MARIOS JOANNOU ELIA

NAVAL SYMPHONY – VARYAG

for soprano, tenor, choir and symphony orchestra | Primorskaya Philharmonic 

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Commissioned by Primorskaya Regional Philharmonic Society; in honour of the cruiser Varyag and Russia’s Pacific Fleet; dedicated to the City of Vladivostok. 

Soloists of Mariinsky Theatre and Primorskaya Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Academic Choir of Far Eastern Federal University (cond. Elena Petukhova), Conductor – People’s Artist of Russia Anatoliy Smirnov.

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STAGING THE JAPANESE CITY OF KYOTO

commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

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“Sound of Kyoto” is a contemporary acoustic portrait of the Japanese city. The entire Kyoto is the scenery and the stage on which the music is performed and the city’s “own” voice is heard. Several institutions take part – like City of Kyoto, Kyoto Arts and Culture Foundation, Kyoto Art Centre, De Sisti Italy, Roland, Sony, and V-Moda. It is supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Government of Japan. Elia composes and directs the project, which is currently in production. [Website] [Facebook]

The involvement of musicians, music groups, artists from all different disciplines and genres, artist collectives, recording engineers, institutions, academies, schools, businesses, etc. is an important aspect of the project. In other words, “Sound of Kyoto” aims to mobilize the entire city, its citizens, its musical and artistic potential. [Call for Participation]

350 MUSICIANS, 13 ENSEMBLES, 80 LOCATIONS, 600 RECORDINGS, 1 CITY

“the world’s first audiovisual portrait of a city” (Interfax Russia)

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Founded in 1860 as a military post, Vladivostok, Russia’s gateway to Asia in the Far East, has a turn-of-the-century charm. After it had been cut off from the rest of Russia and the world for decades, to protect the Pacific Fleet, the ending of the Cold War allowed the city to open in 1992.

Ranging from the modern landmark of the city, the Zolotoy Bridge, to the tiny musician’s apartment reminiscent of Soviet era and the Tokarevsky Lighthouse at the end of the world where the land ends and the Japan Sea begins; the entire city is the scenery and the stage on which the music is performed and the city’s voice is heard.

Seasonal changes affect the acoustic and visual scenery of the city, especially from winter to spring. The project’s recordings were made in severe weather conditions of up to -15º Celsius at the frozen surface of Peter the Great Gulf and hazardous situations across the icy sea and at the prow of a moving naval vessel.

LARGEST MATRYOMIN ENSEMBLE

celebrating the 100th anniversary of Leon Theremin’s invention 

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The Japanese company Mandarin Electron commissioned Marios Joannou Elia to compose a new work for the ensemble of matryomins: MATRYOSHKA for 289 matryomin players with piano accompaniment. Its first performance took place on the day of the attempt to establish a new Guinness World Record for the largest ensemble of matryomins. The event took place on September 14, 2019 at KIITO in Kobe, Japan. 

WEEPING MADONNAS

commissioned by the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus

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“Elia composed an oratorio dedicated to the mothers of missing persons which will premiere on July 20, 2022 at the Presidential Palace. The composer told the Cyprus News Agency that his work “highlights and illuminates in an innovative and creative way not only timeless values but also the cultural universality of our country, as well as motherhood as a universal symbol.”

He said that for Cyprus and internationally it was a historic event, “as this kind of authentic artistic aesthetic and content is presented for the first time on the island and hopes to leave its mark.”

The main contributors are the Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Education, the cultural services and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra Foundation. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Archbishopric, the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus and the European University of Cyprus.” (Cyprus Mail) [Read in Greek] [Read in English]

HUMANOID

for large symphony orchestra and humanoid, commissioned by Osaka University Symphony Orchestra

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Osaka – A modern city in which humans and robots develop a symbiotic relationship. A large symphony orchestra consisting of 115 musicians will perform the music: 6-7-6-4 / 9-5-4-2 / 5 / 20-12-16-13-6.

Looking back, an analogous relationship appeared in Osaka in the beginning of 17^th century. There was a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre called Bunraku (Ningyō jōruri) in which three humans and a puppet had been ‘hybridized’. The main puppeteer (omozukai) used his right hand to control the right hand of the puppet, the left puppeteer (hidarizukai) manipulated the left hand and the third one (ashizukai) operated the feet and legs.

The project involves the present architectural character of Osaka with its high-rise buildings. At the same time, it envisions the futuristic symbiosis of robots and humans (e.g. part of the orchestra and choir perform in a modern space and laboratory in the presence and interaction with robotic figures and performers (androids, geminoids, etc.).  

The production is in progress (expected to be completed beginning 2022). Commissioned by Osaka University Symphony Orchestra for the City of Osaka. In collaboration with Ishiguro Lab and the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University.

LIGHTS OF HOPE
From Olympiacos FC to the World
Karaiskaki Stadium | Piraeus | Greece | July 19th, 2020

A Liquid Staging Show
Created & Directed by
Asteris Kutulas
Music by
Marios Joannou Elia

THE CONCEPT OF POLYMEDIALITY

published by Schott Music

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During the composition of “Strophes” (2003), in which the architectonic features of a high-tech factory influenced various parameters of the work such as the production of sounds, Marios Joannou Elia developed the concept of polymediality. This involved two dimensions: the work-immanent compositional dimension and polymediality in the process of staging. The prefix poly denotes a qualitative paradigm shift; not a quantitative much, but a qualitative, polyaesthetic more. Written between 2007 and 2010 as a commentary focused on his opera “Die Jagd” (2008) and the orchestral piece “Akanthai” (2009), this book illuminates Elia’s concept of polymediality and, by providing a wealth of examples, how literary sources become an inherent polymedial element of his music. At the same time, the commentary elucidates a series of fundamental aspects of the music, including the model of imitative interaction, the concept of permanent fleetingness, the concept of polyaesthestics, and the question of musico-literary intermediality. [Buy] [Schott] [Read]

Hellenic Parliament TV, Interview with Konstantinos D. Kakavelakis.

SOUND OF MOSCOW

The Preparation Phase

a film dedicated to Elia’s work commissioned and produced by Takie Dela 

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Does each city have its own sound? Driven by this question, Marios Joannou Elia, a composer of unparalleled achievements, is currently preparing to set on the quest of a new acoustic discovery at Russia’s cosmopolitan capital, Moscow. A documentary film dedicated to Elia’s work focusing on various aspects of his visionary concept “Sound of Moscow” is in planning by Takie Dela and film director Yuliya Dmitrieva. 

The documentary film aims to go behind-the-scenes and follow the fascinating stage of sound exploration undertaken by Marios Joannou Elia in the Russian megalopolis. Capturing a deeply personal and emotional experience of the creator in his interaction with the city and its people, the past, present and future; the film reveals his challenging methodology that often includes risky, unexpected and avant-garde sound detective strategies. The film is expected to be produced by mid-2021.