DiStorSion
An immersive dance, multimedia, and music performance that originated in early 2024 with the support of the Town Hall of Murcia, Spain. Developed during a residency at Cuartel de Artillería (Murcia), an initial iteration of the project was presented there in June 2024.
A review by Tania Herrero for Cultura y Sociedad described the performance as follows: "Trees as columns in a cold-ground landscape. How far we have come that we prefer to deceive our senses with the peace projected on screen, barely reflecting on the present moment. Repetitive, circular movements, heightened by the performer’s poetics—an unbroken flow or sharp, fragmented gestures—passed through the body, where restrained physicality surfaced, posing questions to the audience."
13–15 June, 2025, OSO Arts Centre in Barnes as part of the Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival.
Biography
Gregory Emfietzis is a composer and sound designer whose work bridges music, theatre, dance, and multimedia. His compositions are often structured around narratives and have been described as sound scenography or sonic theatre, seamlessly integrating visual and performative elements. From the miniature opera Mirror, Mirror on the Wall to the instrumental theatre of Gluttony, and large-scale interdisciplinary projects like Sisyphus Distressing, his work explores storytelling through sound, movement, and image.
Originally from Greece, Emfietzis trained as a violinist and choral singer before studying composition in the UK under Christopher Fox, Richard Barrett, and Jennifer Walshe. His music has been performed internationally, including Fear (not), premiered by ensemble WienBerlin at the Wiener Konzerthaus; The Black Art of Obscurantism, commissioned by the London Sinfonietta and performed at the Southbank Centre; and The Darkness of Mistico, staged at the Greek National Opera. His collaborations extend to the London Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Ensemble with Sisyphus Victimised.
As the co-founder and director of Metapraxis Ensemble, Emfietzis curates platforms where contemporary and historical works converge through interdisciplinary performance. His creative practice extends into educational projects, such as [MUSIC:BUILDING]—a programme combining composition and architecture—and #MUSICMAY2020, a series of online music activities launched during the national lockdown.
Previous collaborations with Albarracín Seiquer and Thomas Hands include on Duelo por un tiempo que una vez fue, a video project developed during the pandemic, and projects with Vertebra Theatre, including An Ice Thing to Say, presented at VAULT Festival 2023.
Emfietzis’s work consistently pushes the boundaries of how sound interacts with movement, visuals, and dramaturgy, challenging traditional concert formats and reimagining the role of music in contemporary performance.
Previous ACE funded projects
Sisyphus Distressingmusic & theatre project (2017-20)
Sisyphus Distressing is an experimental music & theatre show, built around the myth of Sisyphus, as it was seen through the eyes of Albert Camus. It compares the absurdity of man’s life with the situation of Sisyphus, a figure of Greek mythology who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again. A typical fairy tale, it explores endless repetition and meaninglessness, struggle and failure, as well as (some sort of controversial) hope for what might come next…
It was premiered at IKLECTIK (London, Nov’17). Devised by Gregory Emfietzis, Sisyphus Distressing focuses on the values, ethics and struggles of modern society, inspired by the well-known myth. A highly emotional sonic journey melded with a variety of non-musical elements, including drama, lighting, movement, and video. The project is supported by the Arts Council of England and the Hinrichsen Foundation.
Curator/Dramatist: Gregory Emfietzis, Videographer: Kyveli Anastasiadi, Filmo/Photographer: Edd Cross, Videographer: Damian Posse, Director: Mayra Stergiou (direction).
Duration: ca 90 min.
L antigoniedance & music project (2015)
Dance and music realization of Antigone, based on J.Cocteau’s version of the original myth. A tribute for the hundred anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915. The project was supported by the Arts Council England, UAL Univerity of the Arts London and ACOSS International Artist Residency Program. It was presented at TripSpace (London) and HighFest (Yerevan, Armenia)
Choreography & Direction : Aline Derderian,Music : Gregory Emfietzis
Duration: 60 min.
Music Impossible music & shadow puppet theatre project (2012/13)
In a city from which music has been forcefully banned, a group of citizens secretly manage to discover the truth about the missing sounds and colours. This is a theatrical music performance, devised and composed by Gregory Emfietzis (based on M.Loulaki’s fairy tale), and presented as a shadow puppetry show. The project was supported by the Arts Council and LSO Soundhub and was produced and performed by the Metapraxis Ensemble [May/June 2013].http://music-impossible.emfietzis.com
Composer/Dramatist: Gregory Emfietzis, Director: Charlotte Ive,Scenographer: Ingrid Hu, Puppet Maker/Puppeteer: Jo Lakin
Duration: 60 min.