Anita Smisek
(born in 1941, in Lonsdale, Minnesota, resident in Czech Republic), soprano, organist, pianist. Her mother, Rose Smisek, soprano, piano teacher, choir director in Lonsdale, fostered music with love, by example and enjoyment, as she raised her four children, of which Anita was the oldest. She was an avid piano student during grade school and high school. A member of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters since 1960, Anita continues to minister through music, fostering an awareness of among others, Czechslovak music and composers, as has become evident through her direction of 6 uniquely special Nova Praha Vanocni Koncerts. She served as Music Director-Organist at St. Wenceslaus Church in New Prague, from 1983 to 1991. The hymnal, Give Glory, is a historical anthology of 77 best known Czech hymns, now in good English texts for contemporary use by the wider public as a resource and supplement to any music program. All of these programs and research are an outgrowth of her initial music research conducted at the University of Minnesota. She has researched and performed Czech music in the USA and Czech Republic for over twenty years. In 1989, she co-founded Alliance Pubblications, Inc. with composer Joel Blahnik to publish music for school, church and community ensembles and to promote the works of contemporary composers with a special interest in Czechoslovak music.
Selected works: A gift of Music from Sinsinawa, live concert of Sinsinawa Dominican musician; Adoramus te, Christe-Stanislav Sebek/edited by Anita Smisek; Czech Christmas Carols: Choir and Instrumentalists directed by Anita Smisek (Sung in the Czech Language); Czech Christmas Mass-J.J Ryba(Shepherd's Cantata sung in English) SATB choir and soloists directed by Anita Smisek, Theo Wee, Organist; Czechoslovak Folksongs melody line with Czech and English words; Ej, Lasko, Lasko 38 Folksongs from Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia sung in native dialects by Anita Smisek, accompanied by Steven Zdenek Eckels with classical guitar; Four Hand Fun!-Hummel (March, Polka, Wltz and Mazurka)AP 510-Piano Duets- beginners; Give Glory, Earth and Heaven-Czech Hymnody for Liturgical Year recorded with voice, organ and instrumental ensembles; God, bless this Union-Wedding Song-Bedrich Smetana/edited by Anita Smisek and Joel Blahnik.
Ann-Sofi Söderqvist
(born in Stockholm, 1956, resident Stockholm/Sweden), is a trumpeter and flügelhorn player and composer mainly for big bands. She also writes symphonic music, pieces for choir, theatre music, and smaller ensembles etc. Her music and arrangements have been performed by orchestras such as Bohuslän BB, Norrbotten BB, Frankfurt HR, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Sandviken BB, Gothenburg Chamber Choir, the choir Voces Nordicae, the vocal ensemble Kontrast, Östgöta Symphonic Wind Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, April Light Orchestra, Bitches Brew a. o. Söderqvist has written arrangements of various ensemble forms and for different artists, such as Marie Bergman, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Rigmor Gustafsson, Victoria Tolstoy, Nils Landgren, Anna-Lotta Larsson and others. In 1999-2003 she studied at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, further education in composition and music arranging with Örjan Fahlström, Lars-Erik Rosell and Lars Ekström. She also undertook private studies. Together with Danish saxophonist Christina Nielsen, she formed a quintet, which toured jazz clubs and festivals in the Scandinavian countries. She also founded the big band Composer´s Big Fun together with Jan Levander and Joakim Milder which plays original music by the three leaders. In 2010 she formed ASJO – Ann-Sofi Söderqvist Jazz Orchestra. All repertoires are written by Söderqvist. She has toured as a musicians together with artists/groups such as Lisa Nilsson, Änglaspel, elected Jazz Group of the Year in1982, Hot Salsa, Bernt Rosengren Big Band, Gugge Hedrenius BBB, Sandviken BB, Peter Gullin, Ahmadu Jarr Highlife Band, Jan Wallgren Quintet, Ladies & Gentlemen, Blue Cluster, Shine, Björn J:son Lindh, Peter LeMarc, Cyndee Peters, Stora Stygga, led by Mats Holmquist – which performed at North Sea Festival in Haag, the Pori Festival in Finland and Stockholm Jazz and Blues Festival. Since 2006 Ann-Sofi teaches composition, music arranging and ensemble leadership at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
Selected works: Trumpet stories, 2010 for fiati orch, prem. Stockholm Wind Ensemble, cond. Håkan Hardenberger; Elements, 2007, com. By Norrbotten BB and Tim Hagen; Rum audio in music player; Things ain´t what they seem to be; Shorter´s Quarters.
Selected recordings: ASJO The Story of US, 2013, ASJO Point of view, 2012; Composer´s Big Fun, 2006; Grains, 2009;, Heartflower,1997 .
Publications direction: Available at Svensk Musik/Swedmic AB
Awards, selection: 2012 The medal for the art of music's improver; 2010 Jan Johanssonstipendium (The Jan Johansson Grant); 2011The Swedish Radio Award Composer of the year/Jazzkatten; 1985, Stockholm City Cultural Grant; Swedish Arts Grants Comittee´s State Income Guarantee since 2002.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Anne Sedes
(born in 1964, resident in France), composer. She explores the interactive mixed music and sound spaces associated with the scene. She is a lecturer in music and computer tools at the University of Paris VIII, Centre for Research in Computer Science and Music Creation (CIMC). Coordinator theme " environnements virtuels et création" the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (Paris-Nord), she runs the studio sound design and the ACI Young Researchers " Espaces sonores." She worked for several years with the Spanish percussionist Miquel Bernat (ICTUS ensemble in Brussels and Drummers in Porto) and choreographer Laurence Marthouret (co TRANS).
