performed by Schallfeld Ensemble at the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik on October 8th, 2022 in Bludenz, Austria

Flute - Elisa Azzarà
Bb / Bass Clarinet – Szilárd Benes
Soprano/Baritone Saxophone – Matej Bunderla
Accordion – Mirko Jevtović
Piano – Patrick Skrilecz
Percussion – Manuel Alcaraz Clemente
Violin – Lorenzo Derinni
Viola – Francesca Piccioni
Cello – Myriam García Fidalgo
Double Bass – Margarethe Maierhofer-Lischka
Conductor – Leonhard Garms
Sound engineer - Davide Gagliardi

recorded by Chris Swithinbank
mixed by Isaac Roth Blumfield

commissioned by the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation􏰙􏰗 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰏􏰈􏰝􏰕􏰍􏰌􏰣􏰍􏰋 􏰤􏰊􏰠􏰍 􏰣􏰍􏰅􏰎􏰠􏰍􏰘􏰥􏰦􏰍􏰋 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰨 􏰢􏰅􏰎􏰓 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰖􏰝􏰑􏰑􏰇􏰋􏰎 􏰇􏰡 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰩􏰋􏰌􏰖􏰎 􏰞􏰇􏰌 􏰐􏰅􏰍􏰘􏰍􏰌􏰖 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰆 􏰪􏰇􏰝􏰌􏰕􏰊􏰎􏰅􏰇􏰌 􏰢􏰋􏰅􏰎􏰎􏰍􏰌 􏰡􏰇􏰋 􏰐􏰆􏰓􏰊􏰈􏰈􏰡􏰍􏰈􏰕 􏰩􏰌􏰖􏰍􏰘􏰙􏰈􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰏􏰈􏰝􏰕􏰍􏰌􏰣􏰍􏰋 􏰤􏰊􏰠􏰍 􏰣􏰍􏰅􏰎􏰠􏰍􏰘􏰥􏰦􏰍􏰋 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰨 􏰢􏰅􏰎􏰓 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰖􏰝􏰑􏰑􏰇􏰋􏰎 􏰇􏰡 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰩􏰋􏰌􏰖􏰎 􏰞􏰇􏰌 􏰐􏰅􏰍􏰘􏰍􏰌􏰖 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰆 􏰪􏰇􏰝􏰌􏰕􏰊􏰎􏰅􏰇􏰌 􏰢􏰋􏰅􏰎􏰎􏰍􏰌 􏰡􏰇􏰋 􏰐􏰆􏰓􏰊􏰈􏰈􏰡􏰍􏰈􏰕 􏰩􏰌􏰖􏰍􏰘􏰙􏰈􏰍
Program note:

“End of summer, light between your eyes” deals with memory: not as something which flows easily and envelops you like a dream, but as a series of sensations, zoomed in, never able to regain the momentum or consistency of experience. 

Only the essence of the feeling, the strange details that remain after years, more present than the significant moments which always seem to disappear and reappear without reason, without a thread to hold them together. 

It deals with memory as distraction, as the inability to stay present in a moment, as a kind of zig-zag through realities both present and obscure; as something which binds together and something which is irredeemably isolating, which constantly presses on the ability to share anything at all.

End of summer, light between your eyes  |  for ensemble (2022)

contact: isaac.blumfield@gmail.com

Isaac Roth Blumfield is a composer from Saint Paul, Minnesota, currently based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He writes experimental music for acoustic and electronic instruments which explores resonance, materiality, and memory through expanded sonic approaches towards instruments and objects. His music looks for the strange spaces between subjective and unconscious experience, exploring uncanny places between beauty, pain, and strangeness.
His music has been influenced through  through work with performers such as ensemble sonic space basel alumni, Schallfeld Ensemble, violinists Austin Wulliman and Chris Otto, line upon line percussion trio, Ensemble Modern, Barcelona Modern Ensemble, guitarist Francesco Palmieri and Jamie Monck, and Quartetto Maurice at programs such as the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, the Banff Centre for Creativity, Yellow Barn Young Artists Program, New Music on the Point, Valencia International Performance Academy, Ticino Musica Festival and Freie Universität Berlin im Sommer.  
His music has been broadcast on Swiss Public Radio and supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Fondation Nicati - De Luze, and the Hirschmann Stiftung. He graduated with his Bachelor's degree in composition at New England Conservatory in Boston and a Master's degree in composition at the Hochschule für Musik FHNW in Basel, Switzerland and is currently pursuing post graduate studies at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna. His primary teachers have included Stratis Minakakis, Timothy McCormack, Caspar Johannes Walter, Svetlana Maras, and Clara Iannotta. He is currently a PhD candidate at Harvard University, studying with Chaya Czernowin and Hans Tutschku.

Schallfeld is an international ensemble for contemporary music based in Graz. The group sparks the interest of its audience by its vivid virtuosity and refined chamber music sound, paired with interpretations that pay special attention to concert format, creating events that adapt to the specific venue while aiming for a new dimension of listening.
The ensemble was founded in 2013 by alumni of Klangforum Wien and composition students of Kunstuniversität Graz. It currently consists of musicians from 8 nationalities and reflects the diversity and different interests of its members in its artistic direction. In the last few years, Schallfeld has been able to establish itself on international stages through exciting programming with a focus on young composers, innovative concert-stagings as well as through the quality of its collective improvisations and innovative use of live-electronics. 
Schallfeld sees its mission in bringing music of international young composers to Austria and acting as an ambassador for new music production abroad. Besides its own concert cycle in Graz, Schallfeld is regularly guest in festivals in Austria and abroad, such as Wien Modern, Impuls Graz, Klangspuren Schwaz, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Afekt (Estonia), Poznan Musical Spring (Poland), EMA (Spain), Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival (South Korea). In 2016 and 2017 Schallfeld has been selected by the Ministry of Foreign/cultural Affairs as rappresentative of NASOM (New Austrian Sound of Music), a program designed to promote young Austrian artists internationally.
The ensemble is also involved in pedagogical activities and collaborative theater projects for children and adults. Schallfeld is funded by the municipality of Graz, the federal state of Styria, the Austrian federal Government and receives generous support from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the iem (Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics) Graz. Past projects by Schallfeld have also received grants by the EU (Youth in Action), Music Austria (MICA) and KulturKontakt Austria.