Barcelona-based Grup21 is a contemporary music ensemble of around 16 musicians covering many nationalities, but with a definite Catalan core. Theirs is a unique and experimental vision, as they incorporate film into their concerts.
The group approaches this unique music-film craft in different ways. They either add colorful and striking visual elements to a show, play clips of composers explaining their creations or screen films as they simultaneously play the score. One event saw the group show the short silent film, Klink, while performing the accompaniment on cello, which was written by composer Peter John Bacchus. Another time, VJ and film director Robin Willis had prepared a series of visual segments that sparked a constant interaction between image and music during a show.
“Film is a natural for accompanying modern music,” Bacchus explains. “It is a way to bridge and collaborate with one of the most popular artistic mediums there are today. It also brings us closer to film audiences. Everybody goes to the movies, but not everyone goes to a contemporary classic music concert”—maybe they will now.
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