Sonja Mutić finished master studies at University of the Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Music, and postgraduate studies at Kunstuniversität Graz. She is currently a PhD candidate at Harvard University, studying with Chaya Czernowin and Hans Tutschku.

She attended numerous courses with renowned composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Beat Furrer, Mark Andre, Rebecca Saunders, Enno Poppe and others. Her music was performed by Ensembles Klangforum Wien, Nadar, United Instruments of Lucilin, Elision, Cairn, National Sawdust, Constellation Chor, Schallfeld, Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, Studio 6, Lucerne Festival Alumni, Orkest de Ereprijs, pre-art and Fractales amongst others, with performances at impuls festival, Lucerne Festival, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, International Rostrum of Composers, Festival ensemble(s), 33.7, MusicOlomouc, impuls Minuten Konzerte, Culturescapes, LBO Songbook UnGalas, Echofluxx, mise-en, International Review of Composers etc.

She is the winner of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin program for 2023, George Arthur Knight Prize, Harvard University (2023), Adelbert W. Sprague Prize, Harvard University (2021, 2019), Hildegard Competition (2020), impuls prize (2019), Styria-Artist-in-Residence Graz (2018), Judith Lang Zaimont Prize (2017), Sigismund Toduţă (2017), Weimarer Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik (2016), Young Composers Meeting (2014), Künstlerhaus Boswil artist-in-residence (2014-15), pre–art (2013), Josip Slavenski (2011).

About the piece

brightness for amplified string trio and electronics (2022)

Looking into the shining light makes one blind, in the same way as the high frequencies are deafening; after dwelling in high altitude, the illuminated mind is left in a heightened silence, self-reflecting on the previous experience of fullness (density?).

The main inspiration and constitutive part of the piece is the field recording of the night birds and frogs I made on the south coast of Costa Rica [in a timeless space saturated with brightness].
The piece is commissioned by the United Instruments of Lucilin ensemble with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

I dedicate the Belgrade premiere of the piece brightness to my father Vladimir who left us in August 2023.