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ROUND TEN GRANT APPLICATIONS
Temporal Harmonies Inc.
ENSEMBLE INFO
Ensemble Contact:
Miki Piszczorowicz
Email:
Ensemble Connect URL
UK Registered Charity No:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Temporal Harmonies Inc. is an ensemble founded at the Royal Academy of Music, comprised of Lydia Walquist (flute/traverso), Miki Piszczorowicz (cello/viola da gamba), and Xiaowen Shang (piano/keyboard instruments). One of our missions is to bring the beauty of early instruments into the present musical landscape, creating dialogue between past and present.
We are currently embarking on an album project exploring the sonic possibilities of the flute, cello, and piano trio - a formation rich in potential but underrepresented compared to the more mainstream violin–cello–piano trio. Our aim is to contribute to the recognition and popularity of this alternative instrumentation. The entire album will consist of newly commissioned works written especially for our modern trio. Through these new works, we hope to expand the repertoire and visibility of this distinctive combination.
To contextualise the trio’s evolution, we are commissioning two interludes of around five minutes each, written for traverso, viola da gamba, and harpsichord - the historical predecessors of our ensemble. These interludes will serve as musical reflections and reference points for how the trio format has developed over time, both sonically and aesthetically. The viola da gamba adds a unique dimension, as it represents a once-thriving branch of string playing supplanted by the more assertive violin family. Returning the gamba to a creative, compositional context, we aim to revive its expressive voice and highlight its relevance.
We are delighted to collaborate with composers Özgür Kaya and Delyth Field on these interludes, whose artistic visions align closely with ours. Both are highly creative voices with a deep sensitivity to timbre, history, and contemporary expression - ideal partners for this project.
This album is not only about expanding repertoire but deepening the creative process. By commissioning new works for both historical and modern trios, we place ourselves in the shoes of 18th-century musicians - interpreters, innovators, and collaborators. We explore how early music practice can inform not only performance but also composition today.
We plan to record the album in late spring 2026, with release the following autumn. Performances of the full programme are planned in London, targeting contemporary music enthusiasts, historically informed performance followers, and curious listeners. We also plan to professionally record and release the album on digital platforms, with selected performances livestreamed or filmed where possible.
Support from the Continuo Foundation would allow us to commission these interludes crucial to the artistic concept of the album.. It would also amplify our mission: to give early instruments a voice not just in the past, but in shaping the sound of music’s future.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Temporal Harmonies Inc. is an ensemble formed in 2023 at the Royal Academy of Music by Lydia Walquist (flute/traverso), Miki Piszczorowicz (cello/viola da gamba), and Xiaowen Shang (piano/keyboard instruments). Our group was born out of a shared desire to explore how early music practices and instruments can remain alive and artistically relevant in contemporary music-making.
All three members are part of the Historical Performance department at RAM and have studied with leading artists in the early music field, including Rachel Podger, Lisa Beznosiuk, John Butt, Jonathan Manson, Reiko Ichise, Margaret Faultless, Ian Ledingham, Carole Cerasi, and James Johnstone. This grounding has shaped our approach to both historically informed interpretation and new collaborative creation.
The ensemble has performed in a variety of contexts, including a recent concert at the Royal Academy of Music Museum, where we explored the evolution of keyboard instruments in chamber music, from the Baroque to the late Romantic period. Programmes like this reflect our wider artistic aim: to trace continuity across time and highlight how performance practices, aesthetics, and instrument technologies inform one another.
Temporal Harmonies Inc. aims to push the boundaries of historically informed performance by positioning early instruments not only as vehicles for interpretation, but as tools for modern expression. We aspire to build a body of work that connects composers, audiences, and performers through sound that is both deeply informed by history and fully engaged with the present.
Looking ahead, we aim to continue presenting performances that pair historical and contemporary repertoire, commission new works for both modern and period instruments, and engage audiences through programming that brings past and present into meaningful dialogue.
PROJECT COSTS
Number of performers:
Instrumentalists:
Vocalists:
Other:
3
2
Project Income (£):
Ticketing/Fees:
Public Funding:
Other trusts/foundations - confirmed
Other trusts/foundations - pending
Other
Income - Total sources
0
0
0
0
700
700
Project Expenses (£):
Artists' fees
Artists' travel/accommodation
Venue - Rehearsal/Concert:
Recording/Filming:
Marketing/Publicity:
Management/Contingency:
4000
0
0
0
0
0
Total Project Costs:
4000
Amount (£) of Grant Requested:
3300
Detailed Budget (Download):
IMPACT OF GRANT
This grant would be transformative for Temporal Harmonies Inc., enabling us to commission and record new works for historical instruments—an essential part of our debut album. This support would help us fully realise our artistic vision, elevate our profile, and establish a distinctive identity bridging early and contemporary music. It would also expand our audience reach, deepen collaboration with composers, and advance our mission to make historical instruments vital and relevant today.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Video from recently formed ensemble (if provided. If not, the CF 'Happy Holidays' video will appear by default)
PDF of detailed programme notes (if provided):
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