PITCH - Teresa Vila Verde

Nome do projecto: "THEATRICALITY AND IMPROVISATION IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE"

Género artístico: Performance

Musical performance is typically understood and studied as a mere sonic event.
However, a live performance naturally adds a visual dimension that cannot be neglected by
musicians. My conviction is that this dimension is even more crucial in the reception of newmade music - an aspect that I expect to study with more depth in the future.
Now, to overcome the traditional visual impoverishment of the musical concert I started
exploring the theatricality in my musical performances. Here, “theatricality” is used in the sense described by the French theatre producer Antonin Artaud (1896-1948): it means to make use of the whole body (and not just of the hands) to play an instrument, and to employ adequate stage techniques like lighting, scenery or media to enhance the expressive theatrical (musical) message. As a result, I mixture written musical pieces with musical (and non musical) improvisation, body/gesture movements, acting, vocal effects, technological devices, and so forth. So, as the title suggests, it is at the interface between musicianship and performance artistry that I intend to focus my future artistic and academic paths.
To do this I chose the contemporary repertoire because it can more easily accommodate new perspectives around music-making and allow performers to stamp their personal ideas in a more creative manner. Additionally, new music is more acquiescent to be cross-fertilised with other elements, taken from other performing arts and technologies, and this represents an exciting field for those interested in experimenting with new paths for artistic and personal expression.