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
Social Media:
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.
Audio Composition On-site and online June 3rd:
“December Bells” is an ambient work of nearly two hours, an expansion of an eight-minute kantele (Finnish zither) composition by Pauliina Syrjälä. An instructor at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, her piece Kirkonkellot (Church Bells) is based on a kantele recording from the early 20th century. Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire on December 6, 1917. Parts of my work emulate scores of bells ringing out in celebration all around. The kantele is an instrument synonymous with Finnish identity, its creation attributed to the mythological shaman Väinämöinen, who chanted powerful spells. The densely overlapping textures of December Bells reflect this, along with the traditionally repetitive and interlocking nature of kantele performance, and similar singing styles of the Baltic region. Syrjälä’s work can be heard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKHAxW_Gp7M.
Soundscapes [audio tracks] On-site and online June 4th
Morning Rumble
Morning Rumble is an ambient work entirely created from Norwegian birdsong, and lasting over an hour. I was drawn to the contrast between the high chirps and low, rapid rumble of wings. These elements stretch to massive proportions in the piece, and inform the structure of the soundscape.
Prayer Wheel
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Proposed work as accepted for soundpedro 2021:
Prayer Wheel
Ambient spectral treatment of indie folk by Kesang Marstrand. The original can be found at kesangmarstrand.bandcamp.com/album/karmapa-khyeno.
Virtual Breakout During the Outbreak June 6th Livestream
Supercluster [excerpt]
This excerpt is part of a three-hour piece.
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Proposed work as accepted for soundpedro 2020:
“Supercluster” is a three-hour ambient composition, developed through spectral manipulation of eight audio sources, ranging from Machaut (14th century French composer) to Björk. The work opens with the second movement of Schubert’s “Trout” quintet, which over the next five minutes gradually becomes more dreamlike, giving way to an even more hazy “In a Landscape” (John Cage). The listener travels through areas of varying activity, density, and luminosity, akin to a galactic supercluster.
Alpha State Suggestions is an exercise in the expressive qualities of spoken voice. The Japanese text deals with various world facts, and has a partly humanitarian and ecological lean. The piece was created from a relatively short sample, spoken by Karen Gomyo in 2002.
June Haze
Spectral treatment of rock demos by Michelle Zauner.