Introducing Pedro Rebelo – Creator of ‘Sounding Conflict’
Sounding Conflict: A Performance in Five Acts
The Sounding Conflict installation created by Pedro Rebelo with Matilde Meireles is focused on a 30 minute performance film directed by Patrick J O’Reilly with performers Joe Loane and Keith Singleton. The work aims to bring together various strands of field work from the Sounding Conflict project across regions such as the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Brazil.
The film element of the installation depicts two young men incessantly cycling through state of destruction and rebuilding, a house, a wall, a city… Structured over five acts and a coda, the filmed performance reflects acts of resistance, reconciliation and resilience as the two men struggle to control a world made of bricks in an ever hopeful set of actions.
The ability for sound to create space and materialise action is explored through the creation of a sonic world which constantly shifts between the concreteness of building and destruction, to surrounding soundscapes and references to Syrian, Brazilian and Northern Irish Hip Hop. The global conventions of Hip Hop combined with its very notable regional variations presents a sonic palette to question the role of music created under conflict situations.
About Pedro:
Pedro Rebelo is a composer, sound artist and researcher. In 2002, he was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where he conducted research in music and architecture. Pedro has led participatory projects involving communities in Belfast, favelas in Maré, Rio de Janeiro, travelling communities in Portugal and a slum town in Mozambique. This work has resulted in sound art exhibitions at venues such as the Metropolitan Arts Centre, Belfast, Centro Cultural Português Maputo, Espaço Ecco in Brasilia and Parque Lage and Museu da Maré in Rio, Museu Nacional Grão Vasco, Golden Thread Gallery, Whitworth Gallery Manchester, Convento de São Francisco Coimbra and MAC Nitéroi. His music has been presented in venues such as the Melbourne Recital Hall, National Concert Hall Dublin, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ars Electronica, Casa da Música, and in events such as Weimarer Frühjahrstage fur zeitgenössische Musik, Wien Modern Festival, Cynetart and Música Viva. He has collaborated with musicians such as Chris Brown, Mark Applebaum, Carlos Zingaro, Evan Parker and Pauline Oliveros as well as artists such as Suzanne Lacy.
Pedro has been Visiting Professor at Stanford University, senior visiting professor at UFRJ, Brazil and Collaborating Researcher at INEM-md Universidade Nova, Lisboa. He has been Music Chair for international conferences such as ICMC 2008, SMC 2009, ISMIR 2012 and has been invited keynote speaker at ANPPOM 2017, ISEA 2017, CCMMR 2016, EMS 2013 and EIMAD 2022. He has recently been awarded two major grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council including the interdisciplinary project “Sounding Conflict”, investigating relationships between sound, music and conflict situations. Ongoing research interests include immersive sound design and augmented listening experiences. Pedro has been appointed Director of SARC: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Sound and Music in 2021 and is a fellow of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice.