Carl Alexander, countertenor (premiere photo)
Live Recording at Galvin Hall, Evanston | Premiere: June 4, 2022.
Audio Engineering by Bienen School of Music. 
Recording & Mixing by Dan Nichols (Aphorism Studios). 
Niki Harlafti, composer. All Rights Reserved.

My voice cycle "SPEAK" is about the ineffable. Since I feel forced to speak (through composition), this cycle is my attempt to transcribe the sounds and words in my head, especially those connected to suppressed thoughts, instincts and fears, all of which I feel unready to share with the public but do it anyway. In “Skeptomenos,” some of the sounds are familiar, friendly, funny, and spontaneous, whereas others are scared, anxious, suspenseful, confused or angry; here lies their vocal interpretation, as I currently experience the world.

This whole piece can be seen as a dramatic, phonetic monologue with stream-of-consciousness elements, drawing from surrealist poetry. In the process, I borrow Greek phonemes (ε, ρ, ο, ου), exclamatory moria (πωπω!), decontextualized short phrases from the Greek language (πες το) and syllables inspired by Greek words (σε, πο, με, τι etc.) written in IPA and latin characters (see score), altogether creating a phonetic “langage.” Linguistically speaking, this langage is reminiscent of the Greek language, but lacks functional grammar or syntax. 

Ιn “Skeptomenos” (Σκεπτόμενος), the consonants are the protagonists of the unutterable. For no particular reason, I initially chose the fricative “s” and the stop plosives “k,” “p,” and “t.“ I soon realized that these consonants coexist in the Greek word "skeptomenos" (σκεπτόμενος), which means “thinking” [man], being the male participle of the verb “think” (σκέπτομαι). In the participle, the nasal “n” can be paired with the “m,” therefore my musical and technical challenge became the transition from an environment of plosives and fricatives to one of nasal consonants, the lateral “l,” and more. In this piece, vowels are always paired with consonants; in combination with other effects (inhalation, lip-pops, tongue rolls, vocal fry etc.), vowels assist with plot development, dramaturgy and they facilitate seamless or antithetical transitions between consonant categories. 

The dissonance between suppressed thought and spoken word is amplified by rolled “r”s or other sustained letters that don’t belong to the word "skeptomenos," usually held as high or very low notes, frantically loud and continuous. Other times, these letters have a mechanical feel to them, through fast and insistent repetition, reminiscent of a malfunctioning machine. Lastly, the insistent, mysterious and disruptive whispers are unidentified voices in the performer’s head. The performer can pivot freely between drama and comedy, as they give into the truth of their own sound, beyond the composer’s intention. The personalities of composer and performer meet at the subjective interpretation of expressive instructions and personal sense of narrative.

Skeptomenos [2017]_for solo amplified voice (Voice Cycle "SPEAK")

Photo (background): "Migdal," dance film by Anima Libera Dance Company. All Rights Reserved to Christos Kapatos.

Niki Harlafti is a Greek, Chicago-based composer. Her work pivots between sensitivity and violence, comedy and drama, musical and theatrical narrativity; it exists in the reflective space between the familiar and the unfamiliar, investing in the disruption and reinvention of recognizable patterns. Lastly, she is passionate about social justice and strives to make art in ways that reflect her values.

She has collaborated with Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, loadbang, ~Nois, CME (director: Alan Pierson), BCE (director: Donald Nally), The Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra, guitarist Ruben Mattia Santorsa, bassoonist Ben Roidl-Ward, saxophonist Thomas Giles, soon by Oros Ensemble, and others. Her works have been performed at Roulette Intermedium (NYC), LSO St.Luke’s (London), Rambert Dance (London), the DiMenna Center (NYC), Constellation (Chicago), Jordan Hall (Boston), Musikinstitut Darmstadt (DE), IYCA Ticino (CH), June in Buffalo Festival (NY), Ear Taxi (Chicago), ECCE Music Festival (FR), the Onassis Stegi (Athens, GR) and numerous dance film festivals.

Her recent works include "doRon eauTomb," a commission for violin and cello by the Onassis Foundation (Onassis Stegi, GR | 2024), "Tee Khe Theemen?" for five voices, premiered by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, "The Blood of Others" for bassoon and electronics, premiered by Ben Roidl-Ward (Chicago | 2024), and the original soundtrack for the awarded dance film "Migdal" by Anima Libera Dance Company (GR | 2022).

In search of expressive means that transcend absolute music, she has collaborated with several poets, including Laura Mullen and Sun Yung Shin (U.S.), choreographers Mikaela Kanzafiri (GR) and Nancy Nerantzi (U.K./GR), film maker Christos Kapatos (GR), dramaturg/librettist Antigoni Gaitana (NYC/GR), painter Francisco Ledesma (MX) and other visual artists.

Niki holds a PhD in Music Composition from Northwestern University (Chicago), and a M.M. in Composition and Theory from New England Conservatory of Music (Boston). Her mentors include Hans Thomalla, Stratis Minakakis, Jay Alan Yim, and Anthony Coleman.

Skeptomenos [2017]_for solo amplified voice (Voice Cycle "SPEAK")

Niki Harlafti (Charlafti)