SASHA SIEM INTERVIEW
Sasha Siem was born in London to a British mother and Norwegian father, and began playing the ‘cello and writing, recording and performing her own songs at an early age.
She studied music at Cambridge and Harvard and by her early twenties, she had written music for the London Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Opera House, Rambert Dance Company, Opera North, The Aldeburgh Festival, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Neue Vocalisten Stuttgart, The London Sinfonietta, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2010 she became one of the youngest people to win a prestigious British composer award, which cemented her reputation as one of the most exciting young composers of her generation.
Sasha has also participated in a range of collaborations with electro artists including Samson of bpitch control – who she met while living in Berlin in 2009 - and has performed her songs at venues across Europe, including the Royal Opera House, London; HBC, Berlin; La Blanchisserie, Paris; Issue Project Room, NYC.
The Guardian recently noted that, “Siem is making waves in the music scene.” Of her work for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Times wrote, “Siem is clearly a gifted musician.” Sasha will be performing today at Le Poisson Rouge at 158 Bleecker Street, NYC. at 9:30PM
Event details: http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/3330
Greatest Influences:
Music: Tom Waits / Bjork / Joanna Newsom / Jacques Brel / Laurie Anderson / Ani di Franco / Leonard Cohen / Claude Vivier / G. Ligeti / G. Kurtag / J.P. Rameau / D. Scarlatti / F. Couperin
Poets: Anne Carson / William Carlos Williams / Yechuda Amichai / Marianne Moore / Rumi / Mark Strand / Franck O'Hara / Jonathan Swift
Other: Puppet theatres / the moon / pockets / mannequins / fossils / patchwork quilts / wishbones / chain-mail armour / old buttons / love letters found at flea markets
Plans this summer:
Developing the next album. Touring starts up again on September 11th with a performance of new songs with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra at the Ultima Festival in Oslo.
Tell us about your electronic music collaboration with Samson:
Samson and I met while I was living in Berlin in 2010. After a year of sharing ideas and improvising, we snuck away to record our collaboration at a dilapidated Chateau in Bordeaux. I played cello and sang at the same time; Samson wove his electronics around the 'cello part.
How does NYC inspire you?
NYC Is overflowing with dynamic people willing to experiment and explore. The energy here propels me to birth ideas. And to speak up. To dare.
Favorite websites:
Anything else you'd like to share:
Let go. Let the light in