Bor Turel, Gregor Pirš:
HARM(LES)S?
A short multilingual dramatic intrusion based on A Lynch Trial and other texts by Daniil Harms
The story, however, does not end with Robert Filiou’s throwing a sponge into a pail of water. Daniil Harms was, above all, a person who kept throwing (the same) sponge in various directions, being capable of tackling surprisingly disparate viewpoints and distant zeniths of human thought. In his charmingly short and concise writings he actualises truthfulness as a surrealistic means of achieving a sharpened vision of the world or, better said, a means of (inter)artistic communication in which the truth is revealed behind the stereotypic images in a surprisingly inexorable way. The main purpose of this work is to prepare everything needed for a comfortable voyage to Baden-Baden.
The sponge is handed on and on as an ever-evolving symbol of permanent change. It can never be held back but it can be kept temporarily in an artist’s hands. In the setting of HARM(LES)S? three musicians are paired with three actors and requested to interpret text fragments in different languages in a semi-improvisational way, based on the spirit of avant-garde open form in which communication takes priority over fixed patterns. The electronic means interfere in different (fixed and dynamic) ways, adding to the unpredictability of the final outcome.
PERFORMERS, AUTHORS
Actress Pia Zemljič was Born in Slovenj Gradec. She currently lives and works in Ljubljana, focusing on theatre, film, television and singing performances.
EDUCATION:
1997 –2001 University of Ljubljana, Academy for Theatre, Radio and TV Studies; Major Acting (University degree in July, 2004)
1995- 1997 GILS, Ljubljana Acting School; several workshops in theatre acting and acting in front of camera.
1994 –1998 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of English and American Studies; English language and Literature
AWARDS:
2009 – Golden Stick Award, Ljubljana (H.C.Andersen/Buljan: The Little Mermaid, Mini Teater)
2007 – Slovenian film festival Portorož, best actress of the year, Stop award (M.Naberšnik: Rooster’s Breakfast, Bronja)
2005-International theatre festival Umag, best acting interpretation and directing, group award Zlatni Lav (for Fat Man In Skirts)
2004- International theatre festival Rijeka, best actresses of the festival, Novi list
2004- International theatre festival Rijeka, Veljko Maričič Award for best supporting role (N.Silver, Fat Man In Skirts, Pamela, Popo Martin)
2003 – SKUP- Festival Ptuj, best female role (N.Silver – Fat Man in Skirts, Pamela, Popo Martin)
2001 – National student’s Preseren’s Award for the graduation performance in UNDER THE MILKWOOD (Thomas Dylan, roles: a girl, Mrs. Dai Bred II., Gossamer Beynon).
Natalija and Ravil Sultanov, the co-founders and members of the Bufeto Institute, are both graduated clowns from the famous Moscow Academy of Circus Arts, they have been successfully performing for more than fifteen years. They have produced independent clown performances in many European countries and with their programmes for more than a decade delighted also the Slovenian public. Besides authorial performances they cooperate with many professional theatre institutions (the Slovenian Youth Theatre, the Municipal Theatre of Ljubljana, the Slovenian National Theatre – the Opera and Ballet, the Koper Theatre)
Apart from their authorial performances, they drew attention already in 1995 by participating in the production of the Clowns, directed by Edvard Miler and performed by the Slovenian Municipal Theatre in Ljubljana (186 reruns). With the Slovenian Youth Theatre they participated and acted in the performance Silence, Silence, Silence, the Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pika, King Ubu or the Poles, Dream, Snow White, and Othello – directed by Vito Taufer, and in King Oedipus, Three Sisters directed by Tomi Janežič.
They cooperated with the Municipal Theatre of Ljubljana in the production of the Servant of Two Masters (directed by Boris Kobal), Comic Mystery (directed by Matjaž Latin), the Saints (directed by Jaka Ivanc), with the Marionette Theatre in the production of Why? (directed by Barbara Bulatović), with the Municipal Theatre Ptuj in the production of Kokolorek (directed by Matjaž Latin) and with the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica in the production of the Titanic Orchestra (directed by Matjaž Latin).
They participated and acted in the performances of the Koper Theatre Katka and Bunkec (directed by Jaka Ivanc) and the Spanish Princess (directed by Katja Pegan), in the productions of the Cankarjev dom’s Tin Soldier (directed by Ivan Peternel) the Moment (directed by Magdalena Reiter) and La Bohem produced by the Slovenian National Theatre – the Opera and Ballet Ljubljana (directed by Vinko Möderdorfer).
In the Šentjakob Theatre they staged and directed the Steadfast Tin Soldier by Andersen (2007).
In 2008, besides being active in the Bufeto Institute, they participated, as actors and co-creators, in the projects Electric Invasions and Simplicissimus Simpl.
In 2009 they acted in the film Circus Fantasticus (directed by Janez Burger), Ravil Sultanov acted in the Russian film Solo na minom pole (directed by Valentin Donskov). In the Marionette Theatre Ljubljana Ravil Sultanov directed the Šardam Circus (D. Harms), while Natalija acted in it.
The Bufeto Institute employs, besides the Sultanovs, many recognised Slovenian professional theatre actors, circus artists and musicians.
the Bufeto Institute was in 2008 the executive producer and performer of the international clown event Klovnbuf: No Joke!. The institute last year successfully carried out the second such event called Klovnbuf – Predominantly Joking but Dead Serious!.
Tomaž Gubenšek
Actor and professor at the Academy for Theater, Radio, Film and Television. Participate in off theaters, radio and explore different aspects of artistic speech.
Flautist Cveto Kobal appears on flute recitals and as a member of various chamber groups in Europe, USA, Japan and Israel. He currently teaches flute and chamber music at the University of Maribor, Music department. In 2005 he was awarded with the Golden Sign of the University of Maribor. He graduated from the Ljubljana Academy of Music under B. Čampa. On a French government scholarship he, for three years, attended a postgraduate studies in Paris with A. Marion, P. Y. Artaud and T. Prevost. In 1988 he also graduated from Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. In 1991 he attended specialisation with J. Walker at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He won many first prices at national music competitions (1977, 1979, 1981, first place at Competition of music artists of Yugoslavia in Zagreb 1983). While still a student, he began his career as member of Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra (1981 – 1983). Between 1988 – 1990 and 1992 – 1988 he was solo flautist in the Slovene Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra. From 1998 until 2000 he directed serious music programs at the National Slovene Television. As a soloist he gave concerts with orchestras (the Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Slovene Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, the Choir of Croatian Radiotelevision, the Chamber Music Orchestra of Klagenfurt, the Tartini Orchestra of Trieste, the Musikhochschule Orchestra of Graz, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra). He recorded for Radio and TV stations and as a soloist appeared in various CDs (Mute records, Sound circle, Gema…), including on three solo CDs: Slovenski solisti (Helidon), 20th Century Flute Music and Contemporary (ZKP RTV Slovenija). He often presents works by Slovene composers and had many first performances (Kumar, Lazar, Krivokapić, Kopecky, Florjanc…
Betka Bizjak Kotnik (1976) graduated at Academy of Music in Ljubljana (Matjaž Drevenšek) and at Conservatoir National de Region in Lyon with Jean Denis Michat (Medaille d’or, Premiere prix de perf.), France. In 2005 she finished saxophone post-graduate study in Ljubljana. She was awarded by Prešeren Student award of Academy of Music in Ljubljana. At National competitions She received several first awards and was several times the finalist of the international competitions. She perfomed as a soloist with the Symphonic Orchestra RTV Slovenia, (a premiere of Concerto for two saxophones Near by U. Pompe, Ljubljana 2006 at The World Saxophone congres with Miha Rogina), Symphonic Orchestra Luxembourg, Slovenian Army orchestra and Symphonic Orcestra Academy of Music in Ljubljana. She is a member of the Chamber orchestra of soloists at the Society of Slovene composers (KOS). In duo with Milanka Črešnik (piano) she has been running together since 2000. In that time they performed recitals in different concert cycles. In 2006 at World Saxophone Congress in Ljubljana there was their premiere of works J. Matičič: Repliques and N. Šenk: Impetus. They co-operated with compact disque Saxophonia and were appeared at State Ceremony of Prešeren’s award wich was given to the composer J. Matičič in 2007. They got the higest award at Competition for chamber music Primož Ramovš in Ljubljana 2007. Since 2006 they have recorded several pieces for the archive Radio Slovenia and their first compact disque Repliques came out in 2008. In october they gave the concert in cycle of the Society of Slovene composers in Slovene philharmony with three new works written for them (Bor Turel, Tadeja Vulc, Brina Jež Brezavšček) and in March they presented a slovene music at the concert in Munich, Germany. She is a professor of saxophone at Music Conservatory Ljubljana, Slovenia. She founded Saxophone masterclass and competition »Saksistra« in cooperation with professors from Slovene High Musical Schools. Since 2007 they have invited and work with distinguished professors as: Jean-Denis Michat, Lars Mlekusch, Massimiliano Doninelli, Fabrizio Paoletti, Matjaž Drevenšek. She was invited to give master classes in Croatia and at the Meeting of the saxophonists in Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
Percussionist Franci Krevh graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, department of percussions, with professor Boris Šurbek. He is a member of various groups, with which he regularly performs at home and abroad: The Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra, the percussion group Slovene Percussion Project (SToP), the ensemble for contemporary music MD 7, and the Chamber Orchestra of solo singers (KOS). With the above mentioned groups, and as a soloist, he performs at home, and abroad. He worked with several topmost musicians, as Berhard Wulf, Nebojša Živkovič, John Beck, Igor Lešnik, and many others. With the percussion group STUDIO ZA TOLKALA (STUDIO FOR PERCUSSIONS) he received the Betetto Award. His openness and joy for music are complemented by Musical hours with percussions, which he prepares for the little ones.
For thirty years now, Bor Turel has been the most prominent Slovene composer of electroacoustic and experimental music. His electroacoustic and other works received performances at important international festivals of contemporary music. Between 1973 and 1977 he also worked in the theatre group Nomenklatura, and under the influences of the European avant-garde, American experimental music and minimalism he finally broke all ties with tradition. He began to include recorded sound materials in his works, which later became an important part of his main area of expertise in electroacoustic music. He is a free-lance artist an has collaborated with numerous painters and video artists, creating intermedia works and has worked with an experimental theatre of animated forms. Besides his research in music and work in the field of electroacoustic music and its forms of presentation (concerts, ambiental installation, performances), he is a permanent collaborator of the Program Ars of Radio Slovenia where he began and developed series of electroacoustic and ars acustica music programmes. He has devoted the last years to creating audio and radiophonic art – mainly ars acustica projects and ambiental music works which are based on poetic texts. In 2005 his Suite of radiophonic images of the Pohorje soundscapes Voices of a landscape, in metamorphosis was nominated at the international competition Prix Italia in Milan. In 2008 he was awarded most eminent Slovene cultural prize for his artistic work as composer and sound artist.
Gregor Pirš, born 1970 in Ljubljana, studied cello and composition at the Ljubljana Academy of Music (with Miloš Mlejnik, Alojz Srebotnjak, Marko Mihevc and Uroš Rojko). His opus comprises soloist, chamber, vocal-instrumental, choral, and symphonic music. Currently, he is focusing more on electroacustic/radiophonic/experimental projects (Opus Quantum, Projekt Satiricon). He works as a music producer on Radio Slovenia ARS programme.
– ART'S BIRTHDAY – 