On Saturday, 31 May, Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes’s work “Only Air” will be performed in Porto, Portugal, as part of the ISCM World New Music Days 2025 festival programme.
The piece by composer Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes was selected to represent Estonia in this year’s festival programme in Porto by a jury of international experts. The ISCM World New Music Days festival is organised by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). Kozlova-Johannes’s work will be performed by the Sond’Ar-te Electric Ensemble, a Portuguese chamber group focused on contemporary music that combines acoustic instruments with electronics.
This year’s festival carries the subtitle “Thirst for Change” and focuses on environmental issues, particularly the problem of water scarcity, using music as a tool to raise awareness about societal challenges.
“The piece was inspired by an imagined scene consisting, on one hand, of ‘only air’ – something neutral, cold, mystically cosmic and perfectly empty – and on the other hand, ‘the blower,’ a presence that breathes life into it, embodying something inevitably human – vulnerability, solitude, warmth, and fragility,” says composer Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes about her work.
Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes has previously represented Estonia at the ISCM festival – her piece “The Dimension of Stillness” was performed in Sydney in 2010, and in 2019, when the festival took place in Estonia, her work “The Beauty of Decay” was chosen as the opening piece.
The ISCM is the largest international network in the field of contemporary music, comprising over 50 member countries, as well as festivals and new music centres as sub-organisations. The World New Music Days is one of ISCM’s most important activities and a major annual event in the contemporary music world.
Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes (b. 1977) studied at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She has participated in several international masterclasses and has worked as a composition teacher. Kozlova-Johannes has received multiple awards, including annual prizes from the Estonian Cultural Endowment. She is an active member of the Estonian Composers’ Union, and her works are known for their distinctive and contemporary sonic language.
According to established tradition, the festival presents at least one work by a composer from each member country. Each member submits up to six works for consideration in various musical categories. The host country changes annually. In 2025, the ISCM World New Music Days will take place from 30 May to 8 June in Porto and Lisbon, Portugal, organised by Miso Music Portugal. Estonia has been a member of ISCM since 2005. The participation of the Estonian delegation is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.