composer

Canadian-born Chiyoko Szlavnics has developed a practice that connects visual imaginings of sound with compositional activity.
She has produced numerous drawings series, some of which were created as the basis of musical compositions. Most of her drawings since 2012 were created independently of compositional goals, but still embody an implicit connection to sound. These are best described as her ’moiré series’ drawings.
Szlavnics’s compositions highlight psychoacoustical phenomena and the perception of a room’s acoustics. This is achieved through the use of ratios to determine the pitch material, and by working extensively with long sustains, slow glissandi, and non-unisons. Resonant rooms are preferred for the presentation of her musical work.

"I will be discussing the use of sinewaves in my pieces that produce new listening experiences and perceptions of pitches, spaces (acoustic, mental, and physical), and musical instruments. I will present excerpts of several electronic works, and some electroacoustic works that are not currently available online. I will discuss my use of ratios to create the psychoacoustic phenomena, such as beating and combination tones, and how the generation of drawings for many of my compositions allowed the creation of music that is “beyond” genre, tradition and style. " Chiyoko Szlavnics

photo : Giorgia Fanelli