Episode 13 – “Becoming Between” and Improvising while Never Met with Catalina von Wrangell and Rachel Joy Weiss

In this episode, Catalina von Wrangell and Rachel Joy Weiss, two talented female artists, discussed their music careers as composers and performers. They presented their works and talked about their collaborative project “Between Becoming.” Wrangell highlighted the importance of storytelling in music art and explored how poetry and music create an engaging narrative. She introduced the concept of UX design and its significance in the music industry. Weiss shared her experience creating virtual recordings during the pandemic and explained the meaning of improvisation to her. She also discussed how her dual identity between East and West influenced her immersive audio-visual installations. Lastly, we explored their collaborative work on the audio-visual piece “Between Becoming,” inspired by Washington Allston’s unfinished painting “Jason Returning to Demand His Father’s Kingdom.”

About Catalina von Wrangell

Catalina von Wrangell’s artistic practice is centered around creating intimate experiences for her audiences as she explores the complex nature of human emotion. Her interdisciplinary pieces, including chamber music, film, sound and word sculptures, poems, and installations, bridge various fields. She is a co-founder of The Last Hundred Ensemble based in Miami, FL, which focuses on presenting art music from the last hundred years. Her works have been performed and exhibited across the United States, South America, and Europe. As a performer, she showcases her skills as an improviser, clarinetist, and poet. Wrangell runs the family business, Cello-Sanct Shop & Studio, helping string musicians find top-notch instruments and providing lessons to students.

About Rachel Joy Weiss

Rachel Joy Weiss is an artist known for her diverse work in combining music with visual arts, interactive technologies, and audiovisual design. She has experimented with sound installation, video art, augmented reality, interactive media, sensor-based installations, 3D modeling, and virtual spaces. As a soloist, Rachel has collaborated with renowned orchestras and ensembles worldwide, such as the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Haifa Symphony, Raanana Symphony, and Kaleidoscope MusArt. Her work has been exhibited in prestigious venues and exhibitions around the world, including the Lowe Museum of Art in Miami, Gallerie Analix in Switzerland, Carnegie Hall in the USA, Tel Aviv Museum in Israel, Faena Forum in the USA, Withiel Sculpture Garden in the UK, and the Edge Zones Gallery in the USA.

Weiss’s website

“Between Becoming” by Catalina von Wrangell and Rachel Joy Weiss, performed by Duo Sequenza