Cambridge
University
Experimental
Music
Ensemble
The Cambridge University Experimental Music Ensemble (CueMe) was founded in 2021 under the leadership of composer, researcher, and improviser Dr Saman Samadi. Samadi's initiative received support from Dr Peter McMurray of the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge and Lynette Alcántara of Wolfson College. The ensemble embarked on its journey with a distinct mission: to breathe new life into the classics of 20th-century repertoire through innovative and unconventional performances.
CueMe's approach involves subjecting works from the annals of musical history, originally not conceived as 'experimental,' to a process of experimentation. This mode of interpretation aims to reveal hidden dimensions and unexplored possibilities within these compositions, effectively infusing fresh vitality into the classics of the repertoire.
In addition to their reinterpretations of historical works, CueMe enthusiastically embraces the contemporary music landscape. The ensemble is equally eager to perform pieces by both emerging and established living composers.
CueMe made its debut at the West Road Concert Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, on May 10, 2022, followed by another performance at Lee Hall, Wolfson College, Cambridge, on May 14, 2022. Through their commitment to innovation and artistic excellence, CueMe aspires to emerge as a trailblazing force within the experimental music scene in the UK, continually redefining the boundaries of musical performance and interpretation.
Board of Directors
Glen Downie, Executive Director
Dr Saman Samadi, Founder, Artistic Director
Eric Petzoldt, Emeritus Co-Artistic Director
Coby O'Brien, Secretary
Alice Drury, Treasurer
Musicians
Kristin Barone-Samadi, piano
Fatima Lahham, recorder
Coby O'Brien, flute
Ella Nixon, clarinet
Isidore Hiscock, clarinet, saxophone
Eric Petzoldt, saxophone, loutar
Valentina Ciniglio, saxophone
Dan Phillips, violin
Emily Abbott, violin
Bethany Norman, violin
Alice Drury, violin, piano
Katrina Toner, violin, voice
Nicky Swett, cello
Cressie Gethin, cello, voice
Imogen Aley, cello
Gregory May, double bass
David Cotter, guitar
William Want, guitar
James MacConnachie, guitars, piano
Reuben Bance, banjo, percussion, piano
Archie Morter, percussion
Lea Luka Tiziana, voice
Jonathan McClure, voice, keyboards
Alex Wrathall, voice, keyboards
Misha de Fockert, electronics
Chrysi Nanou, electronics
avec Boulez, Mallarmé, et Foucault
Saman Samadi's "Avec Boulez, Mallarmé, et Foucault," functions as a transformative platform that engenders a critical examination of preceding musical and literary compositions, as well as scholarly treatises, by means of methodical experimentation. This undertaking involves meticulous scrutiny of Pierre Boulez's "Notations pour piano," poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, and writings of both Boulez and Michel Foucault. Through this process, it aims to uncover hitherto unexplored potentials and interconnected themes within these source materials. This initiative further entails the deconstruction of these extant works, their reappropriation via performative methodologies, and the introduction of innovative modalities of interpretation and communication. Subsequently, it culminates in their reconstruction through an imaginative synthesis in the context of a live performance. Additional information is available in the following video recordings featuring the Cambridge University Experimental Music Ensemble, directed by Saman Samadi.
Creator and Director: Saman Samadi
Coby O'Brien, flute
Ella Nixon, clarinet
Eric Petzoldt, saxophone
Valentina Ciniglio, saxophone
Dan Phillips, violin
Alice Drury, violin
Emily Abbott, violin
Bethany Norman, violin
Nicky Swett, cello
Gregory May, double bass
David Cotter, guitar
Kristin Barone-Samadi, piano
Lea Luka Tiziana, voice
Reuben Bance, voice
10 May, 1:10 PM
Cambridge University Lunchtime Concert Series
West Road Concert Hall, Faculty of Music
14 May, 1:30 PM
Wolfson College Music Society
Lunchtime Concert Series
Lee Hall, Wolfson College
Speaking and Being: A Lecture Performance with Kübra Gümüşay
A dynamic lecture performance featuring saxophonist Dr. Peter McMurray on saxophone, sound artist Dr. Saman Samadi on electronics, mezzo-soprano Dr. Lea Luka Tiziana Sikau, and recorder player Dr. Fatima Lahham, with Kübra Gümüşay presenting her latest work, "Speaking and Being." This English rendition of her bestselling book 'Sprache und Sein' (2020) illuminates the profound influence of language on our cognitive processes, perception of others, understanding of the world, and the construction of cultural and political meanings. This event was an exploration of the intricate relationship between language, sound, music, and our existence.
9 April 2022
Cambridge Festival
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH)
University of Cambridge
Photo Credits
Pierre Boulez: Joost Evers/Anefo/Nationaal Archief
Stéphane Mallarmé: Paul Nadar/Sotheby's
Michel Foucault: Alexis Duclos/AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
Header photo: Sylvano Bussotti, Piano Piece #3, 1959.