Avatars and I

Libero Mureddu's third doctoral concert - for one pianist and multiple audiovisual live projections

‘The Avatars and I’ is my third doctoral concert. It was premiered on the 29th November 2024 at the Helsinki Music Centre.

Excerpt from the premiere of 'The Avatars and I'

Performers

  • Libero Mureddu, piano, concept, artistic direction
  • Giorgio Convertito, live audiovisuals
  • Livia Schweizer, live audiovisuals

Programme notes

From a research perspective, I wanted to deepen my understanding of what improvising in a complex, extended, technologically mediated multimodal space entailed, and what were the possible strategies to positively transform the numerous challenges of such a space into affordances. In designing this concert, I kept the idea of placing the improvisers in unconventional situations: I played the piano ‘alone together’ with two digital audiovisual replicas of myself, and Giorgio and Livia played those replicas via a digital instrument, something far from their usual instruments, dance and flute.

On the personal level, this was possibly the most intimate project I ever made. It was a reflection on the piano, my pianism, all the love (maybe some hate?) I had for this life companion for over 40 years, and all the musics that had been part of my life: classical, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, pop, experimental, improvised music. As an example, without having shortly been part of the 90s hip-hop scene in Italy, I wouldn’t have conceived such a project, in which sampling and turntablism techniques informed quite deeply the software design.

At the premiere, I also shared the stage with two very, very close friends, and despite our multi-nationalities, we were all Italians, deep inside. This strongly influenced the rehearsal and design process of the overall project, through numerous discussions, jokes, reflections. Therefore, the project and the research were the result of working with them.

Libero Mureddu

Credits

  • Video shooting: Max Hilsamer
  • Software: Akexis Baskind
  • Audio recording: Marko Myöhänen
  • Lights: Sirje Ruohtula
  • Assistand sound engineer: Simone Spampinato

This project was realised with the generous support of the Koneen Säätiö - Kone Foundation, and the Taiteen edistämiskeskus - Taike