Eklekto, Luis Naón, Ariadna Alsina Tarrés - Sobre la Tierra / Imprints

Wed, 3 Sep

Alhambra

La Bâtie - Festival de Genève

Sobre la Tierra (Under the Earth) for six percussionists and electronics (commissioned by the Eklekto ensemble and the Eric Ballard Foundation)Imprints for two percussionists (commissioned by the Eklekto ensemble) Seven years after presenting their acclaimed project Discount Minimal, Eklekto returns to the festival with a landmark concert, unveiling two brand-new commissions. A prominent figure in Geneva’s music scene and professor of composition at the Haute École de Musique de Genève since 2006, Luis Naón has forged an eclectic body of work shaped as much by his love of music and the arts as by his personal connection to the world, with his Franco-Argentinian heritage serving as a constant source of inspiration. Over the years, he and the Eklekto collective have built a strong artistic bond, resulting in several joint creations. This latest collaboration, Sobre la Tierra, is perhaps their most ambitious and accomplished to date. Spanning forty minutes, the piece stands out for both its scale and vision: six percussionists performing on instruments sourced from all six continents, accompanied by a rich electronic score. A world of sound in itself, the work is a sweeping tribute to percussion in all its forms, a celebration of musical traditions across the globe, and a quest for a shared, universal memory. Ariadna Alsina Tarrés’ latest composition also explores the themes of memory and trace. Imprintsbrings together two percussionists: one performing on the zarb, a key percussion instrument in Persian music, and the other manipulating delicate, amplified materials such as bamboo leaves, paper, silk and plant seeds. The eruptive virtuosity of the zarb is met with the fragility of matter, and of the world itself. Alsina Tarrés delves into the concept of wear: of materials, both musical and physical, that crease, crumble and disintegrate. How do we interpret traces and remnants? Are they evidence of the passing of time, or of human impact? Staying true to its commitment to intergenerational exchange, Eklekto once again joins forces with students from the Haute École de Musique (HEM), who will share the stage with Eklekto’s musicians.   A 2025 creation, co-produced by La Bâtie-Festival de Genève and Eklekto Geneva Percussion Center