Electronics in the concert hall? Think of it as a spark of invisible magic—something mechanical yet alive, opening up the symphonic sound, enriching it, or pushing back against it. Ilan Volkov brings together four composers who let two sound worlds clash and collide—or seamlessly blend.

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Inspired by Julio Cortázar’s magical short story The Star Washers, Angélica Castelló dives into a surreal sound world where imagination takes the lead.

"Cortazar has a beautiful humor and the talent in taking the most banal object (a box full of metal star washers), to create a strong poetic atmosphere, where everything can exist together: banality, comedy and joy, magical metaphors and even some political statements." – Angélica Castelló

Equally surreal is the ‘symphonic poem’ A Magic Dwells by Priscilla McLean, where orchestra and tape build a dense sonic mass from which new and unexpected sounds constantly emerge. A true pioneer, François-Bernard Mâche explores the balance—or synergy—between nature, technology, and music.

And finally, William Dougherty brings together old and new technologies—a 1907 wax cylinder recording and a modern smartphone one—to explore how nostalgia can shape the dream of an imaginary homeland.

“This work sets out to explore the dreams of imagined homelands through recorded sounds.” – William Dougherty