Sisters With Transistors

Narrator Laurie Anderson takes us on a journey through the work of pioneers such as Clara Rockmore, Daphne Oram, Bebe Barron, Pauline Oliveros, Delia Derbyshire, Maryanne Amacher, Éliane Radigue, Suzanne Ciani, and Laurie Spiegel – artists who reshaped the way we listen, compose, and think about sound. Both Pauline Oliveros and Maryanne Amacher are major sources of inspiration for Holland Festival's associate artist Hildur Guðnadóttir.

By weaving together archival footage, interviews, and evocative, immersive soundscapes, the documentary places women at the centre of electronic music history and challenges the notion that it is a "boys' club." The result is both a celebration of their creativity and a vibrant reminder of the often-overlooked origins of modern music.

About Hildur Guðnadóttir

The 79th edition of the Holland Festival’s associate artist is Icelandic composer, musician and vocalist Hildur Guðnadóttir (Reykjavik, 1982). She is one of the leading, multifaceted composers of film scores, experimental pop and contemporary music working today. Her work, which is often intense, poetic, dark and unpolished, is inspired by a variety of sources from the founders of contemporary music, such as György Ligeti and Kaija Saariaho, to minimal music, ambient and noise. She has collaborated with artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Knife and Animal Collective.

The general public know her work from films such as Joker (2019, also to be screened at Eye), for which she won an Oscar, Tàr (2022) or the HBO drama series Chernobyl (2019). This month, Hedda premiered at the Toronto film festival, the radical adaptation on Henrik Ibsen’s play with music by Guðnadóttir.

With an introduction by Katía Truijen on June 19 (17:00). Katía Truijen is a media researcher, curator, educator and musician. Her work is concerned with alternative urban, technological and ecological futures. Katía is part of Loom, practice for cultural transformation, and curates context programmes for Rewire festival and Ultima festival.