Epic is an intangible heritage that carries mythic and historical narratives, which reflect the people’s social realm, migration, and customary law. As the narrative is preserved every time it is retold, the way of retelling evolves. Every song, every episode, every version, is individual. The singer’s vocal and intellectual capacity, wit, spontaneity, and sensitivity to involve the community, transform the moment. In this respect, the d:ua:ta project functioned over the last two years as a platform for trial and error in an attempt to redefine the notion of the narrative, of the roles, and of the environment in the context of contemporary music.

This talk focuses on the approaches in navigating Fabian Dalasay’s version of the Uwaeging and its influence in developing the piece, Diwata, for fourteen instrumentalists and live electronics, while taking the core methods- transcription, analysis, reflection, and systematic exploration into account. This talk also expounds relevant questions/issues in bringing up this topic in the European contemporary music scene.

Biography

Feliz Anne Reyes Macahis is a Filipino composer. Her music, woven with a steady hand from fine glass thread, speaks passionately through an intricate world of vocal, instrumental, and electronic resources.

Selected new works dedicated to exploring the potential of traditional epic singing in the context of contemporary music were presented in the following events: Royaumont Festival (Asnières-sur-Oise), Concert ManiFeste (Paris), and BRUCH + XXI (Köln). These works, along with other pieces, were broadcasted afterwards in her Radio Portrait with the Ö1 (Sprache als Klangstruktur, Zeit-Ton Porträt: Die philippinische Komponistin Feliz Anne Reyes Macahis).

Recent awards include the ULYSSES Co-Commission from IRCAM and the Fondation Royaumont, the Startstipendium from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport, and the Aide à l’écriture d’une œuvres musicale originale from the Ministry of Culture/ DRAC Îles-de-France.

Macahis studied composition with Jonas Baes, Kamran Ince, Oliver Schneller, Joachim Heintz, and Beat Furrer.  She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

https://www.felizmacahis.com