Commissions to Tonia Ko & Lauren Siess

In spring 2027, the [Switch~ Ensemble] will premiere new commissions by Tonia Ko and Lauren Siess. Combining ensemble performance and technology, both works explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world and its uncertain ecological future.

Tonia Ko’s Breath, Contained IV continues her series for bubble-wrap soloist, septet, and electronics. Building on earlier works for increasingly large ensembles, the piece explores the aftermath of a bubble’s pop, weaving fragments of previous iterations into the ensemble’s texture. Live electronics form an “outer space” surrounding the soloist and ensemble, an enclosure with unstable edges that behave unpredictably, shaped by the performers’ kinetic energy. Eventually, the electronics separate from the performers and take on a new identity, gently orbiting the ensemble.

Lauren Siess’ BLADDERWORT for quadraphonic ensemble and electronics continues her series exploring specific beings within ecosystems through surreal and speculative lenses. Inspired by the carnivorous bladderwort plant, the work uses spatialization, electronic processing, and sounds of water and insects to evoke an ecosystem shaped by pollution, predation, and transformation. Delayed rhythms and shifting reverberation create an immersive experience that reflects on the irrationality and playfulness of our environment.

The commissions by Tonia Ko and Lauren Siess are supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
switchensemble.com

Dates

April 9, 2027
Elebash Recital Hall, New York

April 14, 2027
Brown University, Providence