15 world premieres at Venice’s music biennale

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The programme for the 2021 Venice Music Biennale, one of the six Biennale di Venezia that showcase the best in contemporary Architecture, Art, Dance, Film, Music and Theatre, has been announced by Artistic Director Lucia Ronchetti. For her first Biennale as Artistic Director the Italian composer is presenting 15 world premieres over 10 days of performances across Venice under the heading of ‘Choruses.’

The festival will present three commissions of the Venice Music Biennale.  Marta Gentilucci, has been commissioned to write a work for four reciting voices and mixed choir. Another is a new composition for voices recorded in the Basilica di San Marco by the German sound-artist Christina Kubisch, in collaboration with the Cappella Marciana of the  Basilica di San Marco conducted by Marco Gemmani. The third commission is for a new work by the African-American composer George Lewis.  His new composition for the Neue Vocalsolisten and live electronics is dedicated to the legendary figure of the first philosopher of African origin, Anthony William Amo, who lived in the 18th century and was a professor at the universities of Halle and Jena.

Other world premieres being given during the Festival include Reconnaissance by Kaija Saariaho (commissioned  by the Accentus Choir); a new work of vocal dramaturgy by Sergej Newsky (commissioned by the Neue Vocalsolisten; a work by Israeli composer Sivan Eldar for the Accentus Choir and a new choral work by Francesco Filidei on a text by Nanni Balestrini commissioned by the SWR Vokalensembe.

Other important and representative works for choir and vocal ensemble are by renowned composers such as George Aperghis, David Lang, Sylvano Bussotti, Luca Francesconi, Samir Odeh-Tamimi, Morton Feldman, Arvo Pärt, Hans Abrahamsen and Valentin Silvestrov.