Italian composer Clara Iannotta has published a detailed final statement about the cancellation of her violin concerto, originally commissioned for the NOW! Festival and intended to be premiered in Essen by Carolin Widmann and the Essener Philharmoniker.
Her new text, released on her website and summarised on Instagram, reflects on the events of the past weeks but also on broader questions of communication, power, and the conditions under which contemporary music is created and performed.
Iannotta’s new statement revisits the entire process, clarifies her perspective on the use of objects, the internal vote, and the delivery of the score and parts, and responds to reactions from institutions, musicians, and the public. She describes the experience as “painful” but writes that she shares it “so that, going forward, no one can pretend not to know.”
A month after the incident, her new post marks the most comprehensive account she has offered so far.
Context: the cancelled premiere
The concerto, titled sand like gold-leaf in smithereens, was commissioned by the NOW! Festival and written for a detuned violin, orchestra, and electronics, a soundworld characteristic of Iannotta’s work. Widmann, who was artist-in-residence of the Philharmonie Essen, had prepared the piece for weeks and planned to premiere it alongside Berg’s Violin Concerto.
The orchestra ultimately decided not to perform the work. Widmann later expressed her disappointment, writing that she was “heartbroken to hear that the orchestra has decided in a vote not to perform this violin concerto premiere.”
The institution’s statement
Following Iannotta’s initial reaction, the Philharmonie Essen and the Essener Philharmoniker issued a statement explaining that the cancellation resulted from limited preparation time after a late delivery of materials, as well as concerns about objects and extended techniques involved in the score.
They stated that the use of “special instruments or objects” required additional internal procedures, and that the conductor originally scheduled, Elena Schwarz, withdrew once the premiere was cancelled.
The institution emphasised that the orchestra regularly performs contemporary music and that this was the first time in 15 years of the festival that a planned world premiere had to be withdrawn.
The musicians’ perspective
Shortly afterward, the musicians released their own statement, clarifying that they were not unanimously opposed to the performance. They wrote that the cancellation was a management decision, and that the internal poll was meant to assess the feasibility of using objects under existing labour rules — not a vote on the artistic value of the piece.
They also explained that some concerns involved the safety of bows, instruments, and materials, and that the arrival of the full score and parts left limited time for internal coordination. A majority of the musicians, according to this statement, were willing to go ahead with the premiere.
Elena Schwarz withdraws
The conductor, who had been closely involved with Iannotta throughout the process, withdrew from the concerts in protest after learning of the cancellation.
In a personal statement, Schwarz called for “open dialogue and courageous action,” and expressed support for both Iannotta and Widmann.
Iannotta’s new statement
In the new text released this week, Iannotta presents a chronological reconstruction of the process and addresses several aspects:
- Dialogue and communication: she writes that the core issue was not artistic disagreement but “the absence of dialogue,” noting that neither she nor the conductor nor the soloist were contacted before the internal vote or the managerial decision.
- Objects and extended techniques: she reiterates that all objects were provided at her own expense and arrived at the orchestra on the day the performance was cancelled, and that she had immediately offered solutions for concerns regarding polystyrene.
- Timeline: she acknowledges that the score was delivered later than ideal but states that the explanations given to her for the cancellation concerned the use of objects, not timing.
- Institutional responsibility: she argues that public statements from the institution contained inaccuracies, and expresses disappointment that attempts to issue a joint clarification were ultimately rejected.
- Impact and future: she concludes with reflections on how institutional structures can affect artists, noting that she will continue to write for orchestra but hopes for more transparent and collaborative processes.
Her Instagram post presents key excerpts and closes with the line: “This is my final account of what happened. I offer it not to look backward, but so that we can move forward — with honesty and a shared responsibility.”
Subscribe to our newsletter