Presentation - She Lives

PRESENTATION

SHE LIVES — the leading European musical association for promoting the dissemination of contemporary music, was created to promote the music of our time and free it from the tired and mechanical habit of defining it by approaching the noun “music” with the adjective “contemporary”: contemporaneity is not and cannot be a declination of musical language, but the condition in which we live in the present time.
Conceived by Fabiana Piersanti and founded together with Guido Barbieri and composer Alessio Elia, since 2012 the Association has organized events and collaborated in partnership with some of the most prestigious institutions in Europe: I Solisti del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, RAI Radio 3, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, University of Performing Arts Mannheim, Istituto Svizzero di Roma, Hungarian Academy in Rome, Filarmonica Romana, Isabella Scelsi Foundation, Reale Ambasciata di Norvegia, LAC – Lugano Arte e Cultura, Festival oggimusica, Yamaha Concert Hall Wien, Pro Helvetia, Contemporary Art Festival Budapest, UMZE – the historic ensemble founded by Béla Bartók, Chigiana Music Academy, BMC – Budapest Music Center, the recording labels Warner Classics and Naxos.

SHE LIVES wants to go beyond the academic perimeter of so-called contemporary classical music, tenaciously cultivating all possible resonances between the sound of our time and the sound objects produced by history. SHE LIVES therefore naturally opens its eyes to the authors and works that escape the conventional canons of contemporary language, and welcomes in its territory all the music and all the musicians who conquer the right to belong to the universe of contemporaneity.

This presentation video was made by the students from the Griffith Academy of Cinema and Television, in a completely voluntary way as a sign of appreciation and support for our activities. The students of the Academy were invited to participate by their director Vincenzo Ramaglia, who made them aware of the aims of the cultural project of SHE LIVES.

Our deep thanks go to the students of the Griffith Academy and to the sensitivity of their director.

SHE LIVES is a laboratory of ideas and a promoter of projects. An ideal place where musicians, poets, writers and artists elaborate their idea of contemporaneity and translate it into concrete proposals, encounters, new sounds, to be listened to in the only possible dimension: the live concert.

Among several events, the “SHE LIVES meets Hungary” festival, held in 2014, hosted the only concert in Italy to celebrate Peter Eötvös’ 70th anniversary, held in his extraordinary presence. In 2015 one of the concerts of the project “Non abbiamo pinato” (We have not cried), created to make music written in concentration camps dialoguing with the music of our times, was held in the Metro stations of Rome, which for the first time in its 60 years of history hosted a symphony orchestra.

The ideal partners of SHE LIVES are cultural institutions, foundations and companies that wish to establish a dialogue with the territory in which they operate, intercepting its cultural needs and inspired by the principle of corporate social responsibility.

ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES

15 June 2021

Among 247 scores submitted from 44 countries*, which makes the "Andrea Ceraso Rome Award" the first Italian composition competition in terms of participants, the jury, chaired by Sidney Corbett and composed of Alessio Elia and Vincenzo De Filippo, has decreed, at its unquestionable judgment, the following result:

1 PRIZE: Alfredo De Vecchis - The Waters of Monkey Island (ITALY) - average mark 8,8/10
(1000 € + performance)

2 PRIZE: David Roche - Prayers of Method (UK) - average mark 7,8/10
(500 € + performance)

3 PRIZE: Drinor Zymberi - Refracted lights (ALBANIA/KOSOVO) - average mark 7,7/10
(performance)

The three pieces will be performed during the Eufonia Cultural Association concert season 2021/2022 in Rome.

We congratulate the winners and thank all the composers who took part in the competition!

*The pieces received were from the following countries (in alphabetical order): Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Iran, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.

The Composition Competition ANDREA CERASO ROME AWARD is dedicated to the memory of the conductor Andrea Ceraso prematurely passed away in May 2020. Andrea was a reference figure in Italy and in Rome in the spread of the music of our time as well as the first artistic director of the She Lives Association and a backbone of the Eufonia Association. During his career he was conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Rome, and main conductor and founder of the Imago Sonora Ensemble, an instrumental group focused on contemporary music and the repertoire of the XX century. He has collaborated with the most important institutions in Rome: Nuova Consonanza, Filarmonica Romana, the National Academy of S. Cecilia and Auditorium Parco della Musica.

More info here

15 January 2021

Collaboration with Impronta Ensemble and Impronta Edition in the 2nd International Competition Impronta Ensemble.

31 October 2020

SHE LIVES BUDAPEST PRIZE – 1st edition

PRIZES

Prize pool: 3000 Euros

1. prize: 1000 Euros + professional studio recording* + portfolio (personal page of the composer) on the She Lives website.

Extra prize for the first place: additional 1000 Euros as Excellence prize if the average mark exceeds 9 points out of 10.

2. prize: 500 Euros + professional studio recording* + portfolio (personal page of the composer) on the She Lives website.

Extra prize for the second place: 300 Euros as Distinction prize if the average mark exceeds 8.5 points out of 10.

3. prize: professional studio recording* + portfolio (personal page of the composer) on the She Lives website.

Extra prize for the third place: 200 Euros as Recognition prize if the average mark exceeds the value of 8 points out of 10.

Additional prize: Free consultations for one year for max. two composers, offered by the composer Alessio Elia.

*The winning works will be recorded by the international acclaimed pianist Krisztina Fejes in the Budapest studios with the sound engineer Kálmán Melha of the Liszt Academy of Music and will be addressed to the major Italian and Hungarian radios specialized in art music (RAI Radio 3, Radio Vaticana, Radio Cemat, Bartók Radio, Radio Klassik). The recording will also be published on our YouTube channel and advertised on all our social platforms.

We received 145 works from 36 countries from the four corners of the world: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Korea, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, Hungary, and USA.

Among these works the jury, chaired by the composer László Tihanyi (HUNGARY) and made of the composer Alessio Elia (ITALY) and the pianist Krisztina Fejes (HUNGARY), has decreed, at its unquestionable judgment, the following result:

1st prize: DANIELE GASPARINI (1975) – ITALY with “Tres recuerdos del cielo”

2nd prize: JOÃO PEDRO OLIVEIRA (1959) – PORTUGAL / USA with “Mosaic”

3rd prize ex aequo: MICHAEL BARRETT (1987) – USA / GERMANY with “Listen to this alone”

3rd prize ex aequo: ANDRIUS MASLEKOVAS (1985) – LITHUANIA with “Splinters of Broken Silence”

One-year consultations: FANNY LIBERT (2000) – BELGIUM with “onaipos”

August 2019

Collaboration with Naxos for the CD SZYMANOWSKI, K.: Piano Works – Preludes, Op. 1 / Studies, Opp. 4 and 33 / Maski – Andrea Vivanet, piano

15 May 2019

Collaboration with Impronta Ensemble and Impronta Edition in the 1st International Competition Impronta Ensemble.
The participation of SHE LIVES consisted in the attribution of 2 scholarships of 200 Euro each for the composition master class of She Lives 2019

31 March 2019

UMZE, BMC – Budapest Music Center

Partnership with UMZE, the historic ensemble founded by Bartók, leader in Hungary in the performance of contemporary music.
31 March 2019
Budapest Music Center

UMZE Ensemble

László Tihanyi, conductor

Featuring: Francesco Dillon
Programme:
Ivan Fedele: Levante (2000) – Hungarian première
Luca Francesconi: Da Capo II. (2007) – Hungarian première
Alessio Elia: Ekpyrotic Suicide (2019) – World première
Tihanyi László: Kék örvény (2019) – World première

11 MAY 2018

Collaboration with Warner Classics and I Solisti del Teatro alla Scala di Milano for the realization of Octets, CD of Warner Classics with I Solisti della Scala conducted by Andrea Vitello.

Music by Stravinsky, Peter Eötvös, Alessio Elia, Albertas Navickas, Rita Ueda.

First recording by Milano Scala of the Stravinsky’s octet.

First world recording of the octets by Eötvös, Elia, Navickas, and Ueda.
Purchase it here (also single tracks).

20 OCTOBER 2017

Vienna, Yamaha Concert Hall

HUMAN MACHINE 3

Third date of the project HUMAN MACHINE in collaboration with Impronta ensemble, Yamaha Concert Hall and Pro Helvetia.

The project was premiered in the Swiss Festival for contemporary Music “Oggi Musica” in Lugano, in the date of February 16, 2017 at the new Auditorium LAC.
The following performances took place at the Budapest Music Center (BMC) within the CAFe Budapest (Contemporary Art Festival Budapest) on October 19, 2017 and at the Vienna Concert Hall Yamaha on October 20, 2017. Due to the unexpected death of Klaus Huber on October 2, 2017, we dedicated the concerts in Budapest and Vienna to his memory.

Music by György Ligeti, Conlon Nancarrow, Alessio Elia, Klaus Huber, Sándor Veress, Alfredo De Vecchis, Denis Schuler, Mateo Sepúlveda Ríos, Bernd Thewes.

19 OCTOBER 2017

Budapest, BMC – Budapest Music Center
HUMAN MACHINE 2
Second date of the project HUMAN MACHINE in collaboration with Impronta ensemble, Yamaha Concert Hall and Pro Helvetia.
The project was premiered in the Swiss Festival for contemporary Music “Oggi Musica” in Lugano, in the date of February 16, 2017 at the new Auditorium LAC.
The following performances took place at the Budapest Music Center (BMC) within the CAFe Budapest (Contemporary Art Festival Budapest) on October 19, 2017 and at the Vienna Concert Hall Yamaha on October 20, 2017. Due to the unexpected death of Klaus Huber on October 2, 2017, we dedicated the concerts in Budapest and Vienna to his memory.
Music by György Ligeti, Conlon Nancarrow, Alessio Elia, Klaus Huber, Sándor Veress, Alfredo De Vecchis, Denis Schuler, Mateo Sepúlveda Ríos.

16 FEBRUARY 2017

Lugano, LAC – Lugano Arte e Cultura Auditorium
HUMAN MACHINE 1
In collaboration with: Impronta Ensemble, LAC Auditorium (Lugano), Yamaha Concert Hall Wien, Budapest Music Center, Pro Helvetia.
One of the features of the late twentieth century music was the gradual mechanization of music, showing in a more and more explicit way the ouster of human components, such as the emotions or the oscillation of tempo and dynamics in the performances.
This has also affected the interpreters who were asked to turn their expressivity into a more precise and uniformed (even flattened) execution. Great example of this type of music are the studies for player piano by Conlon Nancarrow in which the human performer is replaced by a mechanical piano which hammers were driven by perforated rollers, or certain piano studies by Ligeti, designed for pianists in flesh and blood but with a strong mechanical component, works that often, given the impracticality of the performance, were entrusted to the execution of playerpiano or a disklavier.
The project “Human machine” aims to bring back music to the expressive dimension of the human being, to find in the “inaccuracy” of the human performance not an aspect of imprecision, but elegance, because beauty is made of asymmetries, little nuances that make things familiar to us.
Taking these ideas in mind we decided to do the reverse operation to “mechanize”, that is to “humanize” what, by its nature, is born mechanic. The central figure of the project is the disklavier, a mechanical piano driven by a midi controller.
We have developed a software, through which the disklavier sets its parameters in such a way to be in accordance with the human performance of the ensemble.
A machine becomes in that way a real component of the ensemble, and in this way it is easier for us to share a certain familiarity with it, understand it and love it because it closest to us.
In the concert program that we present here, we can find three particular situations:

the disklavier as a machine, not influenced by human parameters, performing alone.
(As in the piece: Piano Etude no. 14a by György Ligeti)

the disklavier “humanized”, as a member of the ensemble, (as in the piece by Sepúlveda Rios)

the disklavier “humanized”, as a member of the ensemble, prepared in the way to produce harmonic sounds with specific acoustic phenomena (as in the piece by Elia)

The choice of using the disklavier in an ensemble is due to the specificity of the instrument: play with speed impossible for the human performer, and a simultaneity of sounds not conceivable even through the use of more performers on the same instrument or more pianos.

The project on tour
The project was premiered in the Swiss Festival for contemporary Music “Oggi Musica” in Lugano, in the date of February 16, 2017 at the new Auditorium LAC.
The following performances took place at the Budapest Music Center (BMC) within the CAFe Budapest (Contemporary Art Festival Budapest) October 19, 2017 and at the Vienna Concert Hall Yamaha October 20, 2017. Due to the surprising death of Klaus Huber on October 2, 2017, we dedicated the concerts in Budapest and Vienna to his memory.
The sponsor of the tour were: Lugano Musica, Oggimusica, Yamaha, Pro Helvetia, CAFe Budapest, BMC.
The concert program
1. Mateo Sepúlveda Ríos: Le bruit des feuilles (2017) for ensemble and disklavier (premiere)
2. György Ligeti: Piano Etude no. 14a (1993) for disklavier
3. Conlon Nancarrow: Piano Study no. 21 (1961) for disklavier*
4. Klaus Huber: Sechs Miniaturen for clarinet, violin and cello (1963)
5. Denis Schuler: L’autre rivage (2017) for disklavier (premiere of the version for disklavier)
6. Bernd Thewes: Fibonacci-Gaillarde mit Paganini (2017) for violin and disklavier (premiere)
7. Sándor Veress: Sonata for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1931)
8. Alfredo De Vecchis: Prelude, Aria, Kanon (2015) for disklavier (premiere)
9. Alessio Elia: Traces from Nowhere (2017) for ensemble and disklavier (premiere)
*Midi elaboration Steffen Fahl
Concert dates
16 february 2017, 22:30, LAC Lugano (CH)
19 october 2017, 19:00, Budapest Music Center (BMC) in Budapest (HUN)
20 october 2017, 19:00, Yamaha Concert Hall Vienna (A)
Music by György Ligeti, Conlon Nancarrow, Alessio Elia, Klaus Huber, Sándor Veress, Alfredo De Vecchis, Denis Schuler, Mateo Sepúlveda Ríos.

9 JULY 2016

Siena, Teatro dei Rozzi
SHADOW PLAY
Within the project Il Nuovissimo Virtuoso created by SHE LIVES and SPACE IN SOUND, the summer festival of Chigiana Academy
Music by László Tihanyi and György Kurtág
Joshua Fortunato, clarinet | Francesco Dillon, cello | Francesco Prode, piano
In collaboration with Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The concert was preceded by a public meeting with László Tihanyi conducted by Stefano Jacoviello and Alessio Elia.
Concert programme

26 JANUARY 2016

On the occasion of the Memorial Day, Rai Radio 3 broadcasts the concert NON ABBIAMO PIANTO Uscire dal ghetto: gli artisti di Terezín parlano col nostro tempo (WE HAVE NOT CRY Leaving the ghetto: the artists of Terezín speak with our time), an event that was part of the Il Nuovissimo Virtuoso project, recorded and broadcast live on 17 October 2015 from the Malatesta station Metro C of Rome.
Music by Pavel Haas and Lasse Thoresen
Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Daniele Orlando and Francesco Peverini, solo violins
Gabriele Bonolis, conductor
Poems by Viktor Ullmann and Nicola Muschitiello
Giorgio Barberio Corsetti and Nicola Muschitiello, speakers
In collaboration with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and ATAC, with the patronae of Comunità Ebraica Romana and Assessorato Cultura e Sport di Roma Capitale, with the support of Royal Embassy of Norway and Errebian SpA, main sponsor
Go to the website of Radio 3

19 OCTOBER 2015

L’Aquila, Auditorium del Parco
NON ABBIAMO PIANTO Uscire dal ghetto: gli artisti di Terezín parlano col nostro tempo
Within the SHE LIVES project Il Nuovissimo Virtuoso
Music by Pavel Haas and Lasse Thoresen
I Solisti Aquilani | Gabriele Bonolis, conductor
Daniele Orlando e Francesco Peverini, solo violins
Poems by Viktor Ullmann and Nicola Muschitiello
Nicola Muschitiello, speaker
In collaboration with Associazione I Solisti Aquilani, and the support of Royal Embassy of Norway and Errebian SpA, main sponsor.
Info here

17 OCTOBER 2015

Roma, stations of Teano, Malatesta and Pigneto of Metro C
NON ABBIAMO PIANTO Uscire dal ghetto: gli artisti di Terezín parlano col nostro tempo
Within the SHE LIVES project Il Nuovissimo Virtuoso
Music by Pavel Haas and Lasse Thoresen
Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Daniele Orlando and Francesco Peverini, solo violins
Gabriele Bonolis, conductor
Poems by Viktor Ullmann and Nicola Muschitiello
Giorgio Barberio Corsetti and Nicola Muschitiello, speakers
In collaboration with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and ATAC, with the patronage of Comunità Ebraica Romana and Assessorato Cultura e Sport di Roma Capitale, and the support of Royal Embassy of Norway and Errebian SpA, main sponsor
Part of the concert was broadcast live by Rai Radio 3

16 OCTOBER 2015
Ancona, Teatro Sperimentale
NON ABBIAMO PIANTO Uscire dal ghetto: gli artisti di Terezín parlano col nostro tempo
Within the SHE LIVES project Il Nuovissimo Virtuoso and the Autumn Festival of Teatro delle Muse
Music by Pavel Haas and Lasse Thoresen
First world performance of the transcription for string orchestra by Gabriele Bonolis of Quartet no. 2 op. 7 by Pavel Haas
First Italian performance of SPRANG, double concert for two violins and string orchestra op. 46 by Lasse Thoresen
I Solisti Aquilani | Gabriele Bonolis, conductor
Daniele Orlando and Francesco Peverini, solo violins
Poems Viktor Ullmann and Nicola Muschitiello
Nicola Muschitiello, speaker
In collaboration with Amici della Musica Guido Michelli, with the support of Royal Embassy of Norway and Errebian SpA, main sponsor.

8 OCTOBER 2015

Roma, Fondazione Isabella Scelsi
Cycle “Appunti d’Archivio” | Public meeting with the composer Lasse Thoresen
Fabiana Piersanti and Guido Barbieri have discussed with the Norwegian composer about his aesthetic thought, his compositional writing and his deep philosophical and spiritual convictions
First Italian performance of HEAR HERE by Lasse Thoresen | Francesco Prode, piano
In collaboration with Fondazione Isabella Scelsi, with the support of Royal Embassy of Norway
The event was broadcast live by RadioCEMAT

31 JULY 2015

Roma, Conservatorio Santa Cecilia di Roma, Sala dei Medaglioni
SHE LIVES GOES TO THE RADIO STATION
Live broadcast by Radio CEMAT, a two-hour program entirely dedicated to SHE LIVES activities and projects
Fabiana Piersanti, Guido Barbieri and Alessio Elia, speakers
Guests in studio and on phone: Sidney Corbett (composer, SHE LIVES honorary president), Gabriele Bonolis (conductor), Francesco Prode (pianist), Francesco Dillon (cellist, Quartetto Prometeo), László Tihanyi (composer and conductor), Roberto Gabbiani (Conductor of the Roma Opera House Choir), Nicola Muschitiello (poet and scholar of French literature), Alexander Lonquich and Cristina Barbuti (pianists, associazione Kantoratelier)

19 JUNE 2015

Roma, Associazione TRAleVOLTE, Teatro Sala Uno
Public reading of the SHE LIVES Manifesto published on the review “NIGHT ITALIA n0. 9 AnarChich” edited by Marco Fioramanti
People who have taken part to the reading: Fabiana Piersanti, Guido Barbieri, Sandro Cappelletto (music critic), Gabriele Bonolis, (conductor), Susanne Bungaard (soprano), with the extraordinary partecipation of Alessio Allegrini, First Solo Horn of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Orchestra Mozart founded by Claudio Abbado
Performance of Appel interstellaire from Des canyons aut étoiles… by Olivier Messiaen | Alessio Allegrini, horn
Read the Manifesto

4 OCTOBER 2014

Rai Radio 3 broadcast Francesco Antonioni‘s interview with Peter Eötvös made on the occasion of KORRESPONDENZ at the Sala Liszt of the Hungarian Academy in Rome.
Listen to the interview

2 JULY 2014

Roma, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Sala Casella
TRASPARENZE | Portrait concert dedicated to Alessio Elia’s music
Festival “SHE LIVES incontra l’Ungheria” (SHE LIVES meets Hungary)
Festival “Musica in viaggio” of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana
Music by György Ligeti, László Tihanyi and Alessio Elia
Ensemble SHE LIVES | Sandro Savagnone, conductor
Italian première of Preludium, Invocation, Postludium op. 54 by László Tihanyi
Italian première of Conifold transitions by Alessio Elia
Guido Barbieri, introduction and interviewer
In collaboration with Accademia Filarmonica Romana and Accademia d’Ungheria in Roma

15 JUNE 2014

Roma, Accademia d’Ungheria, Sala Liszt
SOMETHING FOUND | Portrait concert dedicated to Zoltán Jeney’s music
Festival “SHE LIVES incontra l’Ungheria” (SHE LIVES meets Hungary)
Music by Goffredo Petrassi and Zoltán Jeney
Imago Sonora Ensemble | Andrea Ceraso, conductor
Italian première of Ricercare a 4 voci from Rito funebre, Self-Quotations and Rondellus by Zoltán Jeney
Nicola Campogrande, introduction
In collaboration with Accademia d’Ungheria in Roma

8 JUNE 2014

Roma, Accademia d’Unghria, Sala Liszt
KORRESPONDENZ | Portrait concert dedicated to Péter Eötvös’ music for his 70th birthday (this concert was the only one in Italy celebrating the Hungarian Maestro)
Festival “SHE LIVES incontra l’Ungheria” (SHE LIVES meets Hungary)
Music by Igor Stravinsky and Péter Eötvös
I Solisti Aquilani | Vittoriano Vinciguerra, conductor
Italian première of Encore and Octet by Péter Eötvös
Francesco Antonioni, introduction
In collaboration with Accademia d’Ungheria in Roma

APRIL / MAY 2014

Crowdfunding through the Musicraiser platform in support of the “SHE LIVES meets Hungary” festival. Success achieved thanks to the participation of about 100 subscribers including many cultural exponents, musicians, writers, artists and music critics.
Read the news on Classic Voice

19 APRIL 2013
SHE LIVES ‘cultural project, at the invitation of Sidney Corbett, professor of composition and member of the academic senate, was presented at the University of Perfoming Arts in Mannheim, Germany.

APRIL / JUNE 2013

Fabiana Piersanti is invited to collaborate, involving the audience of SHE LIVES, in the organization of SYNCOPE, a cycle of 5 musical events conceived and curated by the Swiss composer Denis Schuler and created by the Swiss Institute of Rome. Among other things, the festival included the tenth complete world performance of the String Quartet no. 2 by Morton Feldman by the Black Mountain String Quartet (one single movement of about 6 hours).

17 NOVEMBER 2012

Roma, Cripta della Chiesa Santa Lucia del Gonfalone
Presentation concert of the SHE LIVES project
NIGHT ITALIA Ark Festival by Marco Fioramanti
Music by Sidney Corbett, Claude Debussy, Alessio Elia, Giusto Pappacena, Cristiano Serino, Lasse Thoresen
Ensemble Miroirs | Andrea Ceraso, conductor
Reading of the writer Claudio Morandini
Italian première of Invocation of Crystal Waters by Lasse Thoresen
Italian première of Im Angesicht des Zweiflers (In the face of the Doubter) by Sidney Corbett
With the patronage of Regione Lazio, Provincia di Roma and Biblioteche di Roma, and the support of Pastificio dei Campi