Date Friday January 16, 2026
Start 21:00
Doors open 20:00

In this recital, the duo Alto Nova, consisting of violist Emlyn Stam and pianist Sherry Grant, brings together music, poetry, and photography in a quest for identity, memory, and resilience.

Part 1: Paradise Lost, Voices Rising

Paradise Lost, Voices Rising presents two world premieres of composer-authored arrangements of evocative works from Ukraine and Taiwan, specially reworked for the International Viola Congress 2026 .

Valentin Silvestrov – Kitsch Music (1977, arr. Stam/Grant 2025)

The centerpiece of the program is Kitsch Music by the prominent Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. Originally written for solo piano, this work is performed here for the first time in a new arrangement for viola and piano.

In five subtle, ethereal movements, Silvestrov's signature "metamusic" unfolds – a transparent, post-Romantic soundscape that balances between nostalgia, irony, and introspection. With cues like trembling but tranquil, very soft and distant, and bright and translucent, the music paints a picture of hushed beauty – a moving evocation of cultural memory in uncertain times.

Fu Tong Wong – Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite (arr. Stam/Grant 2025)

The Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite by Taiwanese composer Fu Tong Wong is a poetic work inspired by the musical traditions of Taiwan's indigenous peoples. Originally written for solo piano, the suite gains a new sonic palette and an added lyrical dimension in this world premiere of the viola and piano version.

The four movements – Cradle, Proposal of Marriage, Farewell and Celebration – depict life rituals and moments of transition within the community, in music that is by turns rhythmic, lyrical and deeply narrative.

Poetry and Image

The concert will feature translations of contemporary poetry from Taiwan and Ukraine, accompanied by photographic images from both countries. This visual and literary layer creates a multisensory experience that transports the listener into the cultural context of the music—a dialogue between loss and rebirth, between silence and resilience.

Part 2: Vio-Latino

Vio-Latino is a multidisciplinary project that brings together poetry, visual art, and ten world premieres of works for viola and piano by leading composers of South American descent. The project was performed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile in July and August 2024.

In this program, Emlyn Stam and Sherry Grant bring music, poetry, and image into dialogue. The ten featured composers and performing musicians all have a migration background: their work reflects both their South American roots and the many international influences that have shaped their musical language. Vio-Latino is a celebration of diversity, identity, and cultural exchange—a meeting of tradition and contemporary expression.

The performance is enriched with projections of contemporary South American poetry and artworks, carefully selected to resonate with the music both emotionally and materially. This creates a layered, multi-sensory experience in which sound, words, and images reinforce each other.

Program Part 1) Paradise Lost, Voices Rising (Music from Ukraine and Taiwan)

Valentin Silvestrov (b.1937) – Kitsch Music (edit. Stam/Grant 2025)

Allegro vivace – bright and vibrant, free yet calm
Moderato – flowing and light
Allegretto – very soft and translucent, far away
Moderato – introspective, free and clear
Allegretto – soft, radiant and with care

Fu Tong Wong (b. 1948) – Taiwanese Aboriginal Suite (edit. Tribe/Grant 2025)

Cradle
Proposal of Marriage
Farewell
Celebration

Break

Program Part 2) Vio-Latino Music, Poetry and Visual Arts from South America

Moshe Knoll (Venezuela / USA) – Bachianas Venezolanas
Luis Saglie (Chile / Australia) – The Defiant Magpie
Daniel Rojas (Peru / Australia) – Bygone Angels
Polo Piatti (Argentina / UK) – Los Locos
Barbara Varassi (Argentina / Netherlands) – From the Roof
Silvina Milstein (Argentina / UK) – que llega y parte dorada espumante del agua
Jean Kleeb (Brazil / Germany) – Ritual para a terra

Visual Art

Diego Gravinese, Shalak Attack, Luisa Elena Betancourt, Brenda Rodriguez, Maximo Larua, Eqzequiel Briseno, Julieta Bussot, Beatriz Milhazes, Ricardo Fernández Olivares

More information: www.artsinfinitypress.com/vio-latino

Vio-Latino Concert Tour 2026 – Rotterdam

Vio-Latino Concert Tour 2026 – Rotterdam