WESTERN FRONT – Sarah Davachi in Residence

Description:

While in residence at Western Front, composer, performer, and researcher Sarah Davachi recorded and presented her long-form composition, Long Gradus (2020–21) played by the Montréal-based string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, composed of cellist Isabelle Bozzini, violist Stéphanie Bozzini, and violinists Alissa Cheung and Clemens Merkel. Over the course of the week, they recorded at The Warehouse Studio for two days and performed the composition in the Grand Luxe Hall. Following the performance, Davachi and the quartet were joined by Western Front assistant curator Nathaniel Marchand for a question and answer session.

Davachi also performed her composition, In The Grand Luxe Hall (2016) as part of a matinee. Commissioned by Western Front in 2016, In The Grand Luxe Hall is a composition for amplified cello and sine tones. The piece was performed within the space for which it was originally intended by Marina Hasselberg on cello and Davachi on electronics. Following this, Davachi performed an extended solo set of recent electroacoustic works.

Presented with the support of the Government of Canada and SOCAN Foundation.

Holding a pen and a green folder, Sarah Davachi looks upwards in a live room at The Warehouse Studio to listen to the acoustics of the room. Behind her is a brick wall and several large windows that have been covered with metal plates. Several microphone stands are placed around the room.

Sarah Davachi sits in contemplation with her head resting in her right hand. Her left hand holds a green folder and a musical score.

Framed between two music stands, and with a background of a large brick wall, Sarah Davachi sits on the edge of her seat as she looks down at a musical score in a pensive state. The foreground sees music stands equipped with digital tablets showing musical scores and time-keeping devices. Also in the foreground, and slightly out of focus are the right side of Isabelle Bozzini playing the cello and the left side of Alyssa Cheung playing the violin.

String quartet Quatuor Bozzini and composer Sarah Davachi rehearse in a live room at The Warehouse Studio. The quartet play their instruments while sitting on piano benches in a semicircle, as Davachi faces them, sitting on the edge of her seat pensively looking down towards the musical score in her hands. At the far end of the room is a semi-reflective window looking into the control room.

In a circle formed of piano benches and music stands, string quartet Quatuor Bozzin sit facing each other while playing their instruments. They are in the centre of a large room with brick walls. A vacant chair sits in the foreground.

Sarah Davachi stands beside a vertical black metal beam with her back up against a brick wall. She gazes pensively into the distance while listening to the sounds of string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, who sit in the centre of the room playing their instruments while reading musical scores being displayed on digital tablets resting on music stands.

Sarah Davachi pensively stares into the distance while about to make notes to a musical score which sits atop a grand piano. Several microphone stands sit in the background.

Sarah Davachi addresses string quartet Quatuor Bozzini as they sit in front of their music stands while holding their instruments. They are in a live room at The Warehouse Studio, which has tall ceilings, red bring walls, and another wall made of several panes of glass.

A wide angle shot of a live room at the Warehouse Studio set up for the recording of string quartet Quatuor Bozzini. The room has tall ceilings, two red brick walls, and at the far end, a balcony atop a wall of windows, which overlooks the studio. The quartet sit facing each other in the centre of the room playing their instruments.

String quartet Quatuor Bozzini sit facing each other in the centre of a live room at The Warehouse Studio. The room, with its wooden floors and walls of brick on one side, and glass on the other, is set up for recording, with several mics placed around the musicians.

A portrait shot of Stéphanie Bozzini. She smiles while holding her viola against her shoulder.

A portrait shot of Isabelle Bozzini playing cello with a focused look on her face.

A portrait shot of Alissa Cheung playing violin.

A portrait shot of Clemens Merkel playing violin.

Sarah Davachi and sound engineer Zack Blackstone in front of a large mixing desk in a control room at The Warehouse Studio. String quartet Quatuor Bozzini and Western Front staff members listen in from the back of the room.

String quartet Quatuor Bozzini sit facing each other in the centre of a live room at The Warehouse Studio. There are several microphones placed around the group as they play their instruments while reading a musical score off of digital tablets placed on music stands. In the background is a wall made of several sections of square glass planes.

A look through the window of a control room out into a live room at The Warehouse Studio. String quartet Quatuor Bozzini sit facing each other while playing their instruments in the live room, with several microphones placed around the room. In the foreground, Sarah Davachi sits at a mixing desk in the control room.

A look into through the window separating a live room and a control room at The Warehouse Studio. Sarah Davachi and sound engineer Zack Blackstone are seen in the control room behind a mixing desk. The window reflects string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, several microphone stands and a grand piano that are in the live room., Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

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Captions:

Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini and Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi and Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi and Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Portrait of Stéphanie Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Portrait of Isabelle Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio (2023). Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Portrait of Alissa Cheung at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Portrait of Clemens Merkel at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi (left), Zack Blackstone, Nathaniel Marchand, Susan Gibb, and Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Quatuor Bozzini and Sarah Davachi at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Sarah Davachi (left), Zack Blackstone, and Quatuor Bozzini at The Warehouse Studio, Mar, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.