A tribute to Iannis Xenakis

The program includes "Theraps", a demanding work for solo double bass in which the composer explores the limits of the instrument; "Ikhoor", an energetic and virtuosic string trio; "Plekto", a sextet in which the three musical elements (chords, rhythm, melody) clash; "Anaktoria", which uses extreme dynamics, microtones and harmonics to create a wide range of tonal textures; and, last but not least, “Kai”, from the composer’s final, intensely pared-back artistic period, with an emphasis on counterpoint, harmony, and rhythm.

The dissonArt ensemble was founded in Thessaloniki in 2005 with a mission: to bring the musical avant garde to audiences in Greece and beyond. With nine core members plus associate musicians and a flexible structure, dissonArt is representative of contemporary models of orchestra organization.

The ensemble’s repertoire includes works by composers who deserve greater recognition, as well as music by their more established colleagues. And although its range includes every aspect of musical creativity to have emerged since the nineteen fifties, dissonArt assigns special weight to raising the profile of works by Greek composers.

The ensemble’s core aims also include collaborating with organizations and groups active in other art-forms, to the extent that such collaborations foster the creation of new and pioneering works. The ensemble is involved in education, too, performing works written by students participating in the Contemporary Music Workshops run by the Thessaloniki Megaron, and organizing seminars in Mount Pelion’s Music Village led by musicians with international reputations.

To date, dissonArt has appeared at numerous international festivals and worked with composers of international stature including Beat Furrer, Georges Aperghis and Augustino di Scipio.

The dissonArt was the ensemble in residence at the Thessaloniki Megaron for 2011.