Susanne Xin
An experimenting composer and pianist who will stop you for a moment of reflection.
She is a Norwegian-Vietnamese contemporary and experimental pianist and composer based in Oslo. Her recent work Cây Đa is a musical and documentary solo performance about her father’s memories as a boat refugee from the Vietnam war. Last year she was one of the composers at Borealis Young Composer where she transformed her solo work into an ensemble composition under the title Lullabies for refugees. As an artist, it is important for her to create an atmosphere where the audience can connect, reflect and remain in a dialogue. During the Sanatorium of Sound Festival she will perform with VRANG – a pianoduo with Nora Klungresæter.
The piano was once almost a holy instrument. It was only in the 20th century that it was dared to open it up, produce less conventional sounds and even be treated as a percussion. Klungresæter and Xin bravely make use of these advances, while still retaining much tenderness and sensitivity to the irreverent keyboard. They run preparation and other contemporary techniques through the filter of their experience, which leads us to believe that the sound performance they plan to present in the Sokołowsko space will be truly unique.