KENT OLOFSSON + ROBERT EK: Olofsson, Wishart, Hettne / INTONAL 2025

Jenny Hettne: As They Flutter About (2023) – for bass clarinet and fixed media 11’

Trevor Wishart: Imago – electroacoustic music (2002) 26’ (diffusion by Kent Olofsson)

Kent Olofsson: Pendulum Songs & Swings – for clarinet and electronics (2024-25) 14’ (first performance)

Jenny Hettne works innovatively and often in close collaboration with musicians as she explores the sonic possibilities of music. She composes for both orchestras and smaller ensembles, sometimes incorporating electronics. Her acoustic music is strongly influenced by electroacoustic music, and vice versa. "As They Flutter About", for bass clarinet and electronics, was composed in close collaboration with and dedicated to clarinettist Robert Ek.

The music begins in the bass clarinet’s lowest register, within a static soundscape of barely perceptible variations – gently undulating or subtly rasping. In the second part of the piece, the movements expand; they vibrate, flutter, and shimmer. The soloist and the electronic part function as a duo, at times exchanging roles: special playing techniques on the instrument create an almost electronic timbre, while unprocessed clarinet recordings appear within the electronic part.

 "Imago” (2002) is a piece of magical sound metamorphosis in which the single ‘clink’ of two whisky glasses gradually metamorphoses into a multitude of other sounds, eventually alluding to the sounds of birdsong, a junkyard gamelan, the ocean and the human voice, but never entirely abandoning its links to this minimal source. The piece was made using sound transformation software written by the composer, available through the Composers Desktop Project, and the original source sound was taken from Jonty Harrison’s ‘et ainsi de suite’.

"Pendulum Songs & Swings" emerged from an artistic research project led by clarinettist Robert Ek, investigating a musician’s movements in playing, using different artistic lenses. The research took place as a series of artistic lab sessions with Robert Ek as a performer, Lidia Wos as choreographer, Emmalisa Pauly as photographer, and Kent Olofsson as composer. A rich sonic, visual, and choreographic material was created that is currently being analysed and will be presented later in an audio-visual form. From this abundance of material a few small, singular, but generative ideas form the basis for the composition; sonic and musical ideas, as well as visual and choreographic: two clarinet multiphonics, and two movements while playing: one circular, rotational, and one as a pendulum. 

Kent Olofsson is a composer with an extensive artistic output of over 200 works that span a broad field of genres, ensemble types and contexts including music for orchestra, chamber music, electroacoustic music, music theatre, rock music, and works for dance performances and installations. The last decade his artistic work and research has been particularly focused on exploring musical composition in experimental theatre performances, where particularly his work with Teatr Weimar and with artist Nina Jeppsson has been widely acclaimed. Since 2021 he is professor of performing arts at Stockholm University of the Arts.

Visit Ken Olofsson’s artist page – kentolofsson.com

As a clarinettist, Robert Ek has specialized in contemporary music, both as a chamber musician and as a soloist. With great curiosity and dedication, he works together with composers to further develop the repertoire for his instrument. He has recorded around 20 records and premiered many works as a soloist and chamber musician.

Visit Robert Ek’s artist page – remusik.se

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