Press Release SUMMER SOLSTICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21ST JUNE 2015 SCRIABIN IN THE HIMALAYAS THIKSE MONASTERY Press Release LADAKH, INDIA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In Brief The Concept • A once-in-a-lifetime spectacular in the Held on the terrace of Thikse Monastery foothills of the Himalayas in Ladakh, India, Scriabin in the Himalayas is a spectacular multi-sensorial • A multi-sensorial tribute to one of the outdoor concert in tribute to the great greatest visionaries of the 20th century, mystic and musical genius, Russian Russian composer Alexander Scriabin composer Alexander Scriabin. • Celebrating the triumph of Light over The occasion is fitting as exactly 100 darkness this Summer Solstice years ago, Scriabin passed on to the finer realms of harmony. His final opus, • Limited number of 100 concert tickets Mysterium Magnum, was left unfinished, released 7th May 2015 alongside an and his bold designs of a 7-day long, optional travel package by our partners, synaesthetic concert in a Himalayan Quintessentially Travel monastery sadly had to be abandoned. This will be the first performance of • A portion of the proceeds are being Scriabin’s music ever held at the foothills donated to the Blue Shield (BS) - of the Himalayas, a realisation of his greatest the cultural equivalent of the Red dream over a century after its conception. Cross – and their representative the International Council on Monuments The concert will take place on the day and Sites (ICOMOS) who are currently of the Summer Solstice, a date rich coordinating an action plan to help with meaning. The progress of the Sun support the restoration of Nepal’s rich throughout the year symbolises the cultural heritage. process of attaining enlightenment, and Summer Solstice is the final climax of this journey, celebrating triumph of Light over The Location darkness and the union of self with the Divine - motifs of paramount importance to Sciabin’s mystical philosophy. Thikse Gompa is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in central Ladakh, The programme will include his greatest India. Located at an altitude of 3,600 works for solo piano as well as Vocalises metres (11,800 ft) approximately 19 and a unique transcription of “The kilometres east of Leh, Thikse is notable Divine Poem” for piano four hands. for its resemblance to the famous Potala An interactive light installation based Palace in Lhasa, Tibet and commands on his unique colour-tonal system will breath-taking views of the Indus Valley bring together sound and vision, with and the Himalayas. It is a twelve-story traditional Himalayan Cham dancers complex that houses many items of providing the element of touch and Buddhist art including stupas, statues, movement alongside an olfactory score of thangkas, wall paintings and swords. It timed scent diffusions. also contains the largest statue of Buddha in Ladakh (15m), kept inside Maitreya Altogether, this will be a moving, symbolic Temple and famously featured in Ron homage to one of the greatest visionaries of Fricke’s film Samsara. the 20th century. The Programme Part One Part Two “Through (2 HOURS) (1.5 HOURS) Begins at midday while the sun is at its Begins just before sunset and continues highest point of the year. into the dusk. Performed by Matthew Bengtson (piano) Performed by Neil Latchman (tenor), alongside Himalayan Cham dance Coady Green (piano) and Christopher and an olfactory score of timed scent Smith (piano four hands) alongside diffusions. Himalayan Cham dance, an interactive light show and an olfactory score of timed scent diffusions. Struggle • Étude op. 2 no. 1 in C# minor • Symphony Number 3 op. 43: La Divin (arr. for LH by Jay Reise) Poème (The Divine Poem) transcription for piano four hands • Sonata no. 1, op. 6 in F minor (1893) • Romance for voice and piano • Preludes from op. 11 • Vocalise on op. 8 No. 8 in A♭ major: • Etude op. 8 no. 12 in D# minor Lento (tempo rubato) • Mazurka op. 25 no. 4 in E major • Vocalise on op. 8 No. 5 in E major: Brioso • Prelude op. 22 no. 1 in G# minor to • Vocalise on op. 42 No. 4 in B major: • Poème op. 32 no. 1 in F# Piacevole • Sonata no. 5, op. 53 • Études op. 42 • Two Preludes from op. 74 • Vocalise on op. 8 No. 11 in B♭ minor: Andante cantabile • Sonata no. 6, op. 62 • Vocalise on op. 42 No. 2 in F# minor • Prelude op. 67 no. 1 • Vocalise on op. 2 No. 1 in C# minor • Sonata no. 9, op. 68 “Black Mass” (1913) • Vers la flamme (Poème) op. 72 • Deux Poèmes, op. 73 Light” • Sonata No, 10, op. 70 • Poème, op. 63 no. 2 “Étrangeté” • Sonata no. 7, op. 64 “White Mass” (1911-12) Neil Latchman Coady Green Matthew Bengtson TENOR PIANO PIANO The international career of the Coady Green has been described as Matthew Bengtson is a versatile pianist, Trinidadian opera singer Neil Latchman “a virtuoso pianist with sensitivity, harpsichordist, and fortepianist who began in 1997 when he was chosen intelligence and charm”, and “accurate commands a diverse repertoire ranging as the tenor to commemorate the and exhilarating” (Musical Opinion, from Byrd to Ligeti. He has been 20th Anniversary of the life of Maria London), with “a strong and versatile presented as a soloist and chamber Callas in London. In London he has technique capable of the most delicate musician in numerous concerts across performed as soloist at the Barbican colouring and tonal brilliance, rising Europe, Mexico and America. His Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, the to the challenges of extreme virtuoso discography includes the recording of Wigmore Hall, The London Palladium demands with relish” (The Advertiser, complete Scriabin Sonatas, which The and St. John’s, Smith Square amongst South Australia). He gained his American Record Guide compared to other venues. In 1998 Neil made his Bachelor of Music Performance and legendary performances by Horowitz debut with The Orchestral Soloists Masters of Music Performance, both and Richter asking, “Has Scriabin of The Royal Opera House, Covent with first-class honours, on scholarship ever been played better?” Fanfare Garden performing the songs of from the University of Melbourne. magazine calls him “a Scriabinist for Tchaikowsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. the 21st century…upon whom future generations can rely for definitive Christopher Wayne Smith interpretations.” PIANO Christopher Wayne Smith is an award- Core of Culture wining solo pianist and chamber artist CHOREOGRAPHY who studied at the Royal Welsh College Directed by Joseph Houseal, Core of of Music and Drama and graduated Culture (CoC) is an organization that with honours at the Conservatoire in The intervenes on behalf of ancient dances 2014. He has performed internationally and their practitioners. Today, CoC has at notable venues such as Steinway become a respected facilitator, expert, Hall, Purcell Room, Theatre Mwldan, creative force, consultant, advocate and The Academy of Arts in Bulawayo. and scholarly advisor in the field of Christopher is a board director for the endangered dance. Houseal has overseen Liszt Society, regularly sets scores for dance preservation and research projects the Annual Journal and is also joint Participants in Ladakh, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Artistic Director and jury member for Lanka, and the Kingdom of Bhutan, the annual Liszt Society, International where CoC executed a 5-year project Liszt Piano Competition. culminating in a touring exhibition of Buddhist art and Cham dance. Anna Gawboy SCRIABIN SCHOLAR Michel Roudnitska Anna Gawboy’s research explores the SCENT ARTIST intersection of music theory, cultural French-born Michel Roudnitska has been history, and musical performance. In Dagny Rewera immersed in the world of perfumery since 2010 she collaborated with the Yale LIGHTING DESIGNER his early childhood under the influence Symphony Orchestra and lighting Dagny Rewera is an award-winning, of his father, the great scent artist designer Justin Townsend to produce London-based lighting designer with Edmond Roudnitska. Like all original a new staging of Alexander Scriabin’s degrees in Architectural Design from compositions, his fragrances bring to “Prometheus: The Poem of Fire”, based University of the Arts London and life memories, create dreams and kindle on her extensive research regarding Product Design from the Royal College yearnings. From the luminous dryness of the interaction of music and lighting. of Art. Her work sits at the cross section Frédéric Malle Noir Epices to the elegant Dr. Gawboy’s articles and essays of nature and technology, with an sensuality of Parfums DelRae Amoureuse, have been published internationally appreciation of confronting and revealing creations of Michel Roudnitska are and she has presented her work at a the hidden dimensions of our everyday marked by sensitivity to form and variety of musical venues including surroundings. Prior to joining Jason originality of expression. Michel has also Music Theory Midwest, New England Bruges Studio in 2013, Dagny worked on been a pioneer of olfactory performances Conference of Music Theorists, Society commissions for a wide range of clients over the last 20 years having collaborated for Music Theory, and the American and has exhibited her work collectively on ballet and opera productions around Musicological Association. and independently worldwide. Europe and Russia. The Organisers The Partners Steinway & Sons STEINWAY.COM Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street and is dedicated to the ideal of making the finest pianos in the world. Zanskar Productions The result is instruments renowned for ZANSKARPRODUCTIONS.COM their unsurpassed quality. Pianos with such superior sound and responsive touch Zanskar Productions is an independent that they enchant the most demanding production company, set up to promote pianists. Each Steinway grand piano, for and document cultural and artistic example, takes nearly a year to create. initiatives bringing Eastern and Western traditions closer together.