The duo Alto Nova, consisting of violist Emlyn Stam and pianist Sherry Grant, brings together music, poetry and photography in this recital in a search for identity, memory and resilience.

Part 1: Paradise Lost, Voices Rising

Paradise Lost, Voices Rising presents two world premieres of composer-authorised arrangements of evocative works from Ukraine and Taiwan, specially reworked for the International Viola Congress 2026.

Valentin Silvestrov – Kitsch Music (1977, arr. Stam/Grant 2025)

The centrepiece of the programme is Kitsch Music by the prominent Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. Originally written for solo piano, this work will be performed for the first time in a new arrangement for viola and piano.

In five delicate, ephemeral movements, Silvestrov’s characteristic “meta-music” unfolds – a transparent, post-Romantic sound world that balances between nostalgia, irony and introspection. With instructions such as trembling but tranquil, very soft and distant, and bright and translucent, the music sketches an atmosphere of tranquil beauty – a moving evocation of cultural memory in uncertain times.

Fu Tong Wong – Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite (arr. Stam/Grant 2025)

The Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite by Taiwanese composer Fu Tong Wong is a poetic work inspired by the musical traditions of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples. Originally written for solo piano, this world premiere of the version for viola and piano gives the piece a new sound spectrum and an extra lyrical dimension.

The four movements – Cradle, Proposal of Marriage, Farewell and Celebration – depict life rituals and moments of transition within the community, in music that is alternately rhythmic, lyrical and deeply narrative.

Poetry and Image

During the concert, translations of contemporary poetry from Taiwan and Ukraine will be displayed, accompanied by photographic images from both countries. This visual and literary layer creates a multisensory experience that transports the listener into the cultural context of the music – a dialogue between loss and rebirth, between silence and resilience.

Part 2: Vio-Latino

Vio-Latino is a multidisciplinary project that brings together poetry, visual arts and ten world premieres of compositions for viola and piano, composed by leading composers of South American origin. The project was performed in Brazil, Argentina and Chile in July and August 2024.

In this programme, Emlyn Stam and Sherry Grant bring music, poetry and images into dialogue. The ten composers presented and the performing musicians all have a migrant background: their work reflects both their South American roots and the many international influences that have shaped their musical language. Vio-Latino is a celebration of diversity, identity and cultural exchange — an encounter between tradition and contemporary expression.

The performance is enriched with projections of contemporary South American poetry and artworks, carefully selected to resonate with the music in terms of content and emotion. This creates a layered, multi-sensory experience in which sound, words and images reinforce each other.

Programme Part 1) Paradise Lost, Voices Rising (Music from Ukraine and Taiwan)

Valentin Silvestrov (1937) – Kitsch Music (Stam/Grant 2025)

1. Allegro vivace – clear and vibrant, free yet calm
2. Moderato – smooth and light
3. Allegretto – very soft and translucent, from afar
4. Moderato – introspective, free and clear
5. Allegretto – gentle, radiant and cautious

Fu Tong Wong (1948) – Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite (Stam/Grant 2025)

1. Cradle
2. Proposal of Marriage
3. Farewell
4. Celebration

Intermission

Programme Part 2) Vio-Latino Music, Poetry and Visual Arts from South America

• Moshe Knoll (Venezuela / USA) – Bachianas Venezolanas
• Luis Saglie (Chile / Australia) – The Defiant Magpie
• Daniel Rojas (Peru / Australia) – Bygone Angels
• Polo Piatti (Argentinia / UK) – Los Locos
• Barbara Varassi (Argentinia / Netherlands) – From the Roof
• Silvina Milstein (Argentinia / UK) – que llega y parte dorada espumante del agua
• Jean Kleeb (Brazil / Germany) – Ritual para a terra