Serious Ensemble Zagreb presented an evening where sound, image, and movement converged in a singular immersive experience. The program, centered on Slovenian flautist Alenka Bogataj, brought together music, live painting, and video, creating a performance in which each element responded to the others in real time. Croatian visual artist Petra Šabić joined the ensemble for the first time, painting live on stage as the music unfolded.
The concert featured contemporary works for flute, violin, and accordion, including several pieces making their Croatian debut, as well as the premiere of Vanishing Points by Croatian composer Sanda Majurec. Accordionist Martina Jembrišak and violinist Eva Mach contributed soloistic passages, enhancing the interplay between musicians, visual art, and projected video.
The performance encouraged attentive yet flexible listening: audiences were invited to inhabit the moment fully, letting sound and imagery guide their perception, without pressure to follow every detail. The program concluded with Tillmann Dehnhard’s Wake Up! – playful composition for flute and alarm clock – bringing the audience back to the material world after a journey through immersive multisensory space.
With works by Ian Clarke, Helena Skljarov, Salvatore Sciarrino, Vito Žuraj, Wil Offermans, Kaija Saariaho, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Sanda Majurec, and Tillmann Dehnhard, the evening emphasized SEZ’s commitment to collaboration across disciplines, innovative programming, and the creation of moments where music and visual art exist as one.
PROGRAM:
Ian Clarke: The Great Train Race, flute solo
Helena Skljarov: Ljubljana, flute, harmonica, violin, video, electronics
Salvatore Sciarrino: Canzona di Ringrazimento, flute solo
Vito Žuraj: Crinaeae, flute solo
Wil Offermans: Honami, flute solo
Kaija Saariaho: Let the Wind Speak, flute solo
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Flautina, flute solo
Sanda Majurec: Vanishing Points, flute, violin, and light (premiere)
Tillmann Dehnhard: Wake Up!, flute and alarm clock