The prestigious Venice Music Biennale, traditionally a showcase for contemporary classical compositions, is undergoing a seismic shift. For the first time in its long history, it welcomes a leader quite unlike any before: Caterina Barbieri. Rather than chamber ensembles, Barbieri crafts mesmerizing minimalist soundscapes on synthesizers, performing in unconventional settings like vast industrial spaces and cutting-edge electronic music festivals, far removed from the formal concert hall.
At just 35 years old, Bologna-born and Berlin-based Barbieri has become the youngest artistic director in the Music Biennale’s history. Her selection marks a pivotal moment, boldly propelling the esteemed institution into exciting, experimental territory.
As a counterpart to the celebrated Art and Architecture Biennales, which captivate audiences for months on a rotating schedule, the Music Biennale unfolds over a concentrated two-week period each autumn. Since its inception in 1930, its programming has predominantly featured contemporary classical works, embracing modernist compositions for orchestras, choirs, and classically trained vocalists.
However, with Barbieri now at the helm, a transformative era is dawning. “To bring my experience and vision to such a significant platform in Italian culture is an honor I don’t take lightly,” Barbieri shares. “For me, instigating this change is truly beautiful.”
Barbieri’s leadership promises to usher in a fresh wave of audacious talent for the upcoming two editions. This year’s festival, commencing Saturday and continuing until October 25, boasts a diverse program. Expect to hear everything from electroacoustic and minimalist electronic compositions to ancient melodies, contemporary classical pieces, free jazz, folk, and even techno. The stellar lineup features multidisciplinary artist Abdullah Miniawy, renowned D.J. Carl Craig, and the influential drone metal band Sunn O))).
Moreover, the festival will proudly present creations from emerging artists honed through the Biennale College, an esteemed artist residency where Barbieri and fellow mentors guide new talent.
“Her approach is genuinely groundbreaking,” remarks Luka Aron, a Biennale College musician set to showcase a piece crafted from church bell recordings. “She has undoubtedly elevated this Biennale’s profile, especially within our artistic community.”
In curating the program, Barbieri drew upon her extensive network of collaborators while also venturing into uncharted artistic territories. “I started with my own inner inspiration,” she explains, “and aimed to offer the public a perspective that is as broad, inclusive, and diverse as possible. This, to me, is the essence of a Biennale.”
The evocative title of her inaugural edition, “The Star Within,” perfectly encapsulates Barbieri’s profound philosophy on music. Her captivating, hypnotic tracks, spanning eight albums and numerous EPs, are built upon intricate, repeating, and evolving patterns that seem to echo from a celestial realm.
“For me, music serves as a conduit to the divine; it’s a force that links you to the magical fabric of existence,” she articulates. Her live shows amplify this ethereal quality, as she deftly manipulates keys and knobs on her formidable, spaceship-esque modular synthesizers, occasionally adorned in futuristic, cyborg-inspired attire.
“It possesses an almost otherworldly quality,” notes Norwegian saxophonist Bendik Giske, a frequent collaborator with Barbieri, who is set to unveil his new work, “Into the Blue,” on the Biennale’s opening night. Their joint album, “At Source,” will be released in February via Light Years, Barbieri’s independent label, established in 2021.
“We share a deep resonance in terms of tonality and the emotional core of our music,” Giske explains. “Our collaboration explores the fascinating intersection where human expression and machine artistry blur.”
Barbieri’s fascination with the boundaries of consciousness is deeply rooted in her academic background. Beyond her classical guitar and electroacoustic composition training at the Bologna Conservatory, she penned an ethnomusicology thesis exploring the connections between American minimalist and Hindustani classical music. A significant portion of her artistic endeavor revolves around inducing trance-like states during both listening and performance.
“When a performance truly connects, you transcend yourself, becoming a vessel,” she describes. “It feels as if the music flows through you, orchestrating your every move.”
While the repetitive elements in her compositions might initially suggest introspection or solitude, Barbieri clarifies that her aim is to foster a profound sense of communion. “Music guides us to delve within and connect with our spiritual essence,” she affirms, “yet, through this inner journey, we simultaneously expand our connection to the outer world, cultivating our capacity for empathy.”
Collaboration is a cornerstone of Barbieri’s artistic practice. Her album, “Fantas Variations,” features various artists reinterpreting her track “Fantas.” She often collaborates with American organist Kali Malone and Swedish composer Ellen Arkbro, whose paths crossed during a student exchange in Stockholm. Their shared experiences included attending underground concerts and improvising in university studios, where Barbieri first utilized the Buchla synthesizer that would later define her debut album, “Vertical,” released in 2014.
“We’d spend our days simply walking and humming patterns,” Malone fondly recalls from Stockholm. “It was endearingly nerdy.” Their partnership has blossomed into numerous projects, notably a captivating call-and-response organ piece showcased at the Italian Pavilion during the 2024 Venice Art Biennale.
“That poetic telepathy, common among friends who also create together, is still very much alive,” Malone emphasizes. “It boils down to chemistry, our shared worldview, and the unique insights we perceive. Barbieri, with her deeply poetic and intuitive spirit, can transform highly technical musical concepts, revealing and emphasizing their inherently romantic undertones.”
Malone views Barbieri’s appointment at the Music Biennale as a crucial step, “providing a spotlight for a facet of contemporary music often overlooked by institutional spaces.” She notes the existence of “an alternative scene that often struggles for serious recognition, perhaps because it doesn’t adhere to traditional virtuosity or the established Western canon. To offer these artists, their works, and this distinct musical genre a platform under the esteemed Venice Biennale name is truly revolutionary.”
Barbieri’s innovative vision also extends to reimagining the Biennale’s physical spaces. Her plans go beyond conventional seated concerts in familiar venues like the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale or the opulent Teatro Malibran. The program now features club-style performances at Forte Marghera, a massive historic fortress on Venice’s mainland; a unique ‘procession of boats’ equipped with loudspeakers traversing the waterways; and even a concert staged within a deconsecrated church.
The historic Venetian Arsenale, a sprawling complex of former shipyards and armories, is a regular host for Biennale events. Barbieri intends to transform several of its previously inaccessible rooms into relaxed, informal areas, inviting audiences to wander freely, unwind, and enjoy refreshments.
And then there’s the enigmatic “Star Chamber” event: a series of immersive, site-specific performances held on a secluded, uninhabited island within the Venetian lagoon. Barbieri is maintaining strict secrecy around both the precise location and the performing artists until the day of the show, ensuring that the audience, arriving by boat, embarks on a journey into the unknown.
During a recent reconnaissance, Barbieri explored the untamed, overgrown islet, dominated by a towering military fort nestled amidst dense foliage. “The surreal aspect will be key, as guests will have no preconceptions,” she explains. “The ultimate goal is to transport people on a truly mystical and musical adventure.”
The Venice Music Biennale is scheduled for October 11-25 at various venues around Venice.