Incense of Music 77

A multisensory concert – Friday, 27. November 2026,  8 pm

Emilia Viktoria Lomakova: piano, cello, voice

Mia Bodet: violin, piano, voice

Incense: pine, spruce

Two musicians, two ancient resins, one immersive journey. Mia Bodet (violin, piano, performance) and Emilia Viktoria Janeil Lomakova (cello, piano, voice, composition) invite you into the heart of the forest – through music and fragrance. In this unique concert experience, the clear, purifying scent of spruce resin and the fresh, invigorating aroma of pine resin will rise together with live improvisations and composed works. Strings and voices weave through the smoke, echoing the breath of ancient trees, the stillness of woodland clearings, and the wild, untamed pulse of nature. Let your senses be guided by sound and scent – into the depth of the woods, and into yourself. This event is not recommended to people sensitive to smoke.

 

Photo by Geert Maciejewski

My name is Emilia Viktoria Janeil Lomakova and I was born in Odessa, Ukraine. Music is my passion and life’s purpose, which takes many forms in my musicianship: on the cello, piano, double bass, guitar, and with voice. In recent years, composing has become my main outlet of expression. My greatest influences in life have been my education at the music school in Odessa and the encounters and work with many wonderful artists who have accompanied, inspired, and challenged me. Love and life itself, for me, is the source of creation in which I am allowed to participate, and which I continually turn into music. At present, I am working on my opera, which I have been composing for six years and which is based on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.

 

Photo by Fabio Dondero

Mia Bodet (*1990) is a violinist, pianist, and performer who composes and improvises music for theater and film projects. At the age of 14, she was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire and briefly studied at an academic university in Tokyo, before performing as a guest musician with renowned French orchestras, with whom she toured across Europe and Asia. Since 2015, she has been performing in collaboration with directors, dancers, and choreographers in projects at the Deutsche Oper, the Staatsoper Berlin, and Opera Lab Berlin. She has been a member of the Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop since 2020. Since 2014, she has been coaching, researching, and studying somatic and alternative psychological modalities.

 

 

 

The pine (Pinus) is an evergreen coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere and characterises dry, sandy, or rocky landscapes. Its needle-like leaves grow in clusters of two, three, or five, depending on the species. Pines can grow very old and reach heights of up to 40 metres. Their resin-rich wood and distinctive, often umbrella-shaped crown make them one of the best-known forest tree species in Europe. Pine resin is the dried, golden-yellow to brownish secretion that the pine exudes when its bark is injured, as a protective measure. When burned as incense, it releases a clear, fresh, resinous-woody scent with slightly citrusy notes. It purifies the air, has an invigorating and refreshing effect, and is traditionally used for space cleansing, purification rituals, and strengthening the breath. In shamanic practice, it is seen as a connecting element between earth and sky. It is burned in small pieces on charcoal discs, often blended with other resins like frankincense or herbs like sage.

 

The spruce (Picea) is an evergreen coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is native to the cool to temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere and characterises the boreal forests of Scandinavia, Russia, and the Alpine regions. Its needle-like, four-sided leaves grow individually around the branch. Spruces can reach heights of over 50 metres and live for several hundred years. Their straight trunks and conical crowns make them one of the most economically important forest trees in Europe. Incense / Smudge Resin – Spruce Resin: Spruce resin is the dried, light to golden-yellow secretion that the spruce exudes when its bark is injured, in order to seal wounds and protect against pests. When burned as incense, it releases a fresh, pure, resinous-balsamic scent with slightly sweet and citrusy notes. It has a clarifying, refreshing, and invigorating effect on the mind and breath. Traditionally, it is used for purification rituals, for improving the air in sickrooms, and for strengthening one’s inner centre. In folk medicine, it is also considered expectorant for respiratory complaints. It is burned in small pieces on charcoal discs, often blended with other resins or herbs such as juniper or sage.