Monica Germino violin & electric violin
Tatiana Koleva percussion & marimba
Michaela Riener voice & keyboard
Susanna Borsch recorder & electronics
About the ensemble
Four women, four nationalities, and a battery of resources: violin, electric violin, percussion, mallets, voice, keyboard, recorders, effects, and electronics. Hailed by the New York Times as “viscerally thrilling…with an explosive energy”, ELECTRA is a powerful mix for a twenty-first century ensemble. Four internationally renowned performers unite in an unusual line-up to create highly original and critically lauded programs. Based in The Netherlands, and coming from different countries (USA, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany), ELECTRA works with established composers and discovers new collaborations, combining the latest new music with visual and theatrical elements. The ensemble performs amplified and is constantly exploring new territory.
Performances
ELECTRA has performed worldwide to critical acclaim. The Daily Telegraph praised “the excellent four-piece ELECTRA Ensemble” for their UK debut at the Barbican Centre. Their sold-out New York debut, presented by the Great Performers Series at Lincoln Center, was met with glowing accolades from the press. At the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, critics and a capacity audience alike raved about Witches & Bitches, the captivating show that united choreographers, filmmakers, and composers ["generated much excitement... technically brilliant musicians...an enthusiastic public..." ]. Passionate advocates of contemporary music, ELECTRA gives workshops and master classes during their tours throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. Other highlights include performances at Queen Elizabeth Hall, MASS MoCA, Agora Festival (IRCAM), Varna Summer International Festival, Pontino Festival, and the Bergen International Festival.
Works
The many new works written for ELECTRA include pieces by John Abram, Louis Andriessen, Hans Asselbergs, Corrie van Binsbergen, Cornelis de Bondt, Donnacha Dennehy, David Dramm, Ron Ford, Huba de Graaff, Guus Janssen, Vanessa Lann, Chiel Meijering, Belinda Reynolds, Elmer Schönberger and Jacob TV. Since the founding of ELECTRA in 1999, the ensemble has worked closely with composer Louis Andriessen. The collaboration with New York filmmaker Hal Hartley generated the acclaimed short film The New Math(s) with ELECTRA performing the soundtrack, in a co-production of the NPS and the BBC. This film is part of the constantly developing program ELECTRA & FILM, the group’s platform for exploring new compositions in combination with live images and film. Other programming highlights include the dynamic multi-media program Voice & Vision. This program explored the relationships of sung and spoken text, music, and images, and has been performed extensively in The Netherlands and abroad. In the successful show Witches & Bitches, ELECTRA smashed the barriers between music and performance while further sharpening the group’s unique sound. The program INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPES explores the nature of the industrial experience, incorporating distortion, electronics, video projections and installations.
CD/DVD Able to be
ELECTRA‘s CD/DVD ABLE TO BE, released by Attacca Records, is a retrospective of works by a stunning mix of talented composers and filmmakers. ELECTRA will continue to involve composers from around the world in concert programs and multimedia projects.
