At the centre is Infinito Nero by Salvatore Sciarrino, a gripping solo work based on the visions of the 17th‑century mystic Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi. In a stream of whispers, breath, cries and fragile sound, Sciarrino gives voice to a soul losing itself in divine ecstasy. The music balances on the edge of silence and madness—ecstatic, hallucinatory and intensely physical.

In contrast, the radiant, spiritually charged soundscapes of Sofia Gubaidulina emerge, inspired by the visions of Hildegard von Bingen—music that breathes light and transcendence.

With works by composers such as Raven Chacon, Julius Eastman, Njabulo Phungula and Younghi Pagh‑Paan, spirituality also takes on a political and ancestral dimension: a search for identity, resistance and connection across generations and cultures.

• mezzo‑soprano Elaine Mitchener
• programme Njabulo Phungula – Playground Postcard | Sofia Gubaidulina – Aus den Visionen Hildegard von Bingen | Canela Palacion – Taaaa tata | Julius Eastman – Buddha | Younghi Pagh‑Paan – Noch… Ma’am | Raven Chacon – Where the Lightning Will Never Find Me | Salvatore Sciarrino – Infinito Nero