Convergence (2023)
(for Solo Violin, Orchestra and Electronics)

Convergence (2023) - 30'

Violin, Orchestra, Live Electronics and Live Visuals 

Convergence is a collaboration between Pekka Kuusisto, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Jesper Nordin based on their mutual fascination on bringing different worlds and expressions together. Traditional Nordic folk music, video game technology, orchestral tradition and electronics are all converging in this piece. 

Using Jesper Nordin’s unique technology Reactional Music, Kuusisto & Salonen will be able to perform on virtual instruments with their movements and sounds. This becomes an alternative universe where they can zoom in on the building blocks of the score - the ”musical DNA” - and create alternative and complementary soundscapes with a virtual orchestra, all happening in real time.

The visualisation of these electronic aspects in the music is done by French visual artist Thomas Penanguer, who takes the same sounds and movements to drive generative visuals.

The music in Convergence is influenced by a wide variety of genres, and it is also very personal. The first movement is an adaptation of Jesper Nordin’s breakthrough piece calm like a bomb (2000) for violin and electronics, which is inspired by the rock band Rage Against the Machine and based on a lullaby his father wrote to him. The second movement is a cadenza based on a traditional Swedish fiddle tune - the Devil’s Polska after Pekkos Per. The third and final movement blends these aspects and goes from using micro intervals from Swedish folk music (which were called ”blue notes” more than two hundred years ago in Sweden, and could be light blue or dark blue depending on intonation) to transforming the solo violin to sound more like an electric guitar.