On January 26th, we will present "From Mary to Fatimah" with a new work by Helga Arias in our 3rd subscription concert at the Stadtcasino Basel.
In her work, Helga Arias combines acoustic and electronic sounds and explores microscopic sound phenomena. This is also true of her new piece, "I Breathe Every Sound You Leave Behind," for orchestra and tape, which we will premiere on January 26. Commissioned by the Basel Sinfonietta and the Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Arias reflects on a poem by the Black Arts activist Sonia Sanchez.
Born in Bilbao, she studied composition with Mario Garuti and Beat Furrer, as well as electroacoustic music with Javier Torres Maldonado and Karlheinz Essl. She has received commissions from renowned ensembles such as the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra and Ensemble Modern, and her works have been performed worldwide, including at the ISCM World Music Days, the Donaueschingen Festival, and the Centre Pompidou.
We are very much looking forward to this collaboration and asked her a few questions to get to know her better.
1. How did you first come into contact with "classical music" and why have you been unable to let go of it?
I think the first time I heard classical music was probably at home.
I'm the only musician in my family, but my parents are very music-loving and had a lot of records. I remember there was always music playing when I was a child.
From a very young age, I would imitate the melodies and rhythms I heard, and when my parents noticed, they bought me a toy keyboard. So I was constantly copying and improvising what I heard, and when I was six or seven, they enrolled me in music theory, piano, and singing lessons because I was so curious about music. Since then, music has never ceased to fascinate me and has always been my absolute priority.
2. You're not only a composer, but also a trained pianist. What repertoire particularly interests you as an instrumentalist? And is there a connection to your composing, or are they two separate worlds?
The truth is, since becoming a composer, I stopped playing the piano seriously, although it was a gradual (and painful) process. Therefore, I think it was very difficult for me at first to write works with or for the piano.
Gradually, I discovered advanced techniques and new repertoire, and I grew closer to the instrument again.
As a pianist, I always had a soft spot for Bach's music, more than for any other repertoire. These days, I'm very interested in the piano music of composers like Alberto Posadas, Peter Ablinger, and especially Sofia Gubaidulina—the connection to Bach is no coincidence ☺.
3. If you hadn't become an artist, what would you have become?
I have several hobbies that I truly love and dedicate a lot of time to, like swimming, diving, and others, but I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Perhaps I could have become a singer, a cellist, or a conductor... but always a musician. To be honest, I could never imagine being anything else, not even as a child.
4. Your compositions often address political or current social issues and integrate multimedia and theatrical aspects. How important is this connection to the present to you, and what does it mean for your artistic work?
This means everything to me. I don't think I'm particularly political, but I try to incorporate the themes and concerns that affect me personally into my music. I believe it's difficult for an artist to separate their personal life, feelings, worries, and state of mind from their artistic production. Unless, of course, the art is purely intellectual, which isn't the case for me at all. I still believe in a connection between the emotional sphere and art, and in that sense, I think many artists are particularly sensitive to the world around them. This naturally includes political events and social changes.
5. The Basel Sinfonietta has made it its mission to perform "music that reflects the spirit of the times" and to participate in social discourse through its programs. How can this be achieved from your perspective?
I believe this question is closely related to what I said earlier.
As an important cultural institution, I believe the Basel Sinfonietta observes the changes and events that are currently crucial for artistic production, but it also strives to engage with society and its audience, and to reach out to new audiences.
For me as a composer, it is a privilege to collaborate with such an institution, one that aligns with my ideas and provides me with the opportunities and resources to realize them.
