– With the right microphone placement, including inside the horn, we could hear how the instrument actually sounds from the inside, says Mariam Gviniashvili. Photo: Margit R. Omholt
HOW THE WORK WAS CREATED
Some works begin with a melody or a theme. Sinter began with the idea of letting two different sound worlds meet and gradually merge.
/ 05/07/2026 / Kristian DugstadIn the work sinter There is no clear boundary between composition and improvisation, or between the acoustic and the electronic. The work explores how different sound sources can merge without losing their uniqueness.
The title points to the same idea. Sintering is a process in which material is pressed or heated together into a new whole without completely melting. For the composers, the term became an apt description of both the working process and the musical result.
We asked Hild Sofie Tafjord and Mariam Gviniashvili to tell the story of how the work came to be.
The collaboration on sinter got its start when flutist, composer and artistic director of nyMusikk, Bjørnar Habbestad, suggested that Hild Sofie Tafjord and Mariam Gviniashvili create a work together.
What was the first idea or impulse behind Sinter?
– When Bjørnar Habbestad asked if I would like to work with Mariam, I immediately said yes. I have worked with her before in Lemur (Editor's note: quartet that plays contemporary music), and as both a musician and a person she is fantastic. Incredibly precise and strong in expression, open to impulses and with a clearly unique voice, says Tafjord.
For Gviniashvili, there was no doubt that this was a project she wanted to be involved in. Even before the two composers had started working together, she began to imagine what the work might sound like.
– My first thought was about what type of sound world we wanted to create: powerful and penetrating, but at the same time nuanced and sensual.
The idea of fusion would eventually become so central that it also gave the work its name.
What does the title Sinter mean, and why did you choose that particular word?
“Sintering is the process of compressing and forming a solid mass of a material using heat or pressure, without completely melting the material. It involves a granular, textured fusion,” explains Gviniashvili.
The term describes not only the work, but also the way they worked.
– We wanted to fuse the sounds together, while keeping each element distinct, clear and strong.
Although the collaboration was close, the composers made some clear choices early on. Tafjord would work acoustically, while Gviniashvili would work electronically.
How did you build the soundscape?
– At our first meeting, we discussed form, the composition process, and what should be composed and what should be improvised. We also talked about how to mic the horn, stage design, lighting colors, and costumes. Then we played together to get a feel for what it was like to improvise with each other, says Gviniashvili.
One experience made a particular impression on her.
– I especially remember the first sound check on Blå. With the right microphone placement, including inside the horn, we could hear what the instrument actually sounds like from the inside. The result was very impressive.
The work process constantly balanced between planning and spontaneity, which is why the relationship between composition and improvisation also became an important element in the work.
Is Sinter a pre-defined work, or does it include improvisation?
– The work follows a defined structure. Some parts are fully composed and performed with precision. In other parts we establish a specific time frame, intensity, character and sound world, where we are free to improvise within these frames, says Gviniashvili.
For Tafjord, improvisation and composition are not necessarily opposites.
– A work is a whole. The soundscape, the structure, the interaction and what occurs between us who create the music are all parts of the composition.
Although sinter has already been performed several times, both composers feel that the project is still in development.
What do you want to explore next in the project?
– It is an intense and physical challenge to play acoustically together with processed and electronic sound, especially when it moves into dense noise landscapes. I felt a great freedom and strength in meeting Mariam and her sound world. I am happy to explore that further, says Tafjord.
For Gviniashvili, the work doesn't feel fully explored either.
sinter itself left a lot of room for further exploration, something we will definitely return to. We have already had offers to take the piece to new places. There is still more work to be done and more performances to come, which I am really looking forward to.
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