Cosmos: Echo Collective - Jóhann Jóhannsson

12 Conversations with Thilo Heinzmann

Echo Collective, in a concert dedicated to Jóhann Jóhannsson, bring their own distinctive sound to the piece 12 Conversations with Thilo Heinzmann, introducing us to a musical journey, where every listener could individually experience something meaningful and personal.

Founded by Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant, Echo Collective is a diverse group of classically trained musicians who bring their knowledge of classical music to a broad range of musical genres.

They take on challenges set by others and put their own mark on them, they dig for the musical motifs that work for them. In short, track by track, performance by performance, they are evolving into a musical act with a distinct voice of their own.

Such a challenge is Jóhann Jóhannsson's 12 Conversations with Thilo Heinzmann, a twelve-movement string quartet to be presented at the SNFCC. This project is the result of a long and unlikely journey that began with a question by British Richard Thomas: is the creative process fundamentally the same for the composer writing music and the visual artist painting a picture?

In order to answer that, Thomas collected the work of the German painter Thilo Heinzmann, and asked the artist if there were a composer he'd be interested in working with. Heinzmann immediately suggested Jóhann Jóhannsson and that's how, a twelve-movement string quartet was born; a new project involving an Icelandic composer, a German painter, a British catalyst, and subsequently Echo Collective, a Belgium-based collaborative ensemble.

After the premiere in London on April 16, 2016, Jóhannsson decided he wanted to revise the piece and invited longtime live collaborators Echo Collective to work jointly through the process. Echo Collective and Jóhann built up a deep musical understanding and common vision.

After he had suddenly passed away in February 2018, the members of Echo Collective finally had a chance to play through the original score and it became clear that the piece was in fact complete.

“The first time I heard them play it,” Thomas recalled, “it was like Jóhann was sitting next to me.”

Monday 25/11 | 20.30

For ages 6+

Admission: €10 & €5 (reduced-rate ticket)

Reduced-rate tickets (€5) are available for students, seniors 65+, children and young people aged 6–18, unemployed, large families and Kallithea municipality residents.

*Sale starting on Tuesday 29/10 for the SNFCC Members (Up to 400 seats for Members and Guest).

*Sale starting on Wednesday 30/10 for the public.

Holders of reduced-rate tickets must present their identity card and relevant documents at the door (student card, unemployment card, large family card, disability certification, utility bill for Kallithea residents).

For more information, please contact SNFCC call center at +30 216 8091000.

This is an event funded by the grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Alongside the core program of free-admission events, provided free of charge thanks to SNF grants, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center organizes a series of events for which a low admission fee applies, helping SNFCC to diversify its income sources while ensuring its long-term financial robustness.