Shiva Feshareki
Shiva Feshareki (1987) is a British-Iranian composer, artist and turntablist, described as the most “cutting-edge expression of turntablism” and as “One of the most astonishing acts of musical alchemy of the last decade” (BBC Radio 3’s Tom Service). Over the last decade, she has been a pioneer at the leading edge of both contemporary classical and electronic & dance music scenes.
She holds a Doctorate of Music in composition from the Royal College of Music (2017), and is winner of the BBC Young Composer’s Award (2004), The Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize (2009) and the Ivor Novello Award for Innovation (2017). Shiva is currently a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University with the Electronic Music Practice Research group (EMPRes) and The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), researching and presenting state-of-the-art spatial and ambisonic electronic composition.
She has performed extensively across the world in concert halls, art galleries, festivals and raves, with notable appearances at BBC Proms, The Tank at Tate Modern, Southbank, Barcelona’s Sonar Festival, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (VAC Foundation), Casa Del Lago (Mexico), Hyperreality Festival of Club Culture (Vienna), Mutek in Montreal, Artheater/Frau Musica Nova (Cologne), Maerzmusik (Kraftwerk, Berlin) and Appia Stage (Hellerau Arts Centre). She most recently featured at the Design Museum Electronic Music Exhibition, which was held in London until the end of May 2021.
Shiva has also worked alongside a number of notable artists and ensembles including the London Contemporary Orchestra, BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Britten Sinfonia, Haroon Mirza, Kit Downes, Natalie Clein, Simon Fisher-Turner, Akiko Ahrendt, Microhm, Cathy Eastburn, Yoshi Sodeoka and Arlo Parks.
Undeniable influences include avant-garde electronic music of the late 20th Century, and electronic dance music, which she cross-pollinates in a formidable and uncompromising manner. This is best exemplified in her prowess as a turntablist, of which her talent mirrors that of her extraordinary compositional abilities, and of which she has made radical contributions to the art of turntabling – taking experimentation with the turntables to its limit, whilst still producing music that is universally relatable across a diversity of audiences.
Describing Shiva’s music is far from straightforward, when the breadth of expression, and range of compositions encompasses everything from orchestral, solo, choral, chamber, electronic and installation works. At the core of her work, Shiva creates experiences that reveal the fluid and infinite interplay between sound and the physics of space; the interconnection between the essential nature of sound and our living experiences. Shiva uses an array of technology from vintage analogue tape echo, vinyl turntables, CDJs to state-of-the-art 360° ambisonic technology. Her tools also extend beyond electronic technology, using her own advanced 3D orchestration methods to score acoustic instruments in spatialized form. Described as “A terrific sonic experience… Among her musical ideas there’s thrash metal and dance music, as well as marvellously fresh-sounding orchestral-gestures, assaulting or beguiling the audience from all angles” (Richard Morrison - Chief music critic of The Times).
Biography by Jason Noghani; Photograph provided by Ensemble Modern.
