Nov. 21, 2023 / AASSM Concert Hall 8:00 pm
E-MEX Ensemble
What’s next!
Program
Zeynep Su Telatar
Deformation Retracts (2023)*
for flute, bass clarinet, violin and violoncello
(Bilgi University – Istanbul)
Yehong Gao
Die Erschütterung (2023)**
for flute, violin, violoncello and piano
(Robert Schumann Hochschule – Düsseldorf)
Ozan Özgüç
Gliss (2023)*
for flute, clarinets, violin, violoncello and piano
(Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University – Istanbul)
Tamara Miller
Crevasse (2023)**
for bass flute, bass clarinet, violin, violoncello, prepared piano and tape
(Hochschule für Musik und Tanz – Köln)
Toykan Efe Kahraman
There (2023)*
for flutes, clarinets, violin, violoncello and piano
(Yaşar University – Izmir)
Jonas Otte
Toxic memory (2023)*
for flute, clarinet, violin and violoncello
(Hochschule für Künste – Bremen)
*) World Premiere
**) First performance in Türkiye
Program Notes
Zeynep Su Telatar
Deformation Retracts (2023)*
Deformation Retracts is a piece that engages with the concept of retracting a musical space into a subspace of itself. Throughout the piece, the process of retraction is realized by preserving strands of pitch sets from an all-partition array and mapping these onto the compressing/expanding spatial image within the composition.
Yehong Gao
Die Erschütterung (2023)**
Based off the poem “I love this land” by the Chinese poet Ai Qing, I created a piece of music entitled Die Erschütterung. In this work, I consciously integrated the emotions which are expressed in the text. I was also inspired by Tagore’s famous quote: “The world kisses me in pain, and I respond with a song”. The movement of the earthquake is used as the foundation for the music, and clearly expresses the violence and suffering associated with it. Elements from Qing’s poem such as “with a hoarse throat”, “the wind shakes furiously” and “the river rolls angrily”, among others, were used to translate the feeling of an earthquake into the work.
With Die Erschütterung, I intend to raise environmental awareness about the seriousness of an earthquake disaster. The composition reflects a deep solidarity between humanity and our planet. It also illustrates compassion for those affected by such a natural disaster. The impressions of the earthquake are conveyed through musical elements, and make the audience feel the severity as well as the anguish of the earthquake.
The work is not only intended to raise people’s awareness of the Earth, but also aims be a source of strength and hope after such a natural disaster.
Ozan Özgüç
Gliss (2023)*
Gliss is a composition designed to capture the acoustic and psychoacoustic phenomena that come to life when a second sound smoothly transitions from unison to a perfect fifth while the first sound maintains a constant pitch. Throughout the composition, the constant “D” serves as both the anchor and the catalyst for the sonic metamorphosis that unfolds. As the interval expands, the accented “D” and the “glissando” guide the transformation through various pitch intervals.
Tamara Miller
Crevasse (2023)**
A sound taken out of context, memorized or recorded … stored. The starting point of the filtering of the filtering of the filtering of the filtering. The filter filtering the filter filtering the filter. A sound that goes through several stages of selection and transformation… Reduction, subtraction, addition, expansion, transcription, simplification, spectral analysis… In the end, what are we left with? What is that sound in the end? Is it a depiction of something that was real? Is it the interpretation of…? Does it change anything if I tell you that right now ice is melting under the sea somewhere in the world?
Toykan Efe Kahraman
There (2023)*
There, exists a delicate and intertwining sound schema that suggests a fragile and nuanced sensory and gestural language. The composition features a framework of dramaturgy characterized by a continuous succession of memorial textures and gestures. The composition has a framework of “memory based dramaturgy”, characterized by a continuous sequence of monumental textures and manifested by successive/repeated gestural types and timbral features. The combination of these infected moments reveals the dramaturgy of the music.
E-MEX Ensemble
Evelin Degen-flute, Robert Beck-clarinet, Kalina Kolarova-violin,
Burkart Zeller-cello, Martin von der Heydt– piano,
Christoph Maria Wagner-conductor
The internationally renowned E-MEX Ensemble was founded in 1999 as a chamber ensemble dedicated to exploring the vivid tapestry of new music. One of the core ideas behind the ensemble is to establish close working relationships with composers in order to showcase the full spectrum of new music today with numerous premieres of commissioned works. The ensemble’s extensive repertoire also includes many new music classics of the early and mid-20thcentury. E-MEX also curates its own concert series and outreach programs for a diverse range of audiences. Recent projects have drawn inspiration by seeking out innovative collaborations with jazz musicians, sound and video artists, dancers, and actors. By bringing together music from distinct time periods and totally different styles, these transdisciplinary projects not only invite us to reimagine and transcend traditional concert formats but have also introduced the ensemble to ever new and enthusiastic audiences. The ensemble’s collaborations with radio networks such as SWR, WDR and DLF have been documented in many CD productions. Numerous collaborations, projects, and concert tours have taken the ensemble across Europe, South America, and the US as well as Asia on a regular basis.
Christoph Maria Wagner
Christoph Maria Wagner studied composition, conducting and piano at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where he has also taught since 1995. At present, his catalogue contains more than fifty compositions including several large-scale works for a wide range of genres and ensembles. His works have been heard at festivals such as the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Acht Brücken Köln, the Internationale Orgelfestwochen Nürnberg, Gergiev Festival Rotterdam and the Internationale Bodenseefestival. As a soloist, he has given several performances of his piano concerto with various orchestras, including a performance at the Gaudeamus Festival Amsterdam. In addition to piano music, music theater forms the other main part of his compositional output. In his stage works, he has a predilection for dramatic subjects and staging that flaunt operatic conventions and delight in the bizarre, which reached its culmination in the evening-long Zombie spectacle Night of the Living Dead based on Romero’s legendary horror film.
In 2006, he recorded a Super Audio CD of his piano works, which the prestigious music Journal Le Monde de la Musique awarded its highest rating of 4 stars. For the concert season 2013/2014, he was the Composer in residence for Hagen. Wagner’s compositions have been regularly featured on Deutschlandfunk. He has been invited to give guest lectures and master classes at the University of New Mexico and CODARTS Rotterdam.
As a conductor, he has worked with Helmut Lachenmann, Mauricio Kagel, Klaus Huber, Nicolaus A. Huber, Martin Matalon, Ingo Metzmacher as well as groups such as Ensemble Modern and the Jungen Deutschen Philharmonie. He was featured as a guest conductor with the Opera Cologne, the Kölner Schauspielhaus, the WDR Rundfunkorchester, the Bochumer Symphoniker, the oh Ton Ensemble Oldenburg and the Doelen Ensemble Rotterdam. Christoph Maria Wagner was the choral director, vocal coach and assistant to Steven Sloane for the celebrated production of Zimmermann’s Soldaten at the Ruhrtriennale 2006 and 2007 as well as the Lincoln Center Festival 2008 in New York. As the E-MEX Ensemble’s principal conductor, he can now look back on many years of fruitful collaboration, which in addition to frequent world premiers has also included numerous performances of many classics of the avant-garde.
Zeynep Su Telatar
(Bilgi University – İstanbul)
Born in 2000, in İstanbul. Graduated high school in 2018, at İstanbul Enka Schools. Does works in the fields of contemporary classical and electronic music composition. Continues her undergraduate studies at İstanbul Bilgi University’s music department.
Yehong Gao
(Robert Schumann Hochschule – Düsseldorf)
Yehong Gao, born and raised in Shaoxing City/Zhejiang Province, PR China in 1996. Studied Bachelor’s and Master’s composition in the class of Prof. Hanspeter Kyburz at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin from 2016 to 2022. Since 2022 she started her Konzertexamen studies with Prof. Oliver Schneller at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. In September 2019, she won the first prize at the International Competition of Composition for Chamber Opera with her composition “The Snowstorm”. In 2023, the orchestral work “A Supring Dream” was performed by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and her quartet “Die Erschütterung” was commissioned by E-MEX Ensemble for New Music Days İzmir. With the composition “Erbe, Gedächtnis” she received the “Yin Zhong Award”. In 2014, she won the second prize with the composition “Dreamland” at the Barbara Tiao Competition (USA). Her composition “Ze Shui Pai” for Erhu Solo (2019) was awarded the third prize at the competition of the 36th International Shanghai Spring Music Festival.
Ozan Özgüç
(Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi İstanbul Devlet Konservatuvarı)
Born in Bursa in the year 2000, he began his music education at the age of 12 when he gained admission to the violin department of Uludağ University State Conservatory. In 2015, under the guidance of Prof. Beril Çalgan at the same institution, he continued his musical education with the piano. He started studying composition with Mehmet Özkan at the age of 17. After graduating from high school as a student in Emre Elivar’s piano class, in 2019, he was admitted to the composition program at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He is currently pursuing his composition studies with Ahmet Altınel.
Tamara Miller
(Hochschule für Musik und Tanz – Köln)
Tamara Miller is a contemporary music composer from Chile, now based in Cologne, Germany. Her journey as a composer has been marked by a dedication to diverse instrumental conformations, electronic music, and engaging in collaborative and multi- or interdisciplinary projects.
She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Universidad de Chile, studying under Jorge Pepi-Alos, Miguel Letelier, and Rafael Diaz. Continuing her education, she pursued a Master’s degree in composition at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden, studying with Manos Tsangaris, Franz Martin Olbrisch, and Mark Andre. Continuing her pursuit for creative growth, Tamara is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in electronic composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, studying under the mentorship of Michael Beil. Her artistic interests and tendencies led her to take part of the Dresden group Acantun Kollektiv, and co-found the interdisciplinary collective LAR∀S.”
Toykan Efe Kahraman
(Yaşar University – İzmir)
Toykan Efe Kahraman (b.1999, Izmir, Turkey) is a composer based in
İzmir who focuses on treating sound as a single hybrid entity derived from the dialectical juxtaposition of elements, namely “rigidity – fluidity,” resulting from the combination of organism. This individual enjoys portraying sonorous narratives, and this inclination consistently transforms it’s behavior into a sonic experiment. Kahraman’s works have recently been performed in festivals such as International Young Composer’s Festival (Turkey), VIII.IMCNM Course Contrast Festival (Ukraine), Digitizmir (Turkey), Basklarinet Festijn (Netherlands), İzmir New Music Days (Turkey), Festival DME (Portugal), and KNM Contemporaries 2022 – Music in the Making. His music is featured by artists and ensembles such as Fie Schouten, Heni Hyunjung Kim, Diskant Ensemble, Ensemble Nostri Temporis, Ensemble Handwerk, Collective Lovemusic, Ensemble KNM – Berlin and Les Percussions de Strasbourg.
He attended various lessons, masterclass and courses with composers such as: Marco Stroppa, Raphaël Cendo, Oscar Bianchi, Helena Tulve, Vassos Nicolaou Anna Korsun, Samir Odeh-Tamimi, Valerio Sannicandro, Jaime Reis, among others. Kahraman started his composition studies with Mehmet Can Özer and currently continues his master’s studies with Füsun Köksal İncirlioğlu at Yaşar University.
Jonas Otte
(Hochschule für Künste – Bremen)
Jonas Otte (*2000) began his education in piano and composition in his hometown Chemnitz, Germany.
He completed his bachelor’s degree in composition at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen with Prof. Jörg Birkenkötter, who praised him as an “extremely accomplished and committed musician.”
He will begin his master’s studies with Prof. Gordon Kampe at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg in October 2023.
He achieved, among others, a 1st prize at the national competition “Jugend musiziert” (2012), a special prize at the “Lions Music Competition” (2013) and was a sponsorship prize winner of the national competition “Jugend komponiert” (2017).
Since 2021 he has been a scholarship holder of the “Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes”.In 2022, he received a five-week residency scholarship in collaboration with the Beethovenhaus in Bonn.
His electroacoustic piece “Ennui”, created in collaboration with Prof. Kilian Schwoon, was performed at the Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music as well as on the international stage in Bologna and Rome.
