The Sounding Sea by Michaela Cornelius

The Sounding Sea is a composition for string quartet that explores vocal timbres and spirituality in nature. Using a suite of techniques that reflect different vowels, the composition emulates vocal qualities on string instruments, resulting in a series of contrasts: smooth and edgy, elongated and halted, muted and coarse. The Sounding Sea reflects the composer’s journey in reconnecting with nature, and in particular the ocean, which represents a collision of reinvigoration, grief, uninhibited expression and force. The timbres morph in wavelike motions, submerging and rippling: gentle, like calm waters out at sea; and jagged, like foamy waves crashing on rocky shores.

Friday 24 February, 19:30
UC Arts Recital Room, South Quad, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora

About

Michaela Cornelius, or Mikatte Music, is an Auckland-based composer and sound designer. They completed their BMus Honours at the University of Auckland, specialising in Composition and Sonic Arts. Michaela’s had works performed at the Douglas Lilburn Composition Prize concert, APO and NZSO orchestral readings. In 2022, they released the soundtrack for Her Jentle Hi-ness, an historically-themed visual novel, and created sound design for Dredge, a brooding fishing sim with a sinister undercurrent. In 2021, their soundtrack premiered in the Auckland Fringe Festival for Coded: a one-woman play exploring female sexuality. They’re involved as a composer for Don’t Forget Your Towel, creating evocative theme songs for a wide range of TTRPGs.

Michaela will be performing with

Thomas Bedggood (violinist)

Ella Chen (violinist)

Rebecca Harris (violist)

Maggie Ma (cellist)