Venue: Ace Hotel Kyoto
Dates: June 11, 12, 13, 2020 (Ace Hotel Kyoto Grand Opening)
Though a single composition, the audience encountered Gravitation differently depending on their position within the venue. The music, performed across five separate spaces, formed distinct sonic worlds, allowing each listener a unique perspective. Yannick Paget, both conductor and percussionist, coordinated the performance remotely via iPad, using the hotel’s sound system to synchronize with the musicians. As the audience moved, the soloist shifted, transforming the experience into a fluid, evolving concerto.
The piece was grounded in a musical language developed in collaboration with physicist Koji Hashimoto, translating the principles of gravity into harmonic structures and scales. Chris Mosdell’s lyrics provided a poetic framework, shaping the performance into 11 sections. Dance styles ranged from traditional Japanese dance and butoh to contemporary movement, with each space hosting a different combination of dancers and musicians.
Composition, Conduction & Percussion: Yannick Paget
N’SO KYOTO soloists: William Prunkl (Cello), Ryotaro Sudo (Accordion), Mami Nakamura (Clarinet), Reiko Imanishi (Koto)
Dancers: Kyoko Nomura, Yuki Goda, KITAMARI, Tomo Nakamura, Mizuho Shinozuka
Poetry: Chris Mosdell
