When the global musical community gathers in San José, Costa Rica, for the 2026 International Duo Symposium (El Simposio Internacional de Dúos), the focus will naturally be on the intimate chemistry and technical precision required of chamber music pairings. However, one featured presentation aims to push the boundaries of the duo dynamic by exploring the very nature of sound, silence, and cultural friction.
Dr. Aaron Pergram, of Miami University (Ohio), is set to present “The Weight of Silence: Examining Radical Traditionalism, Philosophy, and Friction in East Asian Modernism.” This deep dive into the contemporary musical landscapes of Japan, Korea, and China offers a vital perspective for performers looking to expand their artistic voice beyond Western classical conventions.
Redefining the “Musical Event”
For many classically-trained musicians, silence is often viewed as a rest or a passive pause between active moments. Pergram’s presentation challenges this by introducing concepts where the in-between is just as significant as the notes themselves:
- Ma 間 — In Japanese tradition, this refers to emptiness or the in-between space. In this context, silence is not empty; it is as active and heavy as the sound that precedes it.
- Sawari 触り — Translated as touch or obstacle, this concept prioritizes timbre over pure pitch. It involves the intentional creation of beautiful noise or friction, a concept that transforms how a duo might approach blend and texture.
- Jeongak 정악 — This Korean traditional music tradition informs the slow tempos and expressive microtonal pitch bending found in contemporary works.
Philosophy as Performance Practice
The presentation explores how different spiritual roots dictate the life of a sound. In Chinese Daoism, music is viewed as an echo of natural phenomena rather than a human invention. This perspective shifts the focus away from melodic progression and toward the internal life of a single tone—its attack, decay, and the shifts in its overtones.
For the modern duo, these concepts offer a radical new way to communicate. Pergram illustrates this through landmark works such as Toru Takemitsu’s November Steps. In this piece, Takemitsu refuses to blend traditional Japanese instruments (the Biwa and Shō) with the Western orchestra. Instead, he allows them to exist in their raw, noisy state, creating a dialogue of mutual respect and sonic negotiation rather than assimilation.
A Challenge for the Modern Duo
The 2026 International Duo Symposium serves as a perfect backdrop for this exploration of Radical Traditionalism. As musicians from around the world meet to share new repertoire, Dr. Pergram’s research serves as a bridge between cultural preservation and avant-garde modernism.
“A rest is not empty space; it is a musical event,” Pergram notes. “Noise is not a mistake; it is timbral richness.”
By embracing these East Asian philosophies, performers at the symposium are encouraged to unlearn Western biases and look beyond the standard canon. For the attendee, this session promises to be more than a lecture; it is an invitation to find the weight in the silence and the beauty in the friction of our shared musical language.
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