Petra Strahovnik: SCREAdoM

for five voices, sound installation and electronics

(2023)

CONCERT

SCREAdoM

The central theme of this piece is the suffering of innocent victims of war, that are helpless and are not able to run or fight the attack. It focuses on the horror of the moment(s) of the traumatic event as well as the reverberations of it (PTSD) and its effects on several mental aspects of the victims life after the attack. An aspect of Performance Art is implemented in this piece as well. A clean operatic voice shifting to extreme vocal techniques known in the world of extreme Metal vocalists and keeping the same pitch is used to, on the microlevel, bring you into the short but extremely traumatic experience and stretch the seconds of the attack with the sounds of a torturous scream coming from a deep place of pain, horror and uncertainty.

The piece SCREAdoM focuses on the suffering of innocent victims of war–women who have been raped. The lyrics are based on the testimony of victim number 87, given before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The focus is on the experience of a traumatic event and its long-lasting psychological consequences, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In my work, I combine elements of performance and extreme vocal techniques derived from the world of metal vocal aesthetics, while maintaining operatic projection and intonation. In doing so, I create a distinctly intense and physically perceptible sound space that dissects moments of attack and stretches them into a visceral sound experience–a scream that comes from the depths of pain, horror, and despair.

CODA

UnScream. The Voiceless–The Starving Children in War Zones

This piece is an epilogue to SCREAdoM, which gave voice to the pain of women affected by sexual violence in times of war. UnScream turns our attention to another atrocity: the silent suffering of children facing starvation in conflict zones. At its heart is a gesture of solidarity.
The voices you will hear–screams–were donated by children, teenagers, and students from across Europe. They offer their voices for those who can no longer scream, for those whose hunger is met with silence. It is raw, immediate, and emotionally urgent. It was created in response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and other war-torn regions. Prompted by the manmade nature of famine today, declared by the WHO and shaped by political choices, and by attempts to silence critical voices such as UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, this work refuses to look away. It is both a lament and a protest. A sonic plea. A reminder that we, as a global society, are failing our most vulnerable. With deep gratitude to all who lent their voices to speak for the voiceless.

(Petra Strahovnik)

Petra Strahovnik (Celje, 1986) studied composition with Uroš Rojko in Ljubljana and continued her master’s studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Peter Adriaansz and Martijn Padding. Her work often stems from themes that transcend music: questions about human experience, social challenges, and universal existence. Her creative process embraces cross-disciplinary research and a deep listening practice, where freedom of interpretation plays a central role, echoing the spirit of the Socratic quote: »I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only encourage them to think.«

She is internationally recognized for her fearless exploration of sound and for connecting music with other artistic disciplines. She received the Grand Prize at the 66th International Rostrum of Composers for her composition Prana. In collaboration with the ensemble Modelo62, she created the project disOrders, which addresses themes of neurodiversity and mental health through music and performance art.

Her works have been presented at numerous international festivals, including MATA Festival New York, Ultraschall Berlin, November Music, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Music Biennale Zagreb, TROMP Percussion Eindhoven, Festival Musikprotokoll (ORF), Amsterdam Dance Event, International Ankara Music Festival, LSO St Luke’s (London), ECCO Festival, Ljubljana Festival, Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada, and Alte Oper Frankfurt. She has collaborated with leading ensembles such as Ensemble Modern, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Asko|Schönberg, HIIIT, Wespoke, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, and Flux Quartet, as well as conductors including Bas Wiegers, Rossen Milanov, Steven Loy, Lucie Leguay, Martina Batič, and David Niemann. Her interdisciplinary approach has led her to collaborate not only with musicians but also with pioneers of performance art, such as the collective Black Market International, blurring the boundaries between sound, body, and space in immersive, durational works.

Her achievements include the Berlin Art Prize for Music 2021 (Akademie der Künste) and the Villa Concordia artist residency in Bamberg, awarded by the Bavarian Ministry of Science and the Arts. With her radical, exploratory approach, she pushes the boundaries of contemporary music and creates works that challenge and shake up the listener, inviting them to actively experience the music.

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Petra Strahovnik: SCREAdoM

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