PRESENT – a live-composed work about everything that is present in this moment

There is no such thing as a tabula rasa. We might perceive the space as empty and our mind as silent, but if we stop to observe ourselves and our surroundings, we notice all the stories that surround us — stories that are present and flow through our every moment. In this work, the performers give voice to everything they can perceive to be present in the moment of the performance. They direct their attention first to what is inside the performance space, then to a representative of nature, and finally to what lies outside the space. Instead of escapism, Present delves into what is real in the moment and reveals its possibilities.

The concept for this site-specific work was developed and is led by Sonja Korkman. The piece premiered at the Kamarikesä festival in the summer of 2024, and the ensemble was founded in conjunction with that performance. Each performance is tailored to its specific space, harnessing the entire environment as part of the music. The work utilizes methods such as live composition, improvisation, and interaction with non-human elements, including the surrounding "silence" and plant biodata.

The "guest star" of the piece is a succulent playing a synthesizer. The sounds heard from the synthesizer reflect the internal processes of the plant. Sensors attached to the plant detect its biodata—changes occurring within the plant, such as the absorption of water or communication between its different parts. A biodata sonification device converts the plant’s pulses into MIDI data, which the synthesizer then makes audible to us.

The Finnish word for present - läsnä, is also the name of the quartet performing the work.

Läsnä is a contemporary music ensemble specializing in transforming compositions. The members of the ensemble are:

• Turkka Inkilä: Flute
• Jaime Estévez Moreira: Saxophone
• Lambis Pavlou: Piano
• Jasu Aalto: Double bass

The ensemble is led by composer Sonja Korkman. By transforming compositions, we mean works where the core remains the same, but the form or notes may change from one performance to another—compositions that sound different every time they are played but keep their nature. Depending on the artistic goals, the instructions to the musicians may consist of verbal cues, sets of rules, and/or sheet music. During the performance, live composition methods such as soundpainting, improvisation, or variation are used to achieve the artistic vision.

Website: https://sonjakorkman.com/lasna/

The concert is organised in collaboration with Tampering ry and is supported by Svenska Kulturfonden and Samuel Hubers Konststiftelse.