Sonia Paço-Rocchia [sonja’ pa’so rɔ’kja] is a young artist who took a degree in instrumental and Electro-Acoustic Composition from the Université de Montréal after a double collegial diploma in natural sciences and music. She studied composition with Michel Tétreault, José Evangelista, Michel Smith, Michel Longtin and Jean Piché. Her work has been presented in Québec, Alberta, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, France, Serbia and Germany.
She enjoys composing for non-conventional instruments (CAM, for seven bus-card players, 2001; Sans escalier, for solo slinky, 2004; Pedalling Under London’s Clouds, bicycle solo and projection, 2008), and she readily incorporates improvisation and theatrical action into her pieces (Improvisation sur les cinq sens, for piano, soprano, cello, percussions, tape and real-time processing, highland pipes and toy motor-car, 2004; Eau, for soprano under the shower and processed water, 2005). As she is interested in emerging technologies, she does not hesitate, when artistically necessary, to incorporate live electronics into her works (Soupirs, for clarinet and accompanying electroacoustics, 2005; Il temps-te, variations and improvisations for cornet, trumpet, trumpet piccolo, flugelhorn, sounds which move in space and stage actions, 2006). She has participated in workshops on sensors, Max/MSP and FTM, at iRCAM in Paris, and more recently in an interface workshop by Numediart, in Belgium.
Sonia Paço-Rocchia is very interested audience participation (À chacun sa balloune, for dozens of balloons played by members of the audience, 2004), cross-over art, and in the sound installation medium (Installation sur le Slinky, up to 40 different instruments made with slinkies, 2004; S’enfeuiller, l’installation, live art, lighting and interaction with the public, 2006).
She performs/improvises using a myriad of readily available sound-makers, invented instruments, voice and/or bassoon, along with real-time processing through gesture-based interfaces which enable her to perform using her body movements freely (Commentary, an half improvised solo performance for bassoon, live electronics and theatrical live art, 2009). She plays solo and in different ensembles, including CoMa, known of its unique concept of writing scores for musicians of all levels without compromising the music and the London Improvisers Orchestra a large conducted and free improvisations professional ensemble.
Sonia Paço-Rocchia has worked in various collaborations with contemporary dance (Sticky Pathways a site specific choreography for 6 dancers and a musician performer choreographed by Lucy Ridley, 2009), live art and experimental physical theatre. She recently received a commission from Pascale Malaterre for the music and performance of DDD.3 a multimedia street theatre performance that have been premièred in Paris. For these collaborations, improvisation and interaction, by both media, is the root of the projects. As well as producing the music she has been an integral part of the performances themselves.
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