Frédéric Acquaviva and Kombat Diva have been performing in collaboration for many years but it has been nearly a decade since New Haven's seen them; the Institute Library is proud to host their return to town. This evening, Kombat Diva will perform excerpts from Acquaviva's The 120 Days of Musica, and selections from her own Panic Room: The Singterviews.

The self-taught experimental composer Frédéric Acquaviva (born January 20, 1967) splits his time between Paris, Berlin, and London. In 2020 he was awarded the SWR prestigious KARL SCZUKA PRIZE for his electronic opera ANTIPODES, the third French composer to receive it after Pierre Henry and Luc Ferrari.

Acquaviva has been prolific on the underground/experimental music scene, working with major figures of the historical avant-garde including Isidore Isou, Pierre Guyotat, Henri Chopin, Dorothy Iannone, and mostly mezzo-soprano Loré Lixenberg. Creator of "chronopolyphonic" installations, he works on the notion of "oxymoron" and in the intersection of instrumental or voice, with computer editing since 1990, sometimes including video-texts or live streams, mixing a conceptual approach with physical body sounds.

Mezzo-soprano KombatDiva is a singer/soundartist working across opera, sound art, film, radio, installation and experimental comedy. She has performed and premiered major works from Cage to Walshe, Acquaviva to Aperghis to Sciarrino, collaborating with leading composers, ensembles and institutions worldwide. Her work explodes operatic structure into participatory systems, from singing blockchains and dating-app operas to political parties, film-operas and extended-voice ritual. Kombat Diva is the founder of The Voice Party, winner of the Rose d’Or, as well as Phonurgia Nova, Prix Italia and John Cage Awards.

This hour-long performance will be a rare experience; those with an interest in extremely unsual aural experiences and interdisciplinary art will not want to miss this evening. Doors at 6:30; Performance at 7:00. Seating is limited. Please email Eva@Institutelibrary.org if you have any questions.

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Frédéric Acquaviva KombatDiva

Kombat Diva & Frédéric Acquaviva: Excerpts from "The 120 Days of Musica" and "Singterviews"