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 & Artistic Director

Dr Saman Samadi, Founder, Executive & Artistic Director Emeritus

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 (2022) 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 a scrutiny of Pierre Boulez's "Notations pour piano," the poetic oeuvre of Stéphane Mallarmé, and the writings of both Boulez and Michel Foucault. Through this process, this project aims to unearth hitherto undiscovered potentials and interconnected themes within these source materials. This initiative further entails the systematic 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 performance. Additional information are 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


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.