Aeolian is a deeply-integrated new work by Norwegian composer Maja S.K. Ratkje, UK installation artist Kathy Hinde and Danish accordionist Andreas Borregaard and commissioned by Red Note Ensemble.
Combining newly-designed air-powered instruments with live musicians to create a new part-performance, part kinetic-sculptural work, Aeolian had its world premiere at hcmf//40 in 2017 and won the ISM Award for Collaboration at the 2018 Scottish Awards for New Music.
Aeolian draws its inspiration and title from the “breath” of the accordion. Ratkje and Hinde have collaborated closely on creating this unique piece with accordion soloist Andreas Borregaard, placing him and his instrument at the centre of the work , both physically and musically. To this end, the collaborators have designed and built new air-activated instruments to create a sculptural installation fully integrated with the acoustic ensemble. These aeolian instruments are sometimes autonomous, and sometimes mechanically activated by the musicians during the piece, blending the sounds of the installation with the musicians’ conventional instruments in a composed, breathing entirety.
Maja S.K. Ratkje, Composer
Kathy Hinde, Artist
Andreas Borregaard, Accordion
Red Note Ensemble:
Jackie Shave, violin
Rachel Spencer, 2nd violin
Felix Tanner, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Nikita Naumov, double bass
Joy Smith, clarsach
Sasha Poya Savaloni, guitar
Ruth Morley, flute
William White, clarinet
Chris Stearn, trombone
Tom Hunter, percussion
Rhian MacLeod, percussion
Production Manager: Kostas Christakos
Producer: Katja Armknecht
March/April 2021
Vancouver New Music/Canada Tour
September 2019
Lammermuir, East Linton, UK
September 2019
Ultima, Oslo, Norway
November 2018
November Music, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
October 2018
Sound Festival, Aberdeen, UK
September 2018
Sacrum Profanum Festival, Krakow, Poland
November 2017
hcmf Huddersfield, UK
