A Guide to Self Synthesis

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Opera Lab Berlin, described as "one of the most experimental and refreshing musical theater groups in the Berlin’s independent performing arts community" (Siegessäule), takes inspiration from pioneers of electronic music such as Wendy Carlos, SOPHIE, Pauline Oliveros and Éliane Radigue in their new performance. They celebrate overcoming mechanical-acoustic sound production and going beyond heteronormative boundaries.

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Together with trans singer-songwriter Marlene Bellissimo, known from The Voice of Germany, Opera Lab Berlin explores the sonic potential of electronics for defining your own parameters in A Guide to Self Synthesis. Its transformative, transgressive power and frequencies of (self-)expression become the focus of the performance, for which composer Evan Gardner creates a pluralistic combination of notated but non-restrictive sound fields.

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What possibilities does synthetic sound production offer? How do queer harmonies and trans oscillators sound? Following the principle of Mauricio Kagel's instrumental theater, singing and dancing, music from synthesizers, motion-tracking technology, composition and choreography come together in A Guide to Self Synthesis, a new utopian and emancipatory celebration of electronic music.

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MARLENE BELLISSIMO is a trans woman and musician. As a trans singer-songwriter often focusing on trans voices in her work, she is interested in how gender fluidity can be expressed through the voice. On TikTok, she celebrates the diversity of trans voices, performing one-woman-duets that showcase her vocal range. In 2023, she released an EP titled christmas with my dead self, and she is known on YouTube for her documentary Finding a Trans Voice, where she discusses the philosophical and practical journey of finding a new voice through her transition. In September 2024, Marlene Bellissimo appeared on The Voice of Germany, astonishing the judges with her vocal artistry.

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The Opera Lab Berlin music theater ensemble is a hybrid collective that links all creative elements together. People from all artistic fields come together in Opera Lab: whether music, acting, composition, directing, instruments, choreography, stage and costume design, lighting, stagecraft or dramaturgy – equality is a core principle at Opera Lab Berlin. Since its founding in 2013, the collective has brought over 30 original productions to the stage, featuring compositions by more than 40 contemporary composers and directed by over 18 different directors. The core ensemble has grown to more than 30 members and they collaborate with over 100 artists and production staff.

https://www.opera-lab-berlin.com/

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Concept: Opera Lab Berlin
Created and Performed by: Marlene Bellissimo, Francesca Verga, Raphael Papo, Sadie Shea, Daniel Zea and Evan Gardner
Music: Éliane Radigue, Daniel Zea, Pauline Oliveros, Marlene Bellissimo, Opera Lab Berlin & Evan Gardner
Text: Peach Kander, Cyrée Jarelle Johnson, Jayson Keery, Charles Theonia & Susan Stryker

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Film & Video: Samuel Chalela Puccini
Musical Direction: Raphael Papo
Choreography: Sadie Shea
Lighting Design: Boris Schenk
Sound Design, Sensor & Programming: Daniel Zea & Oscar Vaurs
Live Sound: Felix von Dohlen
Production Management: Paula Häfele
Production & Communication: Ben Goldby
Press: Sarah Rosenau
Harpsichord Sculpture: Aléinor Dauchez
Artistic Direction: Evan Gardner