Skaņu Mežs 2024 reveals lecture and workshop program

On October 3-4, Riga Latvia’s Skaņu Mežs festival for experimental music will hold a series of free-entry lectures and workshops at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and the Art Academy of Latvia.

The series of lectures is open for free to students, musicians, artists, journalists and simply enjoyers of music. The lecturers and workshop hosts include relevant figures in experimental music and related fields, such as free improvised music icon Fred Frith, Pulitzer prize winner Raven Chacon and Jennifer Walshe, hailed as “the most original compositional voice to emerge from Ireland in the past 20 years” (The Irish Times).

The topics will range from advanced vocal techniques and free improvisation to composing with AI and music photography.

Please, note that, since Fred Frith’s masterclass is planned for a limited number of participants, they should register for participation in advance by writing an informal email to aliseziemule@gmail.com.

A more detailed look at the educational program can be found here, however a brief overview can be found below:

October 3

Charmaine Lee: performance-lecture “The Voice, Improvisation, and Building a Personal Language”

When: 11:00

Where: Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of music (Krišjāņa Barona street 1), LMT Chamber Hall

Neil Luck: “Corpsing – the Fallible Performer in a Mediated Landscape”, an open lecture

When: 13:00

Where: Art Academy of Latvia (Kronvalda Boulevard 4, former University of Latvia Biology Faculty), auditorium 2

Fred Frith – Improvisation, a masterclass (limited number of spots available)

When: 15:00

Where: Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of music (Krišjāņa Barona street 1), jazz class (room nr. 328.)

! Attention ! Participants are asked to register for participation in advance by writing an informal email to aliseziemule@gmail.com.

Are Mokkelbost: “Technology as Access”, lecture and individual work with students

When: 16:00

Where: Art Academy of Latvia (Kalpaka Boulevard 13), building K2

October 4

Raven Chacon: Artist talk

When: 11:00

Where: Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of music (Krišjāņa Barona street 1), LMT Chamber Hall

Dawid Laskowski: “Naked Truth About Stage Photography”, an artist talk

When: 13:00

Where: Art Academy of Latvia (Kalpaka boulevard 13), building K2

Jennifer Walshe: “13 Ways of Looking at AI, Art & Music”, an artist talk

When: 15:00

Where: Art Academy of Latvia (Kalpaka boulevard 13), buildin

This cycle of lectures and workshops is supported by Culture Ireland, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, The State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of music, Art Academy of Latvia, as well as projects tekhnē and SHAPE+, both co-funded by the EU and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. SHAPE+ is also supported by Pro Helvetia.

Skaņu Mežs is also grateful to the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and the Latvian Academy of Art for collaborating on this series of activities.

More info: www.skanumezs.lv