Selected projects
Through their Eyes for string quartet, waterphone and electrónica
written for Kronos Quartet
This piece, written for and premiered by the luminary Kronos Quartet, reflects on the global consequences of unresolved historical trauma and the deep wounds left by unacknowledged crimes against humanity. Using Spain as a powerful example—where families still search for loved ones buried in mass graves after the civil war—it speaks to a broader human experience. Across many nations, the absence of mourning rituals and public recognition traps generations in grief. Quoting Hannah Arendt, it warns that the erosion of empathy marks cultural decline. When we ignore shared humanity, we risk repeating history’s tragedies in silence and indifference.
Through their Eyes
1st movement: A Simmering Dance
2nd movemnet: A Haunting Future
3rd movement : A Mantra of Hate
4th movement: Through their Eyes
Pictures made by Eric Van Nieuwland
Medusa for cello voice and electrónica
Composer Saskia Venegas and cellist Maya Fridman shed light on the veiled story of Medusa’s abuse and transformation. This introspective musical narration reflects on the symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), ending with a note of strength and ascension.
At the Aegean shores
At the Aegean Shores is a programmatic piece inspired by the composer’s experience volunteering at a refugee camp in Lesbos in 2016. It portrays the journey of a rubber boat crossing from Turkey to Greece, the tension of arrival, and the fragile hope of refuge. Greek musical elements and Orthodox prayer motifs evoke the island’s soundscape, while an emerging theme is eventually consumed by a growing orchestral current representing the European bureaucratic system. The work reflects on the dehumanizing wait faced by refugees and ends with a plea for empathy and inclusion—before we are left saying, “If only we had…”
Euskadiko Orkestra / Basque National Orchestra Pablo González, zuzendaria / director
