In this episode, Roulette TV presents an in-depth look at Czech composer Lucie Vítková’s performances in the spring of 2017 and winter of 2018. Vítková work draws inspiration wide-ranging sources from the construction and physicality of hichiriki (double reed Japanese flute), Japanese Gagaku notation, ethnomusicology, Michael Jackson, and environmental performance practice.
Performance date: 04/12/2017, 01/27/2018
Episode release date: 10/04/2018
Lucie Vítková is a composer, improviser and performer (accordion, hichiriki, voice, tap dance) from the Czech Republic. During her studies of composition at Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno (CZ), she was a visiting scholar at Royal Conservatory in The Hague (NL), California Institute of the Arts (USA), Universität der Künste in Berlin (DE), and most recently at Columbia University in New York City with Professor George E. Lewis. Her compositions focus on sonification (compositions based on abstract models derived from physical objects), while her improvisation practice explores characteristics of discrete spaces through the interaction between sound and movement. In her recent work, she is interested in the musical legacy of Morse Code and the social-political aspects of music in relation to everyday life. She has been nominated on 2017 Herb Alpert Awards in Arts in category of Music and she has put together two ensembles – NYC Constellation Ensemble (focused on musical behavior) and OPERA ensemble (for singing instrumentalists). During the Mentor / Protégé Residency in Tokyo (JP), she studied hichiriki with Hitomi Nakamura and has been a member of the Columbia University Gagaku Ensemble. As an accordion player, she collaborated with New York based TAK Ensemble, S.E.M. ensemble, String Noise, Du.0 , Argento Ensemble, Ghost Ensemble, and Wet Ink.