Commission to Sarah Hennies

Supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, the Saviet/Houston Duo has commissioned a two-hour violin piece—Extended Melodies—from composer Sarah Hennies. The Duo is known for their exploration of the vast sonic potential of the modern violin and piano and seeks to further stretch these boundaries through collaboration with Hennies.

Based in Upstate New York, Hennies’ works often delve into the intersections of music, sociopolitical themes and psychological exploration, with a particular focus on queer and trans identity, psychoacoustics and the social and neurological aspects of creative thought. Reflecting on her compositional process, Hennies explains, “I became interested several years ago in the idea of ‘subconscious composition’ after I noticed that I repeatedly composed pieces from a subconscious psychological place, only to realize after the work was completed that the music was revealing something about myself that I didn’t consciously know was in the work.”

The new piece is comprised of melodies—significant for Hennies, as she has not written anything she considers a melody in the past two decades. The allure of melody, previously foreign to her, became a deep artistic desire she felt compelled to explore. The melodies, although frequently beginning in the same place, have middle notes with different rhythms, “creating a kind of disconnected connectedness, where the players move together but also weave in and out of one another on a smaller scale.”

The world premiere of Extended Melodies will take place at the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2025, followed by performances at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2025, the Edition Festival in Stockholm 2026 and the Gaudeamus Festival 2026.

Further Information:
saviethoustonduo.com

Dates

October 17, 2025
Donaueschinger Musiktage, Erich-Kästner-Halle

November 25, 2025
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Huddersfield Town Hall

September 10, 2026
Gaudeamus Festival Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg Hertz