Virtuoso Chances

Andreas Weixler & Se-Lien Chuang Electro Acoustic Portrait

Tues Feb 17 2015



Austrian Cultural Forum
11 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022

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Virtuoso Chances
The Austria-based artist duo Se-Lien Chuang & Andreas Weixler has specialized in audiovisual realtime processing with a special emphasis in contemporary instrumental composition and electroacoustic composition. The concert will include a variety of compositional work: electroacoustic multichannel music, art-video, minimal music, contemporary composition for acoustic instruments with electronics and improvisation within audiovisual live processing. The theme of the concert encompasses applications of algorithms and random operations within live performances of audiovisual interactivity as well as time-based music and media works of Andreas Weixler and Se-Lien Chuang. In an interplay of realtime processes and improvisation the computer acts as a musical instrument in the sense of machine musicianship. The performance of virtuoso chances addresses improvisation and composition, musical inspiration and digital concepts.


        Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
        Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
        Mike Frengel - electric guitar
        Se-Lien Chuang - composition, electronics, visuals, piano
        Andreas Weixler - composition, electronics



Program
video/audio documentation

Virtuoso Chances, Andreas Weixler & Se-Lien Chuang Electro Acoustic Portrait
Tues Feb 17 2015, Austrian Cultural Forum New York
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1
   
  
    Wetterleuchten - Virtuoso Chances - return home
(2013)
    video & multichannel interactive sound file player for instrumental gestures
    
            Andreas Weixler - composition
            Se-Lien Chuang - video

2
   

    Nowhereland (2014, premiere)
    for extended piano, bass clarinet, multichannel electroacoustics and live electronics

            Se-Lien Chuang - composition, extended piano, electronics
            Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
            Andreas Weixler - live electronic

3
   

       of which your soul was constituted (2011/15) in 6 movements/moods
      for violoncello, multichannel playback and live-electronics
    
            Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
            Se-Lien Chuang - composition, live electronics

4
   

       Impromptu for Yang-chin_Ocean Indian (2013)
       video & multichannel electroacoustic composition

            Se-Lien Chuang - composition, video

5
   

    Idem eadem pro quattuor (2014, premiere)
    minimal music

            Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
            Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
            Mike Frengel - electric guitar
            Se-Lien Chuang - piano
            Andreas Weixler - composition

6
   

    incidere (2014/15, premiere)
    e-guitar, multichannel electroacoustics & live electronics

            Mike Frengel - electric guitar
            Se-Lien Chuang - composition, electronics
            Andreas Weixler - live electronics


7
   

    Ashley Ave (2008)
    algorithmic composition for piano and SpectraSonic

            Se-Lien Chuang - piano
            Andreas Weixler - composition, electronics

8
    play audio mp3

    for Pi (2005)
    multichannel electroacoustic composition

            Andreas Weixler - composition

9   
   

    Momentum nyc (2015, premiere)
    all performer improvisation & interactive audiovisual

            Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
            Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
            Mike Frengel - electric guitar
            Se-Lien Chuang - concept, interactive visuals, piano
            Andreas Weixler - concept, live electronics

please enlarge to fullscreen and set to full 1080p HD resolution.



program notes

1
    Wetterleuchten - Virtuoso Chances - return home (2013)
    video & multichannel interactive sound file player for instrumental gestures
    
                Andreas Weixler - composition
                Se-Lien Chuang - video

On the Basis of a recording of an Austrian thunderstorm, recorded in Styria, Austria, an interactive sound file player for instrumental gestures creates sounds which reply to it by recordings of contemporary playing techniques of double bass, violoncello, cembalo and arco piano. The sounds are selected and composed and then spatialized on a multichannel system by virtuoso chances into a multichannel ambience music „Virtuoso Chances - return home“. The interactive sound file player and the music was created an NOVARS Manchester, UK. The video was recorded at Tressenstein in Styria, Austria and edited at Atelier Avant Austria.


2
    Nowhereland (2014, premiere)
    for extended piano, bass clarinet, multichannel electroacoustics and live electronics

                Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
                Se-Lien Chuang - composition, extended piano, live electronics

The recording sounds of the arco-piano are used as compositional material for the multichannel electroacoustics which serves as one of the layers appear in the electroacoustic sounding landscape.At the same time the acoustic instrumental sounds and the electroacoustic sounds will be feeded into the realtime audio processing for creating the another layer of the spatialised soundspace which at this concert will be quadrophonic positioned. Arco-piano is a special contemporary technique of performing the piano with hairs of bows which gives a very sophisticated sound of the piano. Se-Lien Chuang developed arco-piano technique to the artistic point, where she can control polyphonic sound of the bowed piano strings and their upcoming overtones.

3
    of which your soul was constituted (2011/15) in 6 movements/moods
    for violoncello, multichannel playback and live-electronics
    
                Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
                Se-Lien Chuang - composition, live electronics

The rencounter with people and the arts vivify much lingering indentations which impair the strength of the attitute and enframe the images, of which the soul was constituted. The individual privileged playing techniques are inherent in each performer. At the staging with the spatial infill of the natural acoustic feeds and the artificial electronic/electroacoustic surrounds the appearances of the subjective impression of the composer and the objective expression of the player squire the audience to a voyage of the longed for poetic and quaint scenery. The electronic/electroacoustic sounds are transformed from the recording of the cello sounds. The Transformation is treated by using PitchShift to granulate the audio input. The same way and the FFT SpectralDelay are also applied to the live-electronics.

4    
    Impromptu for Yang-chin_Ocean Indian (2013)
    video & multichannel electroacoustic composition

                    Se-Lien Chuang - composition, video

The composition makes use of the digital transformation of the instrumental sounds originating from a recorded Yang-chin improvisation, complemented by the sounds of the clarinets and a prepared piano. With respect to the multichannel spatialization and the compositional aesthetics within an electroacoustic and acousmatic connotation I use the stereo grouping positioned in a circular arranged loudspeaker for the static impact on the one hand, and the migration of the sounds taking place between the loudspeakers dynamically assembles the circle on the other hand. The piece was realized during a composer in residence in NOVARS Research Centre for Electroacoustic Composition, Performance and Sound-Art, The University of Manchester, UK in July, 2013. The imagery scenes were captured during the stays in Australien and the video was realized at Atelier Avant Austria. Yang-chin (also Yangqin) is a traditional Chinese instrument, which looks like a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer. The playing technique of the Yang-chin is alike the hammered dulcimer, although Yang-chin sounds softer and much caressing.

5
    Idem eadem pro quattuor (2014, premiere)
    minimal music

                Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
                Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
                Mike Frengel - electric guitar
                Se-Lien Chuang - piano
                Andreas Weixler - composition

The piece is part of a series of minimal music for changing instrumentation starting 1990, which has been performed by Klangforum Wien, Züricher Ensemble für Neue Musik among many others and released on CD by the percussion ensemble Dama Dama. Idem consist of fractions of two whole tone series, which are shifted by a half tone. Each instrument is just repeating a few notes and the notes are traveling from one instrumental group to the other. The border between melody and accompaniment lies in the ear of the listener.


6
    incidere (2014/15, premiere)
    e-guitar, multichannel electroacoustics & live electronics

                Mike Frengel - electric guitar
                Se-Lien Chuang - composition, electronics
                Andreas Weixler - live electronics

The extended contemporary playing techniques are applied in this piece, e.g. the chords of the flageolets, using of the bottleneck slide, tapping, bending etc. The use of effect devices by the musician is optional, it depends on the availabilities and the accessibilities. The electroacoustic part has been composed of the transformation of the recording sounds of the Yang-chin by applying the Waves-Plugins of GTRStomp6. The aims are to achieve the homogenous embedment in the e-guitar natural sounds on the one hand, and there again to abet the sophisticated electric characteristics of this instrument. Also there will be an improvised part for the musician to forge links between the written notes and the unwritten traces.


7
    Ashley Ave (2008)
    algorithmic composition for piano and SpectraSonic

                Se-Lien Chuang - piano
                Andreas Weixler - composition, electronics

The algorithmic composition was written during a guest composer stay at the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the fall of 2008.
A wide-ranging chord is broken down into individually changing pulsations; the result is almost a permuted arpeggio that includes amazing musical results.
Realtime audio processing fulfills the idea of pulsation by creating repetition of certain frequency spread all over the concert hall.


8
    for Pi (2005)
    multichannel electroacoustic composition

                Andreas Weixler - composition

The piece is about an old theme of music, about expression and arousal of emotion and relief of tension, where words cease. Produced at the Electronic Studio of the Technical University Berlin, 2004/05. First premiere: UltraSchall Berlin, 2005, further international premieres. All sounds are created from the instrumental sound of percussion instruments (among these a huge plate in c#), a marimba and the sound of the sea at Croma /UK. Sound processing with GRM and Wave audio plugins and spatialistation by a dynamic sound file player, a program routine the composer created in Max msp for the algorithmic movements of the sounds.


9    
    Momentum nyc (2015, premiere)
    all performer improvisation & interactive audiovisual

                Marianne Gythfeldt - bass clarinet
                Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
                Mike Frengel - electric guitar
                Se-Lien Chuang - concept, interactive visuals, piano
                Andreas Weixler - concept, live electronics

Fragments of memories (produced both by human beings and by computer) generate a synthesis of sounds and visuals. The sounds of live instruments serve as interface in an audiovisually interactive concert that merges a contemporary instrumental sound and realtime computing in an amazing improvisation. While visual images and processes are being generated during the concert, a multi channel granular synthesis, spectral delays and virtuoso chances fit together minute tonal particles that make up the instrumental sounds into a constantly changing acoustic stream made up of different pitches, durations and positions in the electro-acoustic space. The musical and visual components interact and reciprocally influence each other in order to blend into a unique, synaesthetic, improvisational work of art.
musicians



Andreas Weixler
born 1963 in Graz, Austria, is a composer for contemporary instrumental composition, computer music with an special emphasis on audiovisual interactivity and interactive score. He is teaching currently as a associate university professor at Bruckner-University computer music, music and media technology and is a lecturer at InterfaceCulture of the University of Arts in Linz, Austria.
His education starts with contemporary composition at the University of Arts in Graz, Austria with Andrzej Dobrowolski, Younghi Pagh-Paan and diploma by Beat Furrer, and is completed by international projects, study stays and researches. His concepts led to concerts, performances and lectures in Europe, Asia, North and South America, selections for the International Computer Music Conference ICMC Perth/Ljubljana/Huddersfield/NYC/Belfast/Copenhagen, NIME New York, ISEA Nagoya, New York Electroacoustic Music Festival, Wien Modern, ars electronica festival Linz, JSEM Tokyo, Experimental Intermedia, New York, Salzburger Festspiele, Ultraschall Festival für Neue Musik Berlin, Sonorities Festival, Belfast, European Electroacoustic Music Brussels, Sumida Triphony Hall Tokio, National Theater Concert Hall Taipeh, Seoul International Computermusic Festival, Computermusic Festival Montreal among many others. Andreas Weixler founded intermedia concert series like Sonic Intermedia (ars electronic center Linz) and is running Atelier Avant Austria together with Se-Lien Chuang.
http://avant.mur.at


Se-Lien Chuang
composer, pianist and media artist, 1965 born in Taiwan, since 1991 residence in Austria.
The artistic emphasis ranges from contemporary instrumental composition/improvisation, computer music, electronic sound processing up to audiovisual interactivity.
Studies in composition (Beat Furrer), music and media technology (Karlheinz Essl), piano/recorder, electroacoustic music in Austria.
International production, research stays and lectures as well as numerous representation of compositions in Europe, Asia, North- and South America: Salzburger Festspiele, Wien Modern, Ultraschall Festival Berlin, ICMC Athen/Perth/Ljubljana/Huddersfield/NYC/Belfast/Copenhagen, SICMF Seoul, NYCEMF, NIME New York, ISEA Singapore/Nagoya, IAMAS Japan, Ars Electronica Linz, SONORITIES Festival Belfast, among others.
http://avant.mur.at/chuang

https://www.youtube.com/user/SonicIntermedia/videos


musicians

Mike Frengel  - electric guitar
born Mountain View, CA, 1972, graduated with a B.A. in electroacoustic music from San Jose State University in 1995, where he studied music composition with Allen Strange and Dan Wyman. He spent another three years in the San Francisco Bay Area working at Apple Computers Inc. as well as remaining affiliated with the C.R.E.A.M. Studios at SJSU as a Research Scientist. Mike completed his M.A. in electroacoustic music composition at the Bregman Studios at Dartmouth College in 1999, where he studied with Jon Appleton, Charles Dodge, Larry Polansky, and Christian Wolff. He completed his Ph.D. at City University, London, where he studied composition with Denis Smalley. Mike was a prize-winner in the 2000 Luigi Russolo Composition Competition. His works have been included on the Sonic Circuits VII, ICMC’95, CDCM Vol.26, 2000 Luigi Russolo and ICMC 2009 compact discs and are performed at music events around the world. Mike is currently on the faculty of the music departments at Northeastern University and Boston Conservatory, where he teaches courses in music technology and composition.
http://www.mikefrengel.com


Marianne Gythfeldt - clarinets
has distinguished herself in chamber music and contemporary music performance on the international stage.  She is equally at-home in traditional, contemporary and alternative genres as clarinetist of Zephyros Winds, Consortium Ardesia, Collide-O-scope, SEM Ensemble, and former member of the Naumburg award-winning group New Millennium Ensemble. Marianne is especially recognized in the fields of electro acoustic music, contemporary chamber music and performance education. She was recently appointed Assistant Professor of clarinet and woodwind coordinator at Brooklyn College Conservatory where she will continue her work as a leader in arts engagement, outreach and development. Ms. Gythfeldt spent eight years as clarinet and chamber music professor at the University of Delaware where she won the Delaware Division of the Arts established artist award. Ms. Gythfeldt has recorded with CBS Masterworks, CRI, Albany, Koch and Mode Records.
http://www.mariannegythfeldt.com


Andrew Borkowski - violoncello
Cellist Andrew Borkowski performs regularly as soloist/chamber musician and with orchestras throughout New York City, as well as the Western New York area. He appeared in the 2013 NYC ElectroAcoustic Music Festival, performing pieces for solo cello and electronics, and collaborated with some of today’s leading composers of electro-acoustic music.  An avid educator as well as performer, Andrew serves on faculty at the Eastern School of Music and Arts, and Sage Music at the LIC Music School, and also teaches at the annual summer festival, Chamber Music Institute, at the University of Maine. He has performed all over the world, including appearances in Beijing and Shanghai, China and also appears regularly with Manhattan Symphonie, among other orchestras, and has performed extensively in New York City’s premier concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher, Symphony Space, and Barge Music. He holds a B.A. in Cello Performance from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.A. in performance from the Copland School of Music at Queens College and does extensive work in teaching artistry and mentoring, including joining the roster of Associated Solo Artists Inc. in 2013, a non-profit teaching artist organization aimed at enhancing music education through high level performance and lecturing.
http://andrewborkowski.net