Maya Fridman i.s.m. Soundsofmusic

Spanish composer Saskia Venegas and cellist Maya Fridman shed new light on the classical Greek ancient story of ‘Medusa’. A penetrating new musical narration for cello, voice, and electronics reveals the hidden story behind Medusa’s abuse, transformation and ascent. Medusa, once a priestess of Atenas temple, got raped by Poseidon disguised as a bird. Athena, out of rage, blamed Medusa, transfigured her into a beastly Gorgon, and then isolated her in a distant island. Through this mythological Greek figure, composer Saskia Venegas wants to unfold the nightmare of those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of sexual abuse. ‘Medusa’  turned into a intense performance piece,  written for Netherlands most adventurous cellist, Maya Fridman. The performance of Medusa will be introduced by Jacqueline Klooster teacher of classical languages at RUG on the actuality of female perspective in the reinterpretation of ancient Greek myths.

Jacqueline Klooster (1976) is an assistant professor of Greek and Latin Languages at the University of Groningen. She is mainly concerned with ancient literature (Muze, Tell. The Greek and Latin Literature of Antiquity, AUP, 2023, with co-authors) and recently received a LIRA grant for her research into the modern retellings of Greek myths from a female point of view.