Tell! Jonkonnu, Tell! with Elaine Mitchener
A Jamaican folk party, with Mikhail Johnson and Elaine Mitchener.
Humour, intrigue, empathy, hope, and social commentary resonate in Mikhail Johnson’s new composition. He weaves a tale of the Jamaican folk festival Jonkonnu using a cast of characters. Johnson wrote it for Ensemble Klang and vocal phenomenon Elaine Mitchener. Fuelling the festive atmosphere, they offer adventurous explorations of life and nature through music, written by both young and legendary composers.
British vocalist Elaine Mitchener is drawn to fresh sounds, voices, and narratives in contemporary music, particularly from composers who, like herself, hail from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. She shares her mission with Ensemble Klang, who previously showcased the pioneering composers in this programme, such as the American minimalist icon and activist Julius Eastman.
Mikhail Johnson born in the rural hills of Maroon Town in the parish of St. James, Jamaica, is one of the country’s most promising pianists and composers. Deemed by Spoleto Festival USA as “a composer who invites us to consider and reframe our sonic sensibilities,” Johnson’s compositional style merges traditional European classical music and the avant-garde with traditional Jamaican cultural idiosyncrasies.
Elaine Mitchener known for her powerful performances, is drawn to fresh, diverse narratives in contemporary music, particularly from composers who, like her, come from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. Together we’ve previously showcased pioneering composers like American minimalist icon Julius Eastman, at our Musical Utopias Festival.
