Eesti Arnold Schönbergi Ühing | Estonian Arnold Schoenberg Society
SCHOENBERG RESIDENCY. Yellow Wasabi
3.-12.4.2025


Resident
Yellow Wasabi sündis 1999. aastal Hiinas Kantonis. Ta mängib lapsest peale hiina harfi guzhengi, tal on bakalaureusekraad ökoloogias ja magistrikraad neuroteadustes Paris-Saclay ülikoolist Prantsusmaal. Füüsikaprofessorist isa ja kaunite kunstide professorist ema mõjul usub ta, et teadus ja kunst on ühendatud. Ta on otsustanud dünaamiliselt muutuva maailma kunstiliseks uurimiseks kasutada bioloogiat ja uusi meediaid.

Yellow Wasabi tegeleb eksperimentaalmuusika, eriti harsh noise’iga. Oma loomingus ühendab ta guzhengi Max/MSP-ga, uuendades esitusi biomeetriliste moodulite, mikroskoopide, liikumisandurite ja tehisintellekti poolt genereeritud interaktiivsete 3D projektsioonide abil. Väljakannatamatu müra on tema jaoks elu tühiste asjade sonifikatsioon.

Yellow Wasabi tahab inimesi üles äratada, nihutades nende füüsilisi piire ja ühendades nende keha uuesti keskkonnaga. Tema jaoks on kunst inimese tunnetuse fossiil. Ta soovib muuta eluvõitluse rõõmsaks elujõuks ning tuua inimestele õnne teaduse ja kunstide kaudu.

Yellow Wasabi on Euroopa Nõukogu, Prantsuse rahvuslike kunstifondide ja erafondide toel esinenud Hiinas, Prantsusmaal, Belgias, Hollandis, Saksamaal, Poolas, Lätis, Leedus, Eestis, Soomes, Ðveitsis ja Kreekas. Yellow Wasabi on aktiivne Euroopa ja Aasia eksperimentaalmuusika areenil, kaasaegse kunsti galeriides ja teaduskongressidel. Noore teadlasena on ta olnud mitmete Euroopa ja siseriiklike projektide resideeruv kunstnik.

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Yellow Wasabi is an emerging immigrant female artist playing the chinese folk instrument Guzheng (chinese harp). Guzheng is often associated with feminine or meditation music. Yellow Wasabi extends Guzheng with improvisation, interactive art and sound composing, and AI.

Yellow Wasabi has established the contact to the Estonian Schoenberg Society during the PRISM (Perception, Representation, Image, Sound, Music) JIM (Computer Music Days) conference in Marseille in Spring 2024. The society researches, practices and import new music and interdisciplinary concepts to Estonia since 1988 organizing festivals (annual Pärnu Contemporary Music Days), workshops, learning circles, conferences, concert series and residencies.

Based on their mission to introduce international emerging musicians to Estonia, the society invites Yellow Wasabi to do a 10 days residency in Tallinn. Yellow Wasabi will present her skills, experience and practices of playing/expanding a traditional instrument’s playing techniques with latest new media techniques to the local audience. She will meet and discuss with composers and musicians of the society and the Estonian Center of Contemporary Music in her concerts at the Schoenberg series and MUSICA SACRA (Pärnu) (directed towards a broader audience) and is invited to present at a seminar with live-electronics students at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Electronic Music Studio. She will meet local improvisation groups and discover Estonian folk music (e.g. instruments in the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum folk music archive in the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu.

Website: https://www.yellowwasabi.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18028650488061598/
Upcoming publication: Accessible instrument performance for everyone: gesture controlled Guzheng, an example of traditional instrument innovation based on audiovisual interaction, RITMO SysMus 2025.

Kontseptsioon | Concept
Märksõnad | Key words: Chinese female immigrant artiste, Chinese traditional folk music instrument, transdisciplinary artist with diploma from neuroscience, movement and sound, new media art, scientific collaboration, public conference, culture academic exchange, tour in Baltic countries.

I play instrumental electroacoustic concerts in the churches, and a MaxMSP movement trigger sounds with interactive projection new media concert at the contemporary music center.

Ajakava | Schedule
Seisuga 14. aprill 2025

3.-13.4.2025
Schönbergi Ühingu Facebook sündmus kõikide Eestis toimuvate kontsertide ja loengute/töötubadega | Schoenberg Society Facebook event with all concerts and presentations/workshops in Estonia https://www.facebook.com/events/3844212345817678/

3.4.2025
Saabumine, hiina harfi üles seadmine, proov Eliisabeti kirikus | Arrival, installation of Guzheng harp

4.4.2025
Kohtumine EASchÜ liikmetega | Meeting EASchS members

5.4.2025
16.00 Pärnu Eliisabeti kirik | Elizabeth Church. MUSICA SACRA. Yellow Wasabi (hiina harf | chinese harp) https://www.facebook.com/events/1355219532584128/

6.4.2025
Järgmiste sündmuste ettevalmistus | Preparation of next events
Close Encounters @Cabaret Volta, Tallinn https://www.facebook.com/events/628790710121388/

7.4.2025
Järgmiste sündmuste ja meediakajastuse ettevalmistus | Preparation of next events and media coverage

8.4.2025
Kumu külastamine, ECCMi ruumi vaatamine Ansambel U: residentuuri raames, kohtumine Jaak Sikkiga (PhD, EMTA, Tartu Elleri kool, improviseerija, uurija, EASchÜ liige) | Visit of Kumu, Tallinn, visiting ECCM concert venue during Ensemble U: residency event, meeting with Jaak Sikk (PhD, EAMT, Tartu Eller School, improviser, researcher, member of EASchS.

9.4.2025
Eesti Kirjandusmuuseumi külastamine | Visit of Estonian Literary Museum
19.00 Tartu Jaani kirik | St. John's Church. MUSICA SACRA. Yellow Wasabi (hiina harf / chinese harp) https://www.facebook.com/events/1328631118478754/

10.4.2025
19.00 Eesti Nüüdismuusika Keskus | Estonian Center of Contemporary Music. Schönbergi sari / Schoenberg series. Yellow Wasabi (hiina harf / chinese harp) - kontsert & presentatsioon/töötuba / concert & presentation/workshop https://www.facebook.com/events/2674863099388694/

11.4.2025
10.00 Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia / Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Artist talk/workshop: Yellow Wasabi - Live-electroonika loengu osa / part of the Live-electronics lecture series by Hans-Gunter Lock)
Lecture/Artist-talk keywords:
- Art & Sciences transdisciplinary collaboration – ecology
- Body movement and music expression – neurosciences
- Computational music: Max/MSP, data sonification, electroacoustic composition…
- AI in new media art practice
- Professional development as independent artist
- How to build international network

Töötuba, esitlus ja kontsert / Workshop, Myymälä2, Helsinki, Finland

12.-13.4.2025 Helsinki, Kuopio, Tampere

Meediakajastused | Media coverage
Intervjuu Yellow Wasabiga | Interview with Yellow Wasabi 08.04.2025
Küsimuste autor | Questions by Juhani Jaeger (Musica Sacra, Autorfest)
Ilmunud Tartu Postimehes 08.04.2025 lühike artikkel Yellow Wasabist. Loe intervjuu eestikeelset täisversiooni Tartu Autorfest FBs.
1. Your artistic name, Yellow Wasabi, is truly unique. Could you share the meaning behind it and how it reflects your work?
Yellow Wasabi is my name since 2010, much earlier than I start artistic activities. It comes from the initial of my family name.
2. You have studied ecology and neurosciences, blending science and art in your creations. How do these fields inspire your work?
Sciences and arts are equal methods to discover the world. When I study the physical aspect of music, the acoustics, I understand that the sound is a group of particles change statue in time. It’s exactly what population genetics study in ecology: the statue change of population in time. When I study the neurosciences, I understand that the language of music is similar to a geometric language in mathematics. I imagine and visualized my music base on this geometric language.
3. Guzheng and Max/MSP play an essential role in your music. How have you combined this traditional Chinese harp with modern technology?
I perform mainly with Guzheng because it’s the instrument I’ve learnt for most time and I can express myself totally on this instrument. I also play piano and violin while my expression is limited.
Many musicians innovate traditional instruments with pedals since 1960s. I started with pedals too, but my instrument is heavy, it is impossible to do solo tour with one more suitcase of pedals. Then, I discover Max/MSP that I can design almost every sound process I want. I can create as much sound treatments as I like in one computer and travel light.
4. Your workshops cover topics such as body movement and musical expression from a neuroscience perspective. How did you arrive at such transdisciplinary themes?
Discipline is quite an occidental idea for me. I just try all methods to understand the universe. One of the first thing that I’ve learnt in neurosciences is the embodied cognition, our movements will affect our feeling. It’s an inner process. I’ve also learnt from articles that music performances affect audience by body movement while articulating the music. It is an outer process to give away music. The embodied cognition theory is also applied in K. S. Stanislavski’s training of theatres. Therefore, I try to play the music directly by body movement, express from inside to outside. It is also an emancipation from traditional fingering techniques.
5. Experimental music and harsh noise are central to your creations. How would you describe their impact on your artistic expression?
My music is my understanding of the world. The world is living and, in every moment, countless reactions are happening. So, I choose harsh noise to express the force of life. Tonal and structural music seems more artificial than natural.
6. Engaging and involving the audience is a key element of your performances. How do you create a connection between the audience and your music?
Noise is omnipresent in space and in mind. Audition is a personal phenome because everyone has different ears. I meanly play in all frequencies so all audience can be included.
I have a project to invite audience connect with their smartphone and influent the music with by shaking the phone or dancing with the phone. I wish to change the relation between musician and audience: not only me giving out music but everyone creates music together.
7. What emotions and thoughts do you hope to convey to your audience through your work and performances?
The audience can feel and think anything, I never presume. If the audience can discover something new, I will feel very happy.
8. You have performed in many countries and on various stages. How has the international experience influenced your artistic development?
I found that it exists regional language of experimental music and improvisation, which it’s funny to observe in the phylogenetic view. Tours are my important chance to study new ideas. I’m evolving all the time.
9. What can audiences in Tartu and Tallinn expect from your concerts and workshops?
I’ll present my instrument Guzheng and how I play it through Max/MSP.

Website: https://yellowwasabi.net
Listen my music on: https://yellowwasabi.bandcamp.com/ https://yellowwasabi.bandcamp.com/
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellow_wasabii/

Koostöös | In cooperation
Eesti Arnold Schönbergi Ühing
Eesti Nüüdismuusika Keskus
EELK Pärnu Eliisabeti kogudus
EELK Tartu Ülikooli-Jaani Kogudus
Pärnu Ooper
Autorfest

Toetajad | Supporters
Pärnu linn
Tartu linn
Tallinna linn
Kultuurkapital
Kultuuriministeerium
Culture Moves Europe


Planeerimisleht | Planning page: SCHOENBERG RESIDENCY. Yellow Wasabi. PLANEERIMISLEHT