Sarah Maria Sun (mezzo soprano), Samuel Blaser (trombone), Oscar Strasnoy (piano), Mathieu Ogier (DJ), Nathalie Amstutz (harpe), and Ensemble SONGS

The SONGS PROJECT was born out of the meeting of two great musicians: the Franco-Argentinian composer OSCAR STRASNOY, honored at the "2012 Presence Festival" by a retrospective of his work whose concerto "AUTOMATON" was recently premiered by ISABELLE FAUST and the RESONANZ-ENSEMBLE at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Swiss trombonist and composer SAMUEL BLASER, whose improvisational prowess makes him one of the most innovative instrumentalists of his generation.

The SONGS PROJECT revolves around one of the most iconic pieces of 20th century repertoire, a series of popular folk songs by Italian composer Luciano Berio for mezzo-soprano and small ensemble. Inspired by Berio's approach in the mid-1960's, Oscar Strasnoy and Samuel Blaser's musical work here is anchored in that same folk tradition. Strasnoy works with traditional music of the Canton of Grisons (interesting for its very special language spoken here, and because of its "minority" status). The jazzman from Chaux-de-Fonds moves in the footsteps of a Bartók or a Kurtág with Mississippi Delta blues inspiration creating a remarkably personal works.

Strasnoy and Blaser will premier the original version of FOLKSONGS by Berio with piano, trombone and electronics, and each artist performing personal works of about twenty minutes each.