PARTICIPATION
soundscapes On-site June 1st and online June 9th
Izvorna is named after a style of folk music from the central Balkan region. “Izvor” means “source” or “spring of water” in most Southern Slavic languages. I used the Charter of Ban Kulin as the only sound source in the work, translated to Morse code. This document from August 29, 1189, represents the oldest known Bosnian writing found on paper. In it, the ruler of Bosnia guarantees free passage through his domain to all citizens of Dubrovnik (in modern-day Croatia). Movement of people was highly restricted in the Middle Ages, so this permission held great importance, and invited an exchange of commerce between the two entities. While creating the work, I found myself combining the sine tones of the Morse code in a way resembling aspects of Balkan folk music, including the microtonal nature of izvorna singing, and older styles from which it emerged. The resultant sound made me think of Yugoslavian telephones from the 1980s, playing what they understand to be folk music.
Vedran Mehinovic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Composition from New England Conservatory, and a doctorate from UC Santa Cruz. In 2007, his piece RA was selected as one of just three orchestral works to be performed during the Gaudeamus Music Week in Amsterdam, winning Honorable Mention at the week’s end. An enthusiast of world arts, Mehinovic has organized concerts of Korean, Hindustani, Uyghur, and Chinese music. His works have been performed in Bosnia, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, and the United States.
Artist Location: New Haven, CT
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