Liane Sadler & Elias Conrad

In a process of collaborative experimentation, Liane Sadler & Elias Conrad translate vocal works into pure sounds through the intimate synthesis of renaissance flutes and lute instruments. Taking impulses from the songs’ texts, historical techniques such as diminutions, bastarda arrangements, and improvisation are used to create breathing lattice-like arrangements, distilling the songs’ words into sonic expressions. Permeating the musical interpretation in this way creates a direct dialogue with the listener, one in which verbal language is no longer necessary, and opens a window to understanding ancient music in contemporary ways.

They were drawn to form their duo through a shared fascination for exploring the unique sound world of transverse flutes in combination with lute instruments, offering captivating, fleeting fragility, and yet rich and evocative colour palettes. Sadler & Conrad dive deeply into specific historical repertoires, experimenting with corresponding innovative historical practices to discover new soundscapes and musical languages to transmit through performance. These repertoires range from diverse 16th century polyphony and dance forms, to 17th century airs de cour and instrumental practices.

In performance, Sadler & Conrad sit in the centre of the space, encircled by the audience, blurring the lines between performer and listener to nurture an intimate shared experience. Artistic video creations explore the possibilities of transmuting this experience into online formats in meaningful ways.

Both alumni of the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the duo debuted in 2021 with featured performances at the Fabulous Fringe of the Oude Muziek festival in Utrecht and productions for the Dutch radio station Concertzender. In 2022 they completed an artistic residency at the Château de l’Esparrou in Perpignan, France, as part of the Odyssée Artist-in-Residence programme. During this residency, they focused on completing their project of arranging all of the complex and vivid four-part polyphony of Madalena Casulana (c.1540-c.1590) into specialised and experimental arrangements for renaissance traverso and lute.

In 2023 they were selected for the prestigious International Young Artists Presentation in Antwerp, were finalists at the International Van Wassenaer Concours in Utrecht, and performed concerts at the Alte Musik Fest Friedenau in Berlin and around Switzerland. In 2024 they look forward to performance highlights at the MA Festival Bruges, Magdeburger Telemann Festtage, and the Forum Alte Musik Zürich Festival, and will record their debut CD of works by Casulana.