicopera/installation by Thomas Myrmel
The Warp at Kunstkapel. Amsterdam, NL
October 2017
www.rabotnik.dds.nl/thewarp/wordpress/day-ii-in-retrospect/












SVIOLONCELLO
September 2017
Amsterdam Fringe Festival, NL
made and performed with Brice Catherin and Robin Jousson 
http://amsterdamfringefestival.nl/programma/svioloncello/







Duet for two poets
August 2017
with Mia You
Modernism Today Conference
2017 meeting of the Modernist Studies Association
Sexyland, Amsterdam and an apartment in Larnaka, Cyprus







άκ02: SONOROUS BODIES
August 2017
voice, vibraphone and diffusion 
Thkio Ppalies
Nicosia, Cyprus 
www.thkioppalies.org/Sonorous-Bodies










IMPROVISATION on το γιασεμί / the jasmine tree
recorded in the church of παναγία γαλακτοτροφούσα / the nursing madonna 
August, 2017
Mathiatis, Cyrpus
with Brice Catherin







RA…PATSIA…OU…
opera by Andys Skordis
October, 2016
Dancehouse Lefkosia
Kypria Festival, Cyprus


with  Elli Aloneftou
Photo: Silvio Rusmigo





HARNESS
September, 2016
Oostblok Theater 
Amsterdam Fringe Festival, NL
Knot Applicable
members: Vera Goetzee, Dasinya Sommer, Mei-yi Lee, Sophie Fetokaki
music: John Cage Ryoanji (1983-83)
http://amsterdamfringefestival.nl/en/programma/harness/
Review in Theaterkrant (Dutch): www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/harness/knot-applicable/
English translation: knotapplicable.wordpress.com/press-2/




photos by Kasper Vogelzang





LUCI SERENE E CHIARE with ENSEMBLE HIMEROS
September,  2016 
Utrecht Early Music Festival, NL


photo by Kasper Vogelzang
more photos here
performers: Vera Goetzee, Emilio Aguilar, Marie Théoleyre, David Mackor,  Andrés LocatelliLucía Caihuel,  Sophia Patsi,  Bram Trouwborst,  Miron Andres, Mariano Boglioli  





DUET FOR TWO POETS
for two poets in two different locations, and audience
Mia You performing with Jane Lewty (absent)
DoorKruising June, 2016
Dokzaal, Amsterdam
photo by Kasper Vogelzang








THEATRE OF THE WORLD 
opera by Louis Andriessen
with the Dutch National Opera, conductor Reinbert de Leeuw director Pierre Audi
L.A. Walt Disney Concert Hall, May 2016  (with L.A. Philharmonic)
Amsterdam Carré Theatre, June 2016  (with Asko|Schönberg)


May 2016, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles



June 2016, Royal Theatre Carré, Amsterdam 
with Leigh Melrose, Ingeborg Bröcheler and Charlotte Houberg





DoorKruising, January 2016
Zaal100
Amsterdam
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