Musical Utopias #7 - Memory Box & Moving Eastman

Ensemble Klang will play works by Sarah Hennis, Éliane Radigue and Carol Robinson during Memory Box. Sarah Hennies's works are celebrated for their ‘intimate musical vision’ (New York Times) that have embraced themes of identity, love and psychoacoustics, while Éliane Radigue, a pioneer of analog synth music, and now in her 10th decade, remains one of the greatest living composers. Themes of water and personal musical associations thread through this set of works that share a quiet intensity, and deep contemplation.   

Moving Eastman is a new dance and sonic performance, that takes inspiration from the life of American composer Julius Eastman. Using Eastman's artistic legacy and life story as points of departure, the work is a response to Mitsuye Yamada's quote 'invisibility is not a natural state for anyone', igniting a much-needed discussion on who controls the narrative in recording history and who possesses the authority to tell these stories. 

Julius Eastman, who died in 1990 aged just 49, is now acknowledged as a key figure in late 20th century American music, but during his lifetime he was marginalised due to his race, sexuality and aesthetic. A Black, gay, contemporary music composer, he lived every aspect of his identity to its fullest. His uncompromising attitude represented a assault on the status quo. He would not be reined in. He walked the talk. 

The performance is led by Elaine Mitchener, a British movement and vocal artist with Afro-Caribbean heritage, with the original concept and choreography of Moving Eastman by Vietnamese-American director Dam Van Huynh. Mitchener is a new Associate Maker with Ensemble Klang from 2025.