hakanai (2024)

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​'ta panta rei' (τα πάντα ρει: 'everything flows'), according to Heraclitus: everything is ephemeral and nothing can ever be repeated exactly the same. This fact occupies a substantial part in my work, both as musician and visual artist. So, when I visited Japan for the first time in summer 2023, the importance of the ephemeral in Japanese culture and way of life resonated strongly within me, as something parallel to my own background, despite the fact that Greek culture is very different: the ephemeral is a core factor in the formation of the identity and psyche of both peoples, based on their distinct geography and history. So, when I was asked by J-TRAD Ensemble MAHOROBA to compose a new piece for them, I knew that it had to be about hakanai (はかない): "ephemeral, with some longing".

 

The piece starts with repeating the same gestures and sounds which, although simple and even minimal, are never exactly the same, where resonance and repetition lead to an ‘organic’ growth and build-up of tension. Also, in a symbolic ‘effort’ to keep things the same, a 'wear and tear' is taking place, as strings become gradually de-tuned by repetition. Then, towards the end, the performance actions with washi paper carry a similar symbolism: the paper, new and glossy to start with, becomes more and more used, folded and wrinkled, through a choreography of movements, sounds and interaction between the players, as they lift the washi like a ‘screen’ in front of them for a moment of private reflection, before placing them on their instruments. At the end, each paper becomes a testament of the moment, carrier of the action and energy that each performer has put on it.


 

hakanai was commissioned by J-TRAD Ensemble MAHOROBA, with the support of the Research Development Fund by Royal College of Music and Daiwa Foundation. It was premiered on 15 March 2025 in Dojin Christ Church, Tokyo

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