World premiere – a collaboration between two defining figures of contemporary music, commissioned by NEXT Festival.

English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser Fred Frith renown as a founding member of the avant-rock group Henry Cow in the 1970s. Known for his innovative guitar work, he has released a significant body of solo work, and collaborated with numerous artists including Brian Eno and John Zorn. Frith has also composed for leading classical ensembles, as well as for film, dance, and theatre. He taught composition at Mills College and other institutions until his retirement from teaching. Frith is the subject of the acclaimed 1990 documentary film Step Across the Border.

Drummer, composer, and percussionist Valentina Magaletti — also performing at the NEXT Festival with her trio Moin — is one of the most versatile and sought-after musicians in today’s experimental scene. Her style sits at the intersection of improvisation, ritual minimalism, and avant-rock, with each project revealing new facets of her unique rhythmic and textural sensibility. She has collaborated with artists such as Nídia, Nicolas Jaar, Vanishing Twin, Holy Tongue, and Raime, creating work that oscillates between hypnotic repetition, raw physicality, and precise sonic architecture. Live, Magaletti’s performances are captivating — balancing technical virtuosity, intuition, and pure kinetic energy.

Organised by A4 as part of the New Perspectives for Action project within the international collaboration Re-Imagine Europe, co-funded by the European Union and supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council and Bratislava City Foundation.

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