Maja S.K. Ratkje says of her compositional process: “The process of composition is primarily about mastering form and contextualizing elements- both the actual sounds and...

Maja S.K. Ratkje says of her compositional process: “The process of composition is primarily about mastering form and contextualizing elements- both the actual sounds and the formal units- musically.” She approaches all of her new works through the lens of an improvising musician. “And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep,” features Ratkje’s pre-recorded voice. This is just one of the fascinating ways in which the composer winds her own performing voice through the ensemble sound of Cikada and Oslo Sinfonietta. “Ratkje brings a feral disregard for conventional form, combined with an extravagant imagination, linking it all to a fascination with the human voice and its communicative possibilities. Her works are dramatic, engaging and wildly diverse.” (Financial Times)