Vedran Mehinovic
ACE [Artist Curated Event] at soundpedro2023
Audio Composition On-site and online June 3rd:
December Bells
December Bells is an ambient work of nearly two hours, an expansion of an eight-minute kantele (Finnish zither) composition by Pauliina Syrjälä. An instructor at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, her piece Kirkonkellot (Church Bells) is based on a kantele recording from the early 20th century. Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire on December 6, 1917. Parts of my work emulate scores of bells ringing out in celebration all around. The kantele is an instrument synonymous with Finnish identity, its creation attributed to the mythological shaman Väinämöinen, who chanted powerful spells. The densely overlapping textures of December Bells reflect this, along with the traditionally repetitive and interlocking nature of kantele performance, and similar singing styles of the Baltic region. Syrjälä’s work can be heard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKHAxW_Gp7M.
More information on the June 3rd On-site Event
Online presentation will be available on our ACE 2023 page starting June 3rd.
About the artist:
Vedran Mehinovic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Composition from New England Conservatory, and a doctorate from UC Santa Cruz. In 2007, his piece RA was selected as one of just three orchestral works to be performed during the Gaudeamus Music Week in Amsterdam, winning Honorable Mention at the week’s end. An enthusiast of world arts, Mehinovic has organized concerts of Korean, Hindustani, Uyghur, and Chinese music. His works have been performed in Bosnia, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, and the United States.
Artist Location: New Haven, CT
Social Media: Artist Website | bandcamp
