voi(x)es - voices of a circle of women imagining the ways of an opera
22.06.2024

a circle of five women in their thirties in zurich has come together through the initiative of hiromi gut -  to share on topics that deserve more space in their lives and possibly in society at large in this locality today. through the writing of letters centering their questions around anything they need to speak about and reading these letters out loud in the circle in the open spirit of receiving, without comment of judgement, these women have created a space for free expression. the imagination of the creation of an opera, and of what opera could be, as a platform to give voice to these topics, was born.

the process started in a small circle, accompanied by the artist claron mcfadden. during free flow festival it will get bigger and open itself up to a broader group of women. the opera is being created through different forms of expression, way beyond the vocal. you don’t need to sing to contribute. you and your expression are enough to be part of this process towards a collective composition.

sylvie fröhlicher (circle facilitation), hiromi gut (creative vision), lisina gut (clay expression)and michaela unsinn (voice expression) – mentored by claron mcfadden

brainstorming from 10 am – 1 pm

address
Förrlibuckstrasse 236
8005 Zürich

Direction
- Closest tram station: Hardturm (tram 17), 2 min walk ; Sportweg (tram 4), 5 min walk ; Bernoulli-Häuser (tram 8), 3 min walk
- Closest bus station: Escher-Wyss-Platz (bus 72), 9 min walk

Accessibility
the concert is at Raum236 zurich which is completely on groundlevel and wheelchair friendly including toilets. If you wish to visit the concert and want support, please feel free to contact our team and we will arrange a support who accompany you throughout the event. Contact: marius@guerillaclassics.org / 079 398 51 31

Claron Mcfadden, the American soprano Claron McFadden studied voice at the Eastman School of music, and received her bachelor’s degree with distinction in 1984. In the same year she moved to the Netherlands, where she currently resides, and has proven herself to be one of the most versatile singers of her generation. McFadden is a successful singer, who, through the years, has developed into a musician of integrity, with a wide-ranging interest in, and, not altogether unimportant, an affinity with music from different style periods. She feels as much at home singing Cavalli’s La Didone as she does singing Dances by Louis Andriessen.
(http://www.claronmcfadden.com/)

Hiromi Gut is a musician and a producer based in Zurich and Berlin. She studied business administration at the University of St. Gallen and opera singing at the HEMU de Lausanne. She sang at the Lotte Lehmann Opera Academy before becoming assistant to the artistic director. In 2015 Hiromi Gut worked as interim managing director of the 30th Davos Festival - young artists in concert and then took over as assistant to the Intendant at the Konzerthaus Berlin until 2017. She then founded guerillaclassics of which she is the artistic director. Her work focuses on the history of music, its genres, spaces, contexts and the questioning of the traditional or classical. She enriches these concepts with collaborative experiences and creations that draw from the voices and practices of contemporary musicians. 2022 she started working on « voi(x)es », an opera involving women on different paths of life in the contemporary zurich society.

Lisina Gut is a food designer and ceramist based in Zurich. After years in the event and culture industry, she founded the label Ciccio Lasani, which explores the sensory and socio-cultural aspects of food. In workshops, exhibitions and through culinary experiences and exploration, she invites people to understand and internalize food with all their senses and explore its influence on personal and social development.

The Swiss-German mezzo-soprano Michaela Unsinn studied at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) with Lina Maria Åkerlund and graduated with honours with a Master's degree in Pedagogy and a Master's degree in Performance. Michaela Unsinn has a busy concert schedule and has sung the major concert roles in her field. These include J.S. Bach's "Mass in B minor" and "St John Passion", Handel's "Messiah", Mendelssohn's "Elijah", Rossini's "Petite messe solennelle" and "Stabat mater" as well as Dvořák's "Stabat mater" and Palmeri's "Misa Tango".
(https://www.michaelaunsinn.ch/)

Sylvie is a Circle Facilitator, Embodiment Teacher, and Empowerment Coach. She creates nourishing and uplifting spaces for expansion, empowerment and play. And is deeply passionate about empowering women to stand boldly and vulnerably in authentic expression. Through her program Reclaim Your Roar she guides women on a journey of deep inner transformation and realignment, delving into topics like authentic expression, setting boundaries, re-parenting, fierce self-love, and nervous system regulation. Sylvie strives to create inclusive spaces where unheard voices can be expressed, igniting social change that starts within ourselves. She’s an avid dancer, yoga teacher and part of the teaching team at the Institute for Integrative Body-Psychotherapy (IBP) in Switzerland. www.reclaimyourroar.com https://www.instagram.com/sylvie_fro/