Women’s resistance is a project creating works for piano and other elements. The pieces emerge from resistance, in defense of Human Rightsand human dignity.
A Chilean pianist and artist based in Paris, María-Paz Santibáñez brings together in this project the central themes of her life and career: a woman committed to contemporary creation and, throughout her journey, to the defense and respect of Human Rights.
At the heart of the project are works that integrate scenic and performative elements, designed for live performance. Thus, María-Paz Santibáñez is not only the pianist but also the dramaturg of this « opera, » taking on the roles of actress and creator of visual works in video format. In this project, alongside her stage director, she brings together nearly twenty people, including composers, visual artists, poets, and technicians. The core team invited by María-Paz consists of Glyslein Lefever (stage direction), Lorena Zilleruelo and Aurora Gasull (visual art and video).
The project also has a team in Chile, managed by Aconcagua Producciones, including Pablo Herrera, Mauricio Hartad, and Angélica Barrios. Special collaborations feature Álvaro González (Chile) and Daniel Sandoval (France), responsible for video technique and recording.
Performative and Musical Program
In this project, the works at the center of the most recent version of this work in progress guide the dramatization. The performance (lasting 1h15) integrates performative and choreographed music from: Valeria Valle (Chile) « Vendajes (the rapist…is…you’re…you were…) », Hèctor Parra (Spain) « Reñma » (from face) on poetry of Leonel Lienlaf, Esteban Benzecry (Argentina) « Ojos », Marco Perez-Ramirez (Chile) « Marrichihueu (hommage à la première ligne) », Nicolas Tzortzis (Grèce) « Reportage », Ramón Gorigoitía (Chile) « Contodosinopaké » with electronics, Cristina Vilallonga (Spain) « Hierve la noche (lock down) » et Andrian Pertout (Australia-Chile)
The musical program also includes works by Béla Bartók (Hungary) and Claude Debussy (France).
Works in Progress (supported by Gérard Assayag’s REACH project, ERC-IRCAM) are from Lara Morciano, José Miguel Fernández, and Rodrigo Cádiz
- Ongoing collaborations with Madrasta (Portugal) and DIMA (Italy)
Origin of the Project
The inspiration arose from the Chilean uprising of late 2019, with its cacerolazos (pot-banging protests) and demonstrators. These protests resonate in the project alongside the voices of composers from different countries. Feminine Resistance matured during the pandemic, when culture was deemed « non-essential » and the world became aware of the inequalities and precarity affecting much of the population. After the « return to normalcy, » reopening concert halls, theaters, and ears meant making creation and artists’ patient resistance resonate once more.
Performative and Musical Works of Feminine Resistance
- « Impact (Your Eyes, Your Rights) » (for piano and casseroles): Commissioned from multiple composers, with a partial premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris). Originally dedicated to the blinded eyes of the 2019 Chilean uprising, it now extends to all voices rising for Human Rights and the dignity of peoples.
- « El violador es… eres… era… » (by Valeria Valle): Inspired by the globally renowned performance of the collective LasTesis, « A Rapist in Your Path. » In « Vendajes (El violador es…) », the composer invites a live vocal/scenic performance, directly linked to LasTesis’ work.
Performance? Images?
The visual projections (by Lorena Zilleruelo, Aurora Gasull, DACB, and Lucrecia Novoa) dialogue with the action, performance, and music—not illustrating it, but creating material from street, historical, urban, and rural images. Video penetrates inside the piano, projecting live what happens within or around the vibrating instrument.
Glyslein Lefever directs the staging, integrating performance, poetry, action, and choreography—along with the voice of the lead performer-actress, the casserole wedged between the piano strings or played in an unsettling tremolo, spoons striking the strings, and a theatrical, musical gestural language.
Performance Formats
A multidisciplinary performance, between opera and drama, integrating a repertoire linked to resistance and contemporary creation. Classical works and gestures evoke landscapes, movement, poetry, or rebellion, according to the dramaturg-pianist’s vision.
- Adaptable to large concert halls or community spaces.
- Post-performance discussions possible with creators, researchers, and local actors on themes like « creation and resistance. »
With Initial Support From:
Fin Producciones, Psinet (Chile); Santiago Off; GAM (Chile); Espacio Checoeslovaquia (Chile); Las Tesis; Les Frigos (Paris); France Chili-Aquitaine; Université de Bordeaux-Montaigne (France); Bochum Museum (Germany); Latinart (Germany); Municipality of Valparaíso (Chile); Municipality of Castro (Chile); University of Chile; Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM, Chile) « La terre est la mère » for piano, electronics and toy piano. In the concert program are also proposed pièces from Béla Bartok (Hongary) and Claude Debussy (France).
María-Paz Santibanez, a Chilean pianist living in Paris, is a interpreter who brings together in this project the paths of her life and career: she is a woman, she defends contemporary creation and throughout her life has engaged in the defence and promotion of human rights.
This project brings together works by composers (women and men) who offered their works out of commitment and respect for people’s rights. First inspirations where done by Chilean people in demonstrations with pots. This project evolved in COVID times, when in so many countries culture was discarded as « essential » and when the whole world saw the inequities and precariousness in which we all live.
Naturally, little by little reopening the halls, theaters, and ears, creating, believing… is making the patient creation and resistance of artists of all types resonate.
Creations in Women’s Resistance
The first work in this project is the suite “Impact (your eyes, your rights)” for piano and pots (see two videos and more), commissioned by the pianist Maria-Paz Santibanez, with a first pre-premiere in Paris at the Chatelet Theatre. This work was originally dedicated to the mutilated eyes of Chile since the revolt began at the end of 2019. Today this suite is dedicated to all those who seek to raise their voices to defend human rights and the dignity of individuals and peoples.
Currently the work is composed of 7 parts . The suite is organised around premieres according to the dates of each composer whom join according to their availability. They makes the work and the resistance grow.
The second work of the project was also commissioned by María-Paz Santibanez. «Vendajes (The rapist is … you are … you were …”, by Valeria Valle. (More about Valeria here). This work invites performance on stage, in defence of women’s rights and against institutional patriarchy. At the boiling point of the Chilean protest at the end of 2019, the complaint against the institutional patriarchy was born. The work of the collective “Las Tesis”, also Chilean, went viral making a worldwide echo of the performance ”Un violador en tu camino”.
Performance? Images?
The projection of images resulting from the creative sensibility of video-visual artists make a dialogue with the music not seeking to illustrate, but to elaborate video material taken in the streets, in villages. The video enters the piano and sometimes projects live what is happening inside or around the vibrating instrument.
Glyslein Lefever directs the staging and the performance from the installation of a saucepan between the strings, the intervention of spoons between the piano strings, the use of saucepans as drums next to the piano, the setback made by the pianist between piano, saucepans, the declamation of testimonies or poetry or the spatial intervention of electronics – and still many other effects of pieces being composed – Each of these elements make each part of the work a performative moment in itself.
Regarding the score of “The rapist is … you are … you were …” the invitation of the composer is to make a specific address to the performance of Las Tesis “El violador eres tu”, vocally and / or on stage in concert . This performatic possibility is integrated into the work.
A women’s Resistance concert includes projection of images integrating music, image, performance.
Concert formats
Part of the program offers a repertoire related to resistance and contemporary creation, another is devoted to the art of the « classic » repertory evoking landscapes, movement, poetry or rebellion, this from the inspiration linked to the repertoire of predilection of the pianist and creator who is at its origin.
Concerts are adapted to be done in fully-equipped concert halls or in little spaces with less equipes.
A debate around the concert, between academics, creators, and local actors from the area of culture, “music and resistance” – or a similar one – will always be welcome, according to relevance.
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Supporters : Fin producciones, Psinet. Also: Santiago Off; Gam; Espacio Checoeslovaquia; Las Tesis; Les Frigos, Paris; France Chili-Aquitaine; Université de Bordeaux-Montaigne, France; Musée Bochum, Allemagne; Latinart Allemagne; Municipalidad de Valparaíso; Municipalidad de Castro; Universidad de Chile; Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana del stado (UTEM)
Maria-Paz Santibañez 