Duo Aspera, which includes Ghenadie Rotari (accordion) and Valentina Vargiu (piano) will give a recital at the “Izmir New Music Days 2025”, held at the Small Hall of the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center in Izmir, Turkey on October 12th, 2025.

The event is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Goethe-Institut International Koproduktionsfonds, Goethe-Institut İzmir, and the Austrian Cultural Forum.

“The festival reflects Turkey’s unique geographical and cultural position, celebrating the crossover of Mediterranean traditions with urban and local soundscapes. Performances will explore a blend of conventional and unconventional performance practices, at times involving makeshift instruments and electronics.”

Four new works by selected young composers will be workshopped from October 7th to 12th. Discussions will be held on both conceptual and practical aspects of composition, including material development, notation, and contemporary performance techniques. These sessions will be conducted publicly over five days.

The workshops will culminate with concerts by Duo Aspera and Ensemble [hand werk], presenting the newly developed pieces alongside selected works by established contemporary composers and the premiere of Vassos Nicolaou’s latest composition.