About//
Milena Georgieva is a composer and transdisciplinary artist.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, currently based in Vienna.
Her approach is strongly influenced by her background in landscape design - space, evolvement and experience are at the core of her working process. She explores sound and it’s evolution as an organic and dramaturgical space. She investigates space as a construct – physical, virtual, public and intimate. Through music and sound she sees the possibility to grow unexpected relationships and enter impossible places - utopias.
In her compositions and live performances she seeks a fluid, unbound sense of music and listening. Interlacing diverse genres and musical practices - from experimental, electroacoustic, contemporary classical to choir and folklore - she activates complex and multidimensional bodies of sound.
Modular and digital sound design, live-processing, experimental and extended instrumental, vocal and recording techniques are currently her primary sonic tools.
She does sound design and composes for performance, dance and film as well.
She performs also under the moniker Yuzu.
Shows at Tanzquartier Vienna, Kunsthaus Zürich, Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab, Technical Museum Vienna, Kunsthalle Vienna, Donaufestival, Wiener Festwochen, ImpulsTanz, Elevate Festival, Unsafe + Sounds, Goethe-Institute Bulgaria, Sofia City Art Gallery, among others.
Composition grants by the City of Vienna (2022-24), State of Austria (2023, Startstipendium 2024). Residencies at ImpulsTanz - Turbo (2023), Kulturtankstelle Linz (2017). Nomination for BAZA contemporary art prize (2019).
Collaborations with Magdalena Forster, Pavel Naydenov and N Choir, Tarek Atoui, Jeremy Wade, Ingrid Cogne, Leon Höllhumer, Claire Tolan, Lazar Lyutakov, Sara Zlanabitnig, Christine Gnigler, Maja Osojnik, Jake Mann, Johanna Figl, TE-R [Louise Linsenbolz + Thomas Wagensommerer], Tony Heywood + Alison Condie.
Milena is also:
+ former member of VELAK – a non-profit organisation and platform for artists who work in fields of experimental music and sound/art.
+ a former member of CZIRP CZIRP - a collective supporting, producing and communicating experimental music, sound and digital art through nomadic cultural and ephemeral events.
+ co-founder of CLINIC, a former platform and event format in Vienna, which challenged the hierarchical structures found within club culture and the experimental electronic music scene.
+ organizer of the event series SEBISM, a DIY home for contemporary experimental music performances, underground zeal and radical zest.
CV//
Education/
2015-2021/ /Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Art and Education
2009-14/ /University of Applied Arts Vienna, Landscapedesign / Site-specific Art, MA
2012/ / University of Applied Arts Vienna, Industrial Design 2, Prof. Fiona Raby
2007-08/ /National Academy of Arts Sofia, Poster and Visual Communication
Grants, Awards and Nominations/
2024/ / Startstipendium, BMKOES (Federal Ministry Republic of Austria for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport)
2024/ / Composition Grant, “Surival Is The Air We Breathe”, City of Vienna
2023/ / TURBO Residency, Impulstanz Festival, Vienna
2023/ / Composition Grant for “μ-I.-III.”, City of Vienna
2023/ / Composition Grant for “μ-I.-III”, BMKOES, (Federal Ministry Republic of Austria for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport)
2023/ / Project Grant and Residency VORBRENNER 23’ Brux Theater, Innsbruck
2023/ / Composition Grant for “BILE”, City of Vienna
2022/ / Composition Grant for “ARCADIA”, City of Vienna
2022/ /Residency at Symposion Lindabrunn
2021/ /Residency at “Arbeitsplatz” Vienna 2020/ /Project Grant, MA7 Vienna
2019/ / Nomination for BAZA Award for Contemporary Art, Bulgaria
2018/ /Residency at Kulturtankstelle Linz
2014/ / Merit-based grant, University of Applied Arts Vienna
2013/ / Winner of “THE PITCH! #7” ARTE Creative and Output, with the video “Breakthrough”
2012/ /Winner, YCC Contest with the video “Breakthrough”
Recent and Upcoming Projects //
2024-25/
/LICKER (work in progress)
Concept Album based on the research on lichens lichenization, symbiosis and dealing with co-habitation, co-existence, urgent + emergent intimacy, air and breath.
/SURVIVAL IS THE AIR WE BREATHE
Composition for Choir and Electronics, Sponsored by the City of Vienna
/LICHEN-ALIKE
Research and Method development for Composing based on the study of lichens, lichenization, symbiosis. Sponsored by BMKOES (Startstipendium)
2025/
/Video Release: YUZU - Live @DieSpur_Records
/HEARTH - on wet grounds
Composition, Performance, FdR* Festival der Regionen
/HEARTH
Composition and live sound for Performance by Magdalena Forster, Tanzquartier Vienna
/HEARTH - on wet grounds
Composition, Performance, FdR* Festival der Regionen
/HEARTH
Composition and live sound for Performance by Magdalena Forster, Tanzquartier Vienna
Selected Projects, Exhibitions and Perfromances//
2024/
/UNDERCURRENTS
Release within the Series SONIC AGENCY on Struma+Iodine
/PORPHYRA (new adaptation)
Performance and Composition, Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab, Vienna
2023/
/ μTOPIA, Performance, Composition, Live Sound, Dramaturgy and Artistic Direction, VORBRENNER ‘23 BRUX Freie Theater Innsbruck
/ BILE, Composition and Live Sound for a Performance by Magdalena Forster
Shows: RAKETE Festival, TQW, Vienna
unspace @ Kunsthaus Zurich, within Zurich Art Weekend
Sonic Territories Festival, Vienna
/ PORPHYRA, Performance, Installation, Composition, Kunstraum Remise, Bludenz
2022/
/ARCADIA composition, 17’’, Sponsored by the City of Vienna
/ TOWER OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS, interactive virtual sound sculpture for Kongreßbad Vienna, within MEDIA AND SOUND POOL by czirp czirp and The Artificial Museum
/ “Die Wilden Sind Wir”, performance and live sound as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan) Symposium IV / Kunst & Ökologie, Lindabrunn
/ Liebe Hilde, deine Zoé, composition and live sound for performance and public space intervention, a project by Johanna Figl and Martina Rössler with students of the Integrativen Lernwerkstatt Brigittenau and elderly people from the Pensionist:innenklubs Leithastraße and Greiseneggerstraße. Brigittaplatz
/ Souffle Continu by Tarek Atoui, performer and musician, Wiener Festwochen
/ {PAN TR∀CT}, performance + live concert, w/ Magdalena Forster Leon Höllhumer, Performative Screenings #74, school, Vienna
/ CAULIFLOWER SOUNDFESTIVAL, acousmatic concert, VELAK + Vienna Acousmatik Project Semperdpot, Vienna
2021/
/ ”Club Possession”, performance as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan), Celeste, Vienna
/ ”OFFSHORE HEIDI”, performance as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan), BLOB together PRST, Vienna
/ ”What I can show I cannot say” I + II, installation and performance, BKI Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna
/”T.E. honeymoon, immer am Laufen”, sound composition for video piece by Elisabeth Falkinger, PARALLEL VIENNA
/”DIGITAL.RELEASE”, composition and video, commissioned for Oceanic Feeling by czirpczirp.cc, animation by TE-R
/”CICADA GAMES”, graphic design + art direction for site-specific AR + ASMR audio play app by Claire Tolan, commissioned by czirpczirp.cc
/”À manipuler with care” sound piece with Ingrid Cogne, Michaela Stock Gallery, Vienna
2021/
/ ”Club Possession”, performance as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan), Celeste, Vienna
/ ”OFFSHORE HEIDI”, performance as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan), BLOB together PRST, Vienna
/ ”What I can show I cannot say” I + II, installation and performance, BKI Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna
/”T.E. honeymoon, immer am Laufen”, sound composition for video piece by Elisabeth Falkinger, PARALLEL VIENNA
/”DIGITAL.RELEASE”, composition and video, commissioned for Oceanic Feeling by czirpczirp.cc, animation by TE-R
/”CICADA GAMES”, graphic design + art direction for site-specific AR + ASMR audio play app by Claire Tolan, commissioned by czirpczirp.cc
/”À manipuler with care” sound piece with Ingrid Cogne, Michaela Stock Gallery, Vienna
/ ”OFFSHORE HEIDI”, performance as Pandora (w/ Harald Stojan), BLOB together PRST, Vienna
/ ”What I can show I cannot say” I + II, installation and performance, BKI Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna
/”T.E. honeymoon, immer am Laufen”, sound composition for video piece by Elisabeth Falkinger, PARALLEL VIENNA
/”DIGITAL.RELEASE”, composition and video, commissioned for Oceanic Feeling by czirpczirp.cc, animation by TE-R
/”CICADA GAMES”, graphic design + art direction for site-specific AR + ASMR audio play app by Claire Tolan, commissioned by czirpczirp.cc
/”À manipuler with care” sound piece with Ingrid Cogne, Michaela Stock Gallery, Vienna
2020/
/”From Violence to Ambience”, sound installation, Goethe-Institut, Sofia
2019/
/“The Song About the Woman“/„We‘ve got something to talk about“, performance and installation, Sofia City Art Gallery
/”F*Future” educational project, Kunsthalle Vienna
2018/
/“re:donau“, Kulturtankstelle, Linz
2017/
/“En Suite“, performance, Rosa Rauschen, Vienna
/“tender trap“, installation, Take Festival Vienna
/“Ich-Nicht-Ort“, performance, In der Kubatur des Kabinetts, Fluc Vienna
2016/
/“Dissonanz“, sound installation, SOHO in Ottakring
2014/
/”URBAN FLOWRA”, conceptual landscape design, diploma with honours, University of Applied Arts, Vienna
2013/
/”Picknick in The West”, happening, Zapaden Park Festival of art in public space, Sofia
2012/
/”Growing Responsibility” installation, “So close, so far - contemporary Bulgarian artists abroad”, National Palace of Culture, Sofia
2011/
/”Hosta Superstar”, installation, Botanical Garden, Vienna
2010/
/”Bärenstark”, installation, “Wunschmaschinen”, exhibition, Technisches Museum, Vienna
2019/
/“The Song About the Woman“/„We‘ve got something to talk about“, performance and installation, Sofia City Art Gallery
/”F*Future” educational project, Kunsthalle Vienna
/”F*Future” educational project, Kunsthalle Vienna
2018/
/“re:donau“, Kulturtankstelle, Linz
2017/
/“En Suite“, performance, Rosa Rauschen, Vienna
/“tender trap“, installation, Take Festival Vienna
/“Ich-Nicht-Ort“, performance, In der Kubatur des Kabinetts, Fluc Vienna
/“tender trap“, installation, Take Festival Vienna
/“Ich-Nicht-Ort“, performance, In der Kubatur des Kabinetts, Fluc Vienna
2016/
/“Dissonanz“, sound installation, SOHO in Ottakring
2014/
/”URBAN FLOWRA”, conceptual landscape design, diploma with honours, University of Applied Arts, Vienna
2013/
/”Picknick in The West”, happening, Zapaden Park Festival of art in public space, Sofia
2012/
/”Growing Responsibility” installation, “So close, so far - contemporary Bulgarian artists abroad”, National Palace of Culture, Sofia
2011/
/”Hosta Superstar”, installation, Botanical Garden, Vienna
2010/
/”Bärenstark”, installation, “Wunschmaschinen”, exhibition, Technisches Museum, Vienna
Selected Performances Yuzu //
2022/ / Wiener Festwochen, Vienna
/ Music Unlimited Festival, Wels
/ Unsafe + Sounds Festival, Vienna
/ Struma + Iodine, Rhiz, Vienna
/ Donaufestival, Krems
/ Sonic Territories, Seestadt, Vienna
/ STREAM Festival, Linz
/ K.W.K.W., p.m.k. Innsbruck
2021/ /Wiener Festwochen MITTEN
/WAF Gallery Vienna with Leon Höllhummer
/Unsafe+Sounds Festival, Vienna
2020/ /Elevate Festival, Graz
/Notgalerie, Vienna
2019/ / JESHK - Festival für experimentelle Musik, WUK, Vienna
/ Impulstanz, Vienna
/ Velak Gala | Fluc, Vienna
/ Wiener Festwochen, Vienna
2018/
/ FLUCA, Sofia
/Club Radiokoje, Vienna
/Fabrika Avtonomia, Sofia
/Tontauben Festival, NÖ
2017/ / Popfest Vienna
/ SSTR6
/ Berlin Community Radio
Selected Collaborations //
2021/ /Claire Tolan, Ingrid Cogne,TE-R [Louise Linsenbolz + Thomas Wagensommerer], Elisabeth Falkinger, Harald Stojan
2020/ / Live Sound and Performance in Alberto Franceschini’s piece ”Strange is the Loop”
/Wiener Festwochen Reframed, commissioned co-curator (CZIRP CZIRP) for the public space performance of “Construction Choir Collective. A musical intervention in Meidling”.
2019/ /Jeremy Wade: Sound in „FCCCing Impulstanz The Musical“ Impulstanz, Vienna
2016/ /Lazar Lyutakov landscape design in the project “Rosae”, LPH Türnitz, Austria
/August Schram and Bastian Wilpling for the short film „Ich Armer Mensch“
2011/ /Tony Heywood in “Hosta Superstar”, Botanical Garden Vienna
Publications //
/ Mario Terzic, Lu Yang:“Humus and Shoots”, 2014, p. 93
/ Lazar Lyutakov:„10 years and something - Baba Vasa‘s Cellar“, p.54-55
/ Landscape V02, Summer/Autumn 2012, p. 22
/ “So Close, So Far”, Ausstellungskatalog, 2011
/ “Wunschmaschinen”, Ausstellungskatalog, 2010, p. 24-25
Additional Professional Experience //