Immersive Maqam Open Rehearsal
Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch
PS21 is thrilled to invite our community to join the artists of Immersive Maqam for a free open rehearsal and discussion during their residency on Thursday, November 5th.
Immersive Maqam is a new interdisciplinary music project conceived by composer and electronic musician Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, bringing traditional Middle Eastern instruments, ranging from oud, buzuq, santur, to joza, into dialogue with real-time electronics, jazz, and contemporary music.
Rooted in the rich melodic traditions and improvisational possibilities of maqam music, the project explores a shared sonic language in which acoustic and electronic sounds become inseparable. Developed in collaboration with Palestinian singer Mona Miari, Palestinian multi-instrumentalist Zafer Tawil, and Franco-Lebanese violinist Layale Chaker, the work envisions an immersive soundscape that transcends cultural and musical boundaries.
Space is limited, so please register today.
“I imagine a situation free from any cultural hierarchy, where elements of Middle Eastern Maqam modal music blend with jazz, contemporary and electronic music to form a unique sonic and musical world that transcends notions of style and tradition.” – Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch (composition, electronics, artistic direction)
Immersive Maqam was initially developed through Villa Albertine’s 2025 residency program in New York, with artistic support from Amir El Saffar and Maqam Studio in Brooklyn.
Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch is a composer and sound artist. His interests goes from pure electronics to compositions for theater and dance, from soundtracks for images to interactive installations. In his compositions his interest is always focused on the idea of establishing new connections between elements that are otherwise distant : with projects outside Western aesthetics, such as those with Ballaké Sissoko or Amir Elsaffar, or with sound installations based on the inherent exoticism of environmental recordings, such as those for the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, or with compositions for contemporary dance for choreographers such as Michele di Stefano, Richard Siegal, Stijn Celis, or directors such as Adolphe Binder, which immerse the audience in a new soundscape through sound, but also through movement and, above all, space. In this sense, a large part of his work is devoted to 3D sound, multichannel and holophonic composition. He has received commissions from various institutions: Ircam-Center Pompidou, Musical Research Group (GRM), Venice Biennale, Gothenburg Opera, Musée du Quai Branly, Saarbrucken Opera, Ballet National de Marseille, RhurTriennale, Royaumont Foundation, Face Foundation, and many others … and has performed all over the world.
He graduated in architecture (Italy) and composition (France) he moved to Paris.
He founded the Label Ornithology Productions in 2022.
He’s associated artist at Ircam – Centre Pompidou from 2019 – 2023. He is professor of Electroacoustic Composition at the Conservatory of Montbeliard, France.
Zafer Tawil is a Palestinian musician and composer, a virtuoso of the oud, qanun, violin, and Arabic percussion. Born in Jerusalem and based in New York, he is recognized for his mastery of Middle Eastern musical traditions and his exploration of the boundaries between Arabic music, jazz, Indian, and Persian music.
https://www.instagram.com/zafertawil/?hl=fr
Layale Chaker is a French-Lebanese violinist and composer whose music fuses Arabic maqam, jazz, contemporary music, and improvisation. Trained in Beirut, Paris, and London, she has collaborated with ensembles such as the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Silkroad Ensemble.
https://layalechaker.com/home
