Calumniam in Latin means oppression. The inspiration of this piece is a surrealistic picture that represents in general the modern society’s affection to the individual human being. The piece is written for a flute, a clarinet and a string quartet. The surrealistic picture shows a female head with her mouth closed with a handkerchief. People and animals are trying to shut her ears and her eyes down with corks or wooden windows. . Also watching the picture someone might think that it is possible to see but not to hear and it is possible to hear but not to see. The whole scene is really busy with the tone of grey, black and white that create a miserable and suffocating atmosphere. However, the eyes look above. This shows the hope of each person for something greater. The need for a person to be free as a human being and to have an individual culture and identity is one of the most important reasons of life. In my music I try to represent two scenes; one that is about the whole atmosphere of the scene and one that is about the thoughts of the person. In the end of the piece my aim is to show that the hope is even greater than anything happens in life. 

CALUMNIAM (2013) - sextet

“A selfish person always connects everything with his Ego. This person, loving the Ego, wants everything that surrounds him to be the same with that Ego. What intrigues him the most, is something that is not the same, but different. And this is because of the person’s deep desire to make it the same. This is the selfish person.”
With these thoughts by the composer, this piece explores this idea of combining two different musical materials. The first musical material is based on motivic, intervallic and rhythmic, patterns in order to create an active and hectic atmosphere. In opposite, the second material is based on steady harmonies and create a calm atmosphere and sense of settledness . Both materials are strong by themselves and after their presentation they will constantly try to become one. An experiment in this piece was the idea of anticlimax, that is why the piece starts with energy and it almost dies away.


Syndrome Ego - for Orchestra (2015)

Inspired by the namesake painting "Mosquito Net" by John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925), this piece is exploring the development of a motivic pattern in a formed harmonic structure that derived from the same pattern. 
In these white sheets and in a comfortable bed with big pillows a person is relaxing. The mosquito net, in my opinion, refers to a medium for inactivity. It prevents the mosquitos or anything else that tries to distract this inertness. The question is whether that person chose to be in this mode or others covered the person with the mosquito net in order to 'protect' him/her. The feelings of that person are unknown. What this painting projects to me is a feeling of vacuity with a melancholic tone due to the contrast between the white sheets and the black mosquito net makes. The melancholic character and the feeling of stableness are main parameters for this piece. 

Mosquito Net has been recorded by the Trinity Contemporary Music Group.

Mosquito Net (2015) - 8 minutes

The sense of Nostalgia.

The question I was seeking to answer was "in what ways can sounds give to you a sense of remembrance and nostalgia".
With this project my aim is to examine ways of exploring the idea of Nostalgia through sound. All the pre-recorded sounds are treated in a variety of ways in order to be played firstly as normal and then becoming distorted, distant or unrecognisable with different use of effects. 

Aesthetically with this piece I am seeing to create an atmosphere that makes the listener focusing on the changes from the normal/familiar to the distant/unfamiliar one and of course the interaction between the performer and the samples. 

The piece is based on recordings of my grandparents narrating their story of how they met each other and how they feel about each other. The structure of this piece is also based on the narration of my grandparents' recordings and the live singing process has a sense of improvisation around the structure. 

Nostalgia (2015) - Live Electronics- 5 minutes

What is fascinating and became the aim of the piece "Mixer Concrete" is that you focus on a sound that in everyday life might seems like a noise or not worth to pay attention to. With detailed processing and experimentation, you can get surprising results and interesting soundscapes. 

"Mixer Concrete" is a piece for solo electric mixer and pre-recorded material. I recorded the whole process of making a "Greek frape" and edited the sounds. I experimented also with the sounds of the glass. After the manipulation of the recorded material there was a live performance, which is the actual process of making a greek frape. 

Mixer Concrete (2015) - Live Electronics

Apo-echos is a piece for solo cello, tape and live electronics, a result of a personal project during 2015. It is inspired by Byzantine music, electronic music and classical contemporary composition. Although it is inspired by Byzantine music it does not function as a guide to Byzantine music or anything relevant. 
The main idea of the piece is the person who tries to listen to the inner voice while is being affected by the contemporary outside world.

Apo-echos First Movement(2015) -for solo cello, tape and live electronics

Apo-echos Second Movement(2015) - for solo cello, tape and live electronics

Apo-echos Third Movement (2015) - for solo cello, tape and live electronics

This piece was commissioned by Trinity Laban Composition Department in 2014 to be performed on the 18th of November by Trinity Laban Brass Dectet. The theme for this commission was "A song for all seas and all ships" which was a great inspiration for me. 
The general idea of "Returning" is the experimentation with different/opposite musical material and with the stage layout and sound spacing. By 'different/opposite musical material' I mean that I tried to combine non pitched sound such as breathing or percussive texture with pitched sound. Moreover, this piece offers improvisational freedom not only to the performers but also to the conductor.

Returning (2015) - For Brass Dectet

The score is created only at the event of the actual performance.
Nor the score neither the performance will ever be the same.
This piece challenges the idea of improvisation, interaction and composition.
A performer/conductor guides the instrumentalists by drawings, movements and indications.

The WhiteBoard (2015) - for alto flute, bass clarinet, cello, piano and performer

MMus in Composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance,
BMus at Royal Holloway, University of London
Currently Postgraduate Student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London
Composer, interested in contemporary composition and arts, pianist, dance lover

Anna Kalogirou

Popular tracks