Chromatikon Collective
Chromatikon is an artist collective formed in 2020, during the global pandemic, that aims to bring a message of hope and unity to wider audiences. When the United Kingdom went into the Covid-19 national lockdown, musicians and artists were denied the possibility to show their works to live audiences in the conventional way. Motivated by the hope to find positive outcomes in this unfortunate situation, an all-female group of artists came together to explore innovative ways of engaging their audiences. The collective was formed by composer Rūta Vitkauskaitė, artist Aimee Birnbaum (Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour), and award-winning Trio Sonorité musicians – Canadian cellist Daryl Giuliano, Turkish clarinettist Özlem Çelik and Russian-Lithuanian pianist Jelena Makarova.
Rūta Vitkauskaitė was a member of Chromatikon from its initiation until January 2023. During this time, Chromatikon’s projects explored a range of topics close to the artists’ hearts: from mental health issues and isolation, to climate change and importance of bees, to discrimination of ethnic minorities. Together with Rūta, Chromatikon has created three projects: ‘Edge of Time’, ‘Bright’ and a grand multimedia performance ‘The Music Shell’.
With those projects, Chromatikon has been featured on Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) and has performed in venues such as Mall Galleries in London, Arts Club 1901 in London, Emmanuel Levinas Centre in Kaunas, The Red Synagogue in Rokiškis, “Laiptai Gallery”, Šiauliai Cultural Centre, Šiauliai, M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, Kaunas, Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History, Vilnius.
Throughout this time, Chromatikon received support and funding from the Lithuanian Council for Culture (Lietuvos kultūros taryba) and to partnered with: Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in UK, Camden Psychotherapy Unit, London, Kaunas 2022 European Capital of Culture, Women’s Radio Station, Classical Turquoise Radio, Lithuanian Council for Culture and Music Information Centre Lithuania.
Edge of Time (2020)
‘Edge of Time’ is Chormatikon’s first audio-visual collaboration. It was live-streamed from the Arts Club 1901 in London. The work was funded by the Lithuanian Council of Culture and Help Musicians, UK.
Emerging out of difficult times of the pandemic and uncertainty across the cultural sector, with this piece Chromatikon demonstrated a strong will, adaptability and tenacity, while continuing to create and inspire in the most difficult of the circumstances.
The piece is about luminous light, struggle, subconscious worlds and awakening. It is calling to reflect upon our delicate inner worlds that are often unseen amongst the busy routines of daily lives. It explores all opportunity available to all of us, that of a moment of stillness, and encourages one’s imagination to flow into the most beautiful and colourful dreamlands.
Duration: 7 minutes
Format: concert accompanied by video projection
Performers: 3 – trio (piano, violoncello, clarinet)
Bright (2021)
‘Bright’ celebrates the intricate world of bees and their role in sustaining our planet’s complex, inter-connected ecosystems, while pollinating nearly three quarters of the plants that produce 90% of the world’s food for human consumption.
In Lithuania (Rūta’s home country), bees have long been held in high esteem. The word ‘bee’ is synonym with a reliable and immaculate worker and a good-willing and friendly community member, while beekeepers are regarded as trustworthy and spiritually advanced members of society. The world of bees is an example for us humans, and can teach us lessons about our own societies. ‘Bright’ is an abstract and imaginary journey through the bees’ daily interconnected life. From flowers and fields to forests, wild landscapes, animals, spiritual guides, fairies, and deities, this performance evokes the miraculous and delicate natural world unknown to human civilisation.
Duration: 30 minutes
Format: concert accompanied by video projection
Performers: 3 – trio (piano, violoncello, clarinet)
The Music Shell (2022)
The Music Shell (2022)
This multimedia work is an homage to the vibrant cultural life of the Jewish community in Kaunas before WW2. The live performance of Rūta’s original score, historical film footage, and Aimee’s artwork blend together to evoke the cultural and café scene of the city. The piece features interviews with members of the community by Daiva Citvarienė, curator of the Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022. The project is both a joyful recovery of a vanished world and a reminder of the Holocaust, which completely erased the flourishing Jewish community of Kaunas. On October 2021, Chromatikon had the world premiere of the first, shorter version of ‘The Music Shell’ at the Lithuanian Embassy in London as part of the ‘Litvak Days’ Conference. In September 2022, ‘The Music Shell’ toured across the Lithuania as part of Kaunas – Capital of Culture 2022, was featured on Lithuanian National Radio, Kaunas City TV, and recorded by the Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre for their future publication.
Duration: 30min. (short version) or 60min. (full version), 120min. (full version and Yiddish song concert with short interval)
Format: concert (live instruments and backing track) accompanied by video projection and artworks exhibition
Performers: 5 – trio (clarinet, violoncello, piano), baritone, narrator
