Olga Witte Organ Trio No 4 (DK)

Olga Witte Organ Trio No. 4 Premieres The Speaking Silence.

Once again, Olga Witte creates new sound universes in her experiments with the organ, this time in ensemble with two exciting cellists. In this piece, Witte also incorporates the sounds of an analog synthesizer. The mix of these very classical instruments and the very different sounds they can produce creates new soundscapes and strong contradictory experiences for the audience.

The music is somewhere between experimental jazz and modern compositional music. Olga Witte has a particularly deep knowledge of Indonesia, especially Bali, where she spent a total of 1½ years doing ethnomusicological fieldwork, and she uses elements of Balinese culture and music in her work.

The piece "The Speaking Silence" is also largely based on experiences and stories from Witte's fieldwork, as the music is written in various ways about recent Indonesian history in the period after 1965. Between 1965-66, between 500,000 and 1,200,000 people were killed in Indonesia, followed by very strong propaganda and a lack of acknowledgement of these killings.

The music will not tell a documentary story, but it will musically confront a reality that is still important both in Indonesia and as an analogy to the world we live in today, where wars, conflicting narratives, and propaganda plays a huge part in how life is lived and who gets to live, and where fake news is rampant.

The composition is supported by a working grant from the Danish Composers' Society / KODA culture.

About the musicians:

Olga Witte is a solo composer, jazz pianist, church organist, and ethnomusicologist with a focus on Balinese gamelan. She has written experimental pieces for ensembles ranging from soloists to big bands and other larger groups. In December 2002, Olga Witte released her critically acclaimed debut album Olga Witte Organ Trio No 1 + 2.

Olga Witte received Denmark's oldest jazz award, Gaffelprisen 2023, with the motivation: "Olga's commitment, drive, and curiosity have taken her and jazz far and wide. She is one of the contemporary musicians and organizers who move jazz forward. Olga Witte has received several grants from the Danish Arts Foundation and the Danish Composers' Society / KODA Culture.

The following was written about Olga Witte's debut concert at the Royal Academy of Music (2023): "The piece really wants its listener, and you are embraced by the sensitivity, necessity and warmth of the music. The concert space is utilized to the fullest and the aspect of time is used as an important tool in a mature way that shows a great sense of form. The piece uses improvisation, variation in frequency ranges and dynamics to hold the listener and move the music forward in a captivating and enveloping experience. Olga Witte is a very musical leader who appears sharp and clear in her performance.

Malthe Volfing Højager is currently completing his solo cello studies at the Royal Academy of Music in Jutland with Professor Henrik Brendstrup. He has received several scholarships, including the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Scholarship Talent Award. He has participated in international master classes in Norway and the USA with a special focus on modern classical music.

Malthe Volfing Højager has played a lot of contemporary classical music and has mastered many extended techniques, including multiphonics and subharmonics. He also plays a lot outside classical music, especially in jazz, pop and rock / metal music.

Since Johanne Andersson graduated as a cellist from the North Jutland Conservatory of Music in 2009, she has worked as an independent cellist, composer, arranger and musical entrepreneur both at home and abroad. The focus of Johanne Andersson's musical career has been on creating music, exploring the unknown, and moving between genres.

Johanne has always been fascinated by the tension between old and new, and using the traditional instrument in new ways. She covers a wide range of styles, from baroque to avant-garde, from jazz, pop and classical solo recitals to orchestral projects and theater and performance pieces.

Since 2017 she has been a member of the string group WHO KILLED BAMBI and has worked with artists such as Father John Misty, Pernille Rosendahl, Steffen Brandt, Fallulah, and Jonas Petersen.

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