IM VOLKSTON EXTENDED
Ana Topalovic
[E-Cello, Live Electronics, Arrangements]
Elisabeth Plank
[Harp, Arrangements]
Music by: Johanna Doderer, Sophia Dussek, Maria Suárez, Şirin Pancaroğlu u.a.
Im Volkston – Extended journeys through musical landscapes spanning different countries and centuries. At its heart are women composers who drew inspiration from folk music, translating traditional melodies, rhythms and timbres into their own musical languages. Alongside familiar names, the programme offers above all an opportunity to discover lesser-known voices.
Harp and cello form the point of departure for an expanded sonic space. Instrumental techniques, arrangements, transformations of sound and electronic extensions gradually blur the boundaries between interpretation and new creation, between acoustic sound and its continuation beyond the instruments themselves.
The concert unfolds as a continuous musical arc: rather than standing apart, the individual works flow seamlessly into one another. Clouds of sound and soundscapes connect them, creating a musical landscape from which the compositions emerge like islands before dissolving back into the shared sonic space.
In this way, tradition and the present, different cultures and musical languages meet within a programme that invites us to hear the familiar anew while bringing lesser-known music to light.
About Us
Cellist Ana Topalovic and harpist Elisabeth Plank began their collaboration through a shared interest in discovering and developing new repertoire. Following their first concert together at the Treffpunkt Kunst Festival in Vienna, their collaboration grew into a long-standing musical partnership, shaped by the distinctive interplay of cello and harp, a shared interpretative approach, and a spirit of musical curiosity.
Their concert activities have taken them to numerous stages in Austria and abroad. At the same time, Ana and Elisabeth see their artistic work as a continually expanding field of exploration. They have developed a concert format for children, created new works with composers including Katrina Emtage, Maria Suárez and Şirin Pancaroğlu, and are currently preparing an edition of their own arrangements, soon to be published by 80 Days Publishing.
With their latest programme, the two musicians move beyond clearly defined boundaries of genre and style. Their ongoing exploration of the sonic possibilities of their instruments through effects and live electronics has led to Im Volkston – Extended, which has also been selected for musik aktuell.
PA & Technical Requirements
For audiences of up to approximately 150 people, the artists provide the complete PA system required for the performance.