Freitag, 22. November 2013, 19.30
SHUT UP AND LISTEN! AWARD 2013
Helga Arias Parra (E/CH): Cellolar Synthesis
Cellolar Synthesis
The form of this piece is based on the general idea of a continuum or sound stream, which is
roundly built by the addition of the different cello strings. In this sense, the different
“fermatas” do not correspond to sections but to the addition of a higher string. The initial
gesture starts to build a whole structure in which the direction is purely circular. The
electronics are conceived in order to merge together with the instrument and create a
perfect symbiosis between the two of them. The artificial resonances are intended to extend
the sounds of the cello and leave place to a “meta-instrument”. All the samples used in the
electronic part come from real cello recordings, transformed by a wide range of techniques
such as granular synthesis, filters, stretching, resonators, etc. This piece was premiered by
the Spanish cellist Mery Coronado (Ensemble Taller Sonoro) at the RCSM Victoria Eugenia of
Granada and by the Italian cellist Marco Simonacci at the EMUFEST festival of Rome.
Helga Arias Parra
Born in Bilbao, Spain. She obtained her piano diploma in the city of Granada, Spain. After that
she began her composition studies in the same city, with the composer Juan Cruz Guevara and
later in the conservatory Giuseppe Verdi of Milan, where she studied with Mario Garuti and
Javier Torres Maldonado. Besides, she has received lessons from other composers such as
Georg Friedrich Haas, Mark André, Alberto Posadas, Dániel Péter Biró, Ken Ueno, Cristóbal
Halffter, Dominique Schafer and Javier Álvarez, among others, and participated in master
classes with Helmuth Lachenmann, Philippe Manoury, José María Sánchez Verdú or Daniel
Teruggi. She has recently been awarded in the international contest “Città di Udine” as well
as in the RCSM Victoria Eugenia de Granada contest for Symphonic Orchestra. Her music has
been played in festivals such as EMUFEST of Rome, the Klangwerkstatt in the Konzerthaus
Berlin, Festival Mixtur in Barcelona, Atlantic Music Festival in Maine, USA, Foro Internacional
de Musica Nueva (Mexico), Domaine Forget (Nouvelle Ensemble Modern) Canada, Casa del
Suono in Parma (Italy) or Etchings Festival (France). In October 2013 she participated in the
Experimentalstudio Academy of the SWR Freiburg. Currently she lives and works in
Switzerland and is taking Master's Degree in Computer Music in the Conservatory of Parma at
the same time, with the composer Javier Torres Maldonado.
https://soundcloud.com/helga-arias-parra
roundly built by the addition of the different cello strings. In this sense, the different
“fermatas” do not correspond to sections but to the addition of a higher string. The initial
gesture starts to build a whole structure in which the direction is purely circular. The
electronics are conceived in order to merge together with the instrument and create a
perfect symbiosis between the two of them. The artificial resonances are intended to extend
the sounds of the cello and leave place to a “meta-instrument”. All the samples used in the
electronic part come from real cello recordings, transformed by a wide range of techniques
such as granular synthesis, filters, stretching, resonators, etc. This piece was premiered by
the Spanish cellist Mery Coronado (Ensemble Taller Sonoro) at the RCSM Victoria Eugenia of
Granada and by the Italian cellist Marco Simonacci at the EMUFEST festival of Rome.
Helga Arias Parra
Born in Bilbao, Spain. She obtained her piano diploma in the city of Granada, Spain. After that
she began her composition studies in the same city, with the composer Juan Cruz Guevara and
later in the conservatory Giuseppe Verdi of Milan, where she studied with Mario Garuti and
Javier Torres Maldonado. Besides, she has received lessons from other composers such as
Georg Friedrich Haas, Mark André, Alberto Posadas, Dániel Péter Biró, Ken Ueno, Cristóbal
Halffter, Dominique Schafer and Javier Álvarez, among others, and participated in master
classes with Helmuth Lachenmann, Philippe Manoury, José María Sánchez Verdú or Daniel
Teruggi. She has recently been awarded in the international contest “Città di Udine” as well
as in the RCSM Victoria Eugenia de Granada contest for Symphonic Orchestra. Her music has
been played in festivals such as EMUFEST of Rome, the Klangwerkstatt in the Konzerthaus
Berlin, Festival Mixtur in Barcelona, Atlantic Music Festival in Maine, USA, Foro Internacional
de Musica Nueva (Mexico), Domaine Forget (Nouvelle Ensemble Modern) Canada, Casa del
Suono in Parma (Italy) or Etchings Festival (France). In October 2013 she participated in the
Experimentalstudio Academy of the SWR Freiburg. Currently she lives and works in
Switzerland and is taking Master's Degree in Computer Music in the Conservatory of Parma at
the same time, with the composer Javier Torres Maldonado.
https://soundcloud.com/helga-arias-parra
