Amelia Cuni, an internationally acclaimed dhrupad singer, has been working with Sandeep and the matralab team on “Native Alien“, a current research project that looks at the possibilities of Human/Computer Improvisation in a compositorial perspective – how can a performer/composer and an improvising computer system interact to produce musically interesting and meaningful comprovisations?

On Thursday May 9th, Amelia Cuni will speak about her own work between tradition and modernity in North Indian music. The talk will be from 3-5 pm in the Concordia Music Department (MB Building 8th floor, follow the signs).

Amelia Cuni will share her experiences and insights of a 30-year long journey between cultures.

As a young Italian lover of Indian music, she spent a decade in India to learn dhrupad singing and kathak dance with some of the most respected exponents of the Hindustani tradition. During the 90s, she started applying experimental procedures to dhrupad vocalism in a new music context, while interacting with musicians and composers from various backgrounds (Terry Riley, Maria de Alvear, Werner Durand, David Toop a.o.) She has presented her own artistic projects in Europe, Asia and America and collaborates in the fields of early and new music, electro-acoustic, chamber music, electronica, jazz, multimedia etc. She teaches Indian singing at the Conservatory of Vicenza (Italy), lives in Berlin, Germany. Her interpretation of John Cage’s SOLO 58 (the microtonal ragas – SONG BOOKS, 1970) has been co-produced by several European and American new music venues.

In her presentation, Amelia will introduce and demonstrate the main features of a traditional dhrupad performance and some of her own raga-based compositions and collaborations as well. Over the years, she has developed a teaching method rooted in the tradition while addressing contemporary issues. In this session, she will offer the participants the opportunity to experience directly a raga’s unique personality within a system of oral transmission.

This talk is open to anyone (no RSVP). Bring friends.

We will stay on in the room afterwards for snacks and drinks and conversations with Amelia.

http://ameliacuni.de/