Lawrence Cherney, Founding Creative Director of Soundstreams, has introduced particulars of the corporate’s first TD Encounters of 2025. The occasion, titled Poitu Varen: A Pilgrimage in Sound, might be curated by Toronto-based composer, pianist, and Soundstreams New Voices Curator Mentorship Program winner Kalaisan Kalaichelvan.
Poitu Varen comes from the Tamil language, an expression of farewell that interprets actually as “I’ll go and are available again”. Kalaichelvan was impressed by Anne Carson’s guide The Anthropology of Water. It describes a form of relational philosophy that claims the way in which we take into consideration the social and ecological elements of water as separate points is just a matter of behavior. The truth is, the 2 are intertwined. It acknowledges the concept of residing in a collective that features greater than humanity alone.
Kalaichelvan’s purpose grew to become a seek for that means by means of sound, and the live performance will characteristic devices which have been related by way of audio system, together with projected textual content. The music will supply a meditation on loss and renewal, and the idea of legacy.
The viewers seating might be organized in and across the devices for an intimate and immersive expertise that blurs the standard bodily boundaries between listeners and performers.
Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, composer
How do gestures and patterns accumulate by means of efficiency, turning into layered with meanings that may minimize throughout generations of music making? That’s what Kalaichelvan explores in his composition.
“The idea of Poitu Varen is grounded in my curiosity in objects as storytellers, as containing their very own historical past and reminiscence. I needed to construct a bit of music based mostly on resonance — the transformation that occurs throughout a efficiency, the connection between performer, object and viewers. In a shared area we add to the historical past of the objects being carried out, constructing a map collectively of reminiscence, time and place,” says Kalaichelvan in an announcement.
Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, (who LvT noticed as up and coming a pair of years in the past…), was the winner of the Kathleen Morrow Award in 2024 and the SOCAN Rising Composer Award in 2023.
As a composer and pianist, the Toronto-based artist works throughout a number of genres and media, together with movie, dance, and theatre in addition to music for efficiency. He wrote the rating for the movie In Flames, chosen to be the Pakistani entry within the Finest Worldwide Characteristic Movie class on the 96th Academy Awards in 2023. The identical movie screened at Cannes, the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant, and different outstanding festivals internationally.
In 2021, he was a Fellow of the Sundance Composers lab, and has held a residency on the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. He contains artists akin to Paul Wiancko and David Harrington of Kronos Quartet, Brian Present and others as his mentors.
Kalaisan’s music has been carried out and premiered by Professional Coro Canada, the Dior Quartet, and NMC Ensemble, amongst different notable ensembles.
Live performance Particulars
Toronto based mostly pianist, keyboardist and composer Chris Pruden will carry out on 4 interconnected pianos, together with double bassist Zoe Markle, recognized for her work with modern music and ensembles internationally, and producer/composer Nick Walker Grimshaw on electronics.
Seats are free for the efficiency on February 5 a Hugh’s Room, however area is restricted. There might be a dialogue and viewers Q&A following the efficiency.
- Make your reservation [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.