New Works by Victoria Cheah & Qiujiang Levi Lu

The premieres of Victoria Cheah’s und Qiujiang Levi Lu’s new works, commissioned by TAK Ensemble, will take place at SWOONFEST25, the ensemble’s experimental music festival.

Qiujiang Levi Lu’s composition features 5-channel live video projections of the TAK ensemble, layering footage of each member on a screen behind them. The visuals reference traditional Chinese many-headed figures such as Saharsabhuja and Xiang Liu. TAK will perform musical and choreographed scores, reflecting on Lu’s relationship with these god-like figures using modern technology. The work combines electroacoustic sound, cyborg-like body augmentation, and ritualistic improvisation to explore themes of body dysmorphia, sexuality, spirituality, and morality.

Victoria Cheah’s The presence of the body within the void investigates the acoustics of space and the psychoacoustic effects of sound cancellation through bodily movement. The work explores a sense of the void and cancellation of the self. Inspired by the Maagdenhuis in Antwerp—a historical site where parents could anonymously leave their babies in a rotating door—Cheah’s new work delves into themes of femininity, absence, reproductive freedom, and queerness.

The premiere performances are made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further Information:
takensemble.com

Dates

September 12 & 13, 2025
DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Cary Hall, New York