This year, a commission consisting of international experts chose Madli Marje Gildemann’s work “Osmosis” to represent Estonia in South Africa within the program of the World New Music Days festival organized by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM).
ISCM is the largest international network in the field of contemporary music, connecting more than 50 countries, in addition to festivals or new music centers as sub-organizations. The World New Music Days are one of the most important outputs of ISCM’s activities. For composers, it is one of the most important contemporary music events of the year.
In this composition, the author has been inspired by a physical process in biological systems – more precisely, osmosis, which she has used to create the form of the composition, as well as to create sound textures. “I have studied the process of how water enters the tree through the root system, moves through the straw-like xylems to the top of the tree and disperses. The piece is largely based on my own recordings of the soil of Glattpark in Zurich, as well as sound research in the Hönggerberg forest. At the same time, you can hear what can happen inside this imaginary tree, how water and air bubbles caused by voltage changes move from the roots to the branches of the tree, as well as other constantly occurring sounds in the soil.” “Osmosis” was written for the Swiss ensemble Mondrian Ensemble.
Madli Marje Gildemann (Madli Marje Sink, 1994) studied composition at the Georg Ots Music School with Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes and Andrus Kallastu
from 2016 until 2018. Currently, she’s obtaining her master’s degree from the Zurich University of Arts in the film, theatre and media program. Her main source of inspiration is exploring ecoacoustics and various biological processes and finding new ways to express those processes in music.
She has composed music for choirs, various mixed ensembles and orchestra. She has also created music and sound design for theatre, animation, computer games, dance and created sound installations. Her music has been performed at various festivals, such as the Estonian Music Days, ISCM World Music Days, Baltic Music Days, AFEKT Festival, Al(t)chemie Festival” and “L’esprit de l’utopie”.
According to established practice, the festival presents the work of at least one composer from each member country. Each member state submits up to 6 work proposals to the international commission in different musical categories. In addition to Madli Marje Gildemann’s work, Estonia presented ISCM 2023. Works by composers Marianna Liik, Age Veeroos, Ülo Krigul, Helena Tulve and Xenia Zemskaja for the artistic committee of the World Music Days.
Every year the festival is organized in a different member state. This year, the ISCM World New Music Days will take place from 24 November to 3 December 2023 in Soweto, Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa.
The Estonian Composers’ Union has been a member of ISCM since 2005, and in 2019 it was chosen as the host country for ISCM’s major event held in Tallinn and Tartu. In 2014, at the general meeting of ISCM in Wroclaw, Arvo Pärt was also elected an honorary member of the organization as the first Estonian.
The Estonian Ministry of Culture supports the Estonian composer’s participation in the ISCM World Music Days. You can listen to the piece here.