Shattering the Ethereal Resonance by Vincent Ho is presented this week as part of  ‘Shattering the Silence,’ the Fifth Annual Acadia New Music Festival at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS, Canada.

Performed by the ‘Nothing but Gnarly’ new music ensemble directed by Mark Hopkins, Shattering the Ethereal Resonance, for clarinet, percussion, violin, viola and cello, features in the Opening Night Gala Concert alongside an array of four ecology inspired works by Andrew Staniland, Claude Vivier, Derek Charke and Hildegard Westerkamp, the Festival’s Composer-in-Residence.

Ho writes about Shattering the Ethereal Resonance: ‘During the summer of 2001, I was introduced to the concept of synesthesia – a neurological condition where stimulation of one sense will automatically create a second one (ie. hearing one particular sound may make one “see” a certain color). After researching the condition, I was inspired to compose a work that would be so kinetically-charged with timbral colors and textures that one would almost “see,” “taste,” or even “feel” them when heard in performance.”

Co-directed by Mark Hopkins and Derek Charke, the Acadia New Music Society and Shattering the Silence New Music Festival are described as ‘a music festival designed to give voice to the music of living composers, while concurrently celebrating the creation and performance of concert music by students at Acadia University, regional maritime composers and nationally renowned composers.’ Hildegard Westerkamp features as Composer-in-Residence / SOCAN Foundation Guest Composer for the 2011 Festival, held 19-23 January.

For more information, visit the Shattering the Silence Festival website: