Compostion

“Undercurrent” is a composition for solo bassoon and tape that explores the rich textural possibilities of the instrument through the use of extended techniques. This work invites listeners on a sonic journey where the boundaries between live performance and pre-recorded sound dissolve, creating a dynamic interplay that is both immersive and evocative. 

Throughout the piece, the bassoonist employs a diverse array of extended techniques—such as multiphonics, helicopter tonguing, keys sounds and reed sounds etc. These techniques inject a fresh vibrancy into the soundscape, allowing the bassoon to articulate a wide range of colors and emotional nuances. The live performance becomes a conversation with the tape, as the two elements weave together in a tapestry of sound, each influencing and responding to the other. A distinctive feature of “Undercurrent” is its exploration of acoustic panning, which is enhanced by the physical movement of the performer. As the bassoonist shifts from left to right in a circular motion, creating an enveloping auditory experience. This movement not only emphasizes the piece’s title—suggesting the undercurrents of emotion and sound that flow beneath the surface—but also engages the audience in a unique way, inviting them to experience the music as a living, breathing entity.

A Composition for Kanazawa International Experimental Music Festival, 2025:
Bassoon: Rebekah Heller
Composer: Tam Thi Pham
The video recording was provided by Kanazawa International Experimental Music Festival

Musicians
Carmen Kleykens Vidal – cello
Goran Lazarevic – accordion
Nathaniel Ouzana – piano
Tam Thi Pham – live processing
Performed in 2022 at Multifuntionsraum, HfMT

The piece is a part of the A SPACE JOURNEY is a multimedia music theater at the interface of music and astrophysics, dealing with the universe as a mirror of human questions. Eight teams, consisting of the composer, director and staff of the Hamburg Observatory, process different perspectives on the unknown in the universe into eight compositions. The starting point of their pieces are events such as dark matter, time travel, the evolution of first matter after the Big Bang, or communication with alien life forms. The eight pieces combine to form stations on a journey through the universe. In doing so, they make use of the new audio and video technologies at the Forum, which has expanded the Forum into a multimedia stage as part of the Innovative University funding program.

it is a part of ne(x)t_generation 8.5 | Streaming festival of electronic university studios | 26.06.2021
Concept, Music, Light-program: Tam Thi Pham
Dancers: Angela-Mara Florant and Natalia Golubts
Watch the full stream: https://youtu.be/dlDM0gg9T7c?t=4466

Installation: 1. Juni–4. September 2022
The piece is part of the sound and video installation “How to Live in the Echo of Other Places,” which brings subjective memories of distant locations to life, both visually and acoustically, within the urban space. Designed specifically for this environment, it utilizes spatialized sound. Together with 10 composers, and the work of the project leader Annika Kahrs was performing at Schuppen 29 in Hamburg’s former free Harbor, which marks the endpoint of an imaginary line between the old town and HafenCity. This project is being presented as part of the 8th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2022, organized by Imagine the City.
*This version of the piece has been adapted to a stereo format for the website.

Performer: Goran Lazarevic
Recording: 18.10.2020
The composition explores the sensation of standing under both cold and hot water simultaneously. The accordion represents the human body, with its sounds reflecting the tension and release experienced in contrasting environments. In addition to the live performance, a Max MSP program was used to trigger samples based on frequency inputs, creating a dynamic interaction between the electronic elements and the performer.

Dark Alleys trailer, 2019 – for performer and electronics

Performer: Tam Thi Pham
The piece Dark Alleys  is inspired by the ritual practices of the Vietnamese people. Almost every Vietnamese family conducts worship rituals twice a month, on the 1st and 15th days according to the lunar calendar. These rituals honor deceased ancestors or various deities, including Caishen (the god of wealth or fortune), the earth’s guardian spirit, the god of doors, and the kitchen god, typically at the end of the lunar year.

I composed a part of the piece “Multidimensional” for the Dance festival 2019 in Vietnam.

Choreographer: Huy Tran.

Performer: Tam Thi Pham
Improvisation work, using the contact mics and electronics

This piece was inspired by the political situation in Vietnam and my view of the people who hold political power in society.The basis of the video material is a recording of a live performance I did back in Hanoi. The material was transformed, edited and enhanced with the music I composed specifically for it. I processed the recordings of crowds of people, traditional Vietnamese instrument and the cello to represent the cultural melting pot todays societies are becoming. The usage of English prefixes as sound material relates to the need to always look for shortcuts and reaching the goal as quickly as possible, sometimes irrespective of the price or the bad consequences of a wrong guess.  

Performer: Tam Thi Pham
I created it after moving to Hamburg, when I was deeply nostalgic for Vietnam. The piece is inspired by memories of riding a motorbike on rough roads in a place I knew well. Since the composition is personal, I incorporated toy horses, reflecting my zodiac sign, which is the horse.

Performer: Tam Thi Pham

it was inspired by a moment of helplessness when I saw a dog locked in a cage on Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi. That brief encounter made me reflect on the small, fragile lives around us. I imagined myself in the dog’s position, leading to a year-long exploration of this idea. I bought a cage and spent countless hours inside it, discovering a powerful connection between the image of the caged dog and the status of women in my society.

In Vietnam, societal rules, norms, and traditions often function as a cage, especially for women. The pressure to conform to traditional expectations, dictated by society and men, is immense, and few women manage to break free from it. As a result, most women accept their restricted roles and low status.

I performed this piece in an art space—a combination of gallery, library, and performance venue—using my voice and various objects to create sound. My primary instruments were my voice, duct tape, the cage itself, and a contact microphone

Performer: Tam Thi Pham
It was inspired by the noise in Hanoi.