Traditional Asian Instruments and Electronics (TRAIECT) is a project by the Hannover Society for New Music. It involves composers from various backgrounds creating new music for Asian instruments and electronics. In this fourth edition, the focus is on Vietnam, featuring a duo of the Dan Bau, a Vietnamese monochord, and singing in the A Dao tradition.
The Dan Bau is a widely used instrument played on a single string with various tonal modulations. A Dao singing is a complex art form, often formed with a closed mouth.
TRAIECT also represents a unique approach to collaborative work. In an initial workshop in April 2023, composers and instrumentalists came together to lay the groundwork for the compositions. Understanding each other, learning about their respective contexts (traditional Vietnamese vs. new Western music), and integrating the instruments into their traditions were central to this meeting. Only after this workshop did the composition process begin, with a focus on exchange and the involvement of instrumentalists in creating the pieces.
Vietnam’s rich cultural diversity, with over fifty different ethnicities and numerous musical traditions, is highlighted in this TRAIECT. The chosen musicians for this project, NGÔ Trà My and VŨ Thị Thùy Linh, represent two of them. They are renowned as unique artists in Vietnam and have represented the country at events such as the World Expo 2022 in Dubai.
For the seven composers from Colombia, England, Italy, Germany, Iran, and Vietnam, along with the Dan Bau instrument and A Dao singing, electronics play a crucial role. Electronics are not seen as mere effects but as independent partners. They provide additional possibilities for combination, confrontation, supplementation, and transformation. This unique collaboration and close cooperation result in new works that are not mere reproductions of tradition but are outcomes of this special encounter from each composer’s perspective.
sample&hold #6: TRAIECT IV – Vietnam
Wednesday, 29.11.2023 | Doors 19:30 CET | Starts 20:00 CET
Akademie der Künste | Hanseatenweg 10 | 10557 Berlin
