Biography
Patrick Belaga is a cellist and composer originally from Washington, D.C. An experimental artist, he primarily expresses himself through performances and improvisation. His work draws from Western and Eastern classical music, jazz, and Eastern European folk traditions. His latest album, Blutt, was released by the Berlin-based label PAN. He has showcased his work in museums, galleries, and theaters worldwide, including the Whitney Museum, MOCA Geffen, HAUBerlin, Schauspielhaus Zurich, Bonniers Konsthall in Stockholm, SFMoMA, Schinkel Pavilion, and Donaufestival in Austria.
Following his collaboration on Moved by the Motion with Wu Tsang and Tosh Basco (Boychild), alongside Josh Johnson and Asma Maroof, he featured on the album PAT—a project by Jacolby Satterwhite and Nick Weiss. Patrick Belaga is also a film score composer, having notably created the soundtrack for Netflix’s documentary on Lady Gaga, Gaga: Five Foot Two.
Project
At Providenza, he worked on his latest multidisciplinary project (published by PAN), Burned Horizon, which fuses literature and music, addressing the topic of mental illness—a subject rooted in his personal experiences. This novel-album narrates the journey of a man living with schizophrenia during the Neolithic era. The protagonist grapples with the challenges of neurodivergent thought patterns in a community unfamiliar with the concept of mental illness. His hallucinations and moments of clarity are interpreted as mysticism. The contrast between the Neolithic perception of his condition and modern understanding of mental health highlights the evolution of societal views on neuropsychological disorders.
As both the author of the text and the composer of its soundtrack, Patrick Belaga has crafted a soundscape designed to be listened to alongside the reading of the novel. This hybrid work immerses the reader-listener in the emotional whirlwind of the protagonist’s experience. The seamless integration of literature and music allows the story to resonate deeply, forging a sensory connection that lingers well beyond the final page.
Patrick Belaga found inspiration in the tranquility, simplicity of life, and connection to nature that the residency at Providenza provided. Through his interactions with traditional musicians on the island, he traversed Corsica, attuned to echoes of a primitive insular life. During the residency’s closing event, he delivered an improvised cello performance in a setting that transported the audience into the mystical and captivating world of his novel.
