Arthur Kisenyi

Rolf Wallin

Josse De Pauw

Arthur Kisenyi | Rolf Wallin | Josse De Pauw

Arthur Kisenyi (Kampala, 1990) plays the former child soldier in Rolf Wallin and Josse De Pauw's Strange News, a large multimedia work including symphony orchestra, video and surround sound. Luckily not a former child soldier himself, however, the cruel conflict in neighbouring DR Congo, and Uganda's own history is all too real. Born and raised in the Ugandan capital, he won the role among 90 young men in a local audition at the age of 16. Shortly after he left for Oslo, where Josse De Pauw created the role especially for him. He has since the premiere with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007 performed Strange News in a number of cities, among them Porto and Chicago, and future plans include Toronto, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Rolf Wallin (Oslo, 1957) is one of the foremost contemporary Nordic composers. His musical background spans from jazz, avantgarde rock and early music to traditional classical training, and this versatility is reflected in an exceptionally manyfaceted list of compositions. Wallins compositional output covers a wide range of techniques and expressions: from strictly absolute music to music theatre, from strongly intuitive music for dance and performance art to elaborate computer-aided composition in his instrumental music.

Wallin's music is regularly performed worldwide. He has written for some of the world's foremost performers, ensembles, intitutions and orchestras, such as Cleveland Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain, IRCAM, Arditti String Quartet and Wiener Mozartjahr.

Rolf Wallin has received several prices for his music, such as The International EBU Rostrum 1999 and the Nordic Council's Music Prize 1997.

Josse De Pauw (1952). Lives and works in Brussels. Actor, author and theatre director Josse De Pauw started his career in 1976 with Radeis International, a successful Flemish theatre group that travelled across Europe and overseas from Vancouver to Hong Kong, from Caracas to Los Angeles. Since1985, he works as an independent creator and as such has collaborated with numerous directors, actors, visual artists, composers and musicians, both in Belgium and abroad. He wrote a dozen theatre texts, often for himself, but also for others. De Pauw also writes fiction, short observations and travel stories. His texts have appeared in two books: Werk and Nog.

In 1989 he played his first major film role and has performed in over 50 Belgian and international films since then. He directed two films: Vinaya and Übung.

In theatre he has worked with well-know directors such as Jürgen Gosh (D), Guy Cassiers (B), Jan Ritsema (Nl), Jan Decorte (B), Jan Lauwers (B) and Luc Perceval (B). But most of all he is the creator of his own successful pieces (where he often also appears as actor) such as Weg, Larf, Übung, die Siel van die Mier. And most recently: Ruhe, Strange News, Liefde/his hands and De Versie Claus.

Josse De Pauw was artistic director of Toneelhuis, Antwerp (B) in 2005/2006 and continues to collaborate with the actual director Guy Cassiers.

Over the years, Josse De Pauw’s work was produced by major Belgian theatre houses and companies such as Kaaitheater, Victoria, LOD, Transparant, Toneelhuis and KunstenFestivaldesarts. His future work will be co-produced by the KVS (Royal Flemish Theatre, Brussels) and Théatre National (Brussels).

De Pauw has received several prices for his work as film director, theatre director and actor. He received the Flemish State price for his work in drama.