For arts groups planning their 2020-2021 season, the pandemic has left a huge question mark hovering over every decision they make. It’s forced them to be creative to adapt, to cut the size of performance ensembles, to offer a live/virtual option or to even announce an all-virtual season, as chamber ensemble Les Delices has done.
Appropriately, they’re calling the season Embracing Change. Each of the four 60-minute concerts will be streamed in high-quality immersive audio, feature on-screen notes, titles, artist interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and include post-concert live Q&A sessions with some of the artists. Ticket holders can stream each concert for 10 days following its Thursday night premiere.
The ensemble has also announced a visual arts component. It has commissioned local artist Lori Kella to create a suite of images to accompany the programs and augment their themes. Kella is known for her haunting, mystery compositions for which she constructs miniature scenes she then photographs, many of which have themes relating to nature and the environment.
“Typically, I build tabletop dioramas out of everyday materials such as paper, soap, and wool, crafting these fabrications as an elaborate still life meant only for the camera’s lens,” she explains. “Once constructed, I use lighting to dramatically transform these tableaus, bringing to the surface hidden truths that belie our understanding of the natural world; for the images unfolding in front of the camera are an amalgamation of familiar places, unexplored wilderness, and pure fiction.”
She says, “I was excited by the idea of creating a visual narrative that connected to the music of Les Délices. I have attended several concerts over the years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience so I thought this might be a fun but challenging project to tackle.”
Learn more about Kella at lorikella.com.
Read more about the partnership at lesdelices.org/lori_kella/.