April 2006

Several months have passed since the last update. Although for more than a year I had limited access to the studio (due to major house and studio rebuilding), I have been involved in many exciting projects and collaborations during this 'nomadic period'.
Here are some highlights from the recent past…and news about ongoing and future projects.

Two new CDs

Work on two new CDs continues. In the next three months I will spend a considerable amount of time in the studio recording additional tracks and mixing new material. There will be a follow-up to 'Desert of Clouds' with all tracks featuring chants by Tsar Tsar Gyalten Sogdzin Rinpoche, (photo - left), as well as subtle accompaniments by myself and invited musicians.
The working title is: 'KHORLO' (The Wheel of Time)

The second CD, titled: 'IN LIGHT - Music for Films, Theatre and Exhibitions' - is a compilation of instrumentals and vocal pieces, with compositions, improvisations and soundscapes created for films, art installations and other projects - in the search for the 'mysterious bond between sound and image'.

Check this site for the release dates.

On and off stage

Since our collaboration on the film soundtrack two years ago, Ivan Tucakov and I have been getting together occasionally to record and perform. Last year Ivan invited me to contribute to a couple of tracks on his debut CD 'Sunrise on a New World'.

This year, on number of occasions, I was asked to share the stage and play flutes and duduk with Ivan's band Tambura Rasa.

Please visit Ivan's site, listen to the music and check the video clips from some live venues.

http://www.tamburarasa.com/

April 2005

In the spring Rinpoche and I went to the studio to produce this unusual blend of sounds and animated paintings:

(From the DVD container)

'Embrace the Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and chant along with Tsar Tsar Gyalten Rinpoche as traditional Tibetan Tangkas, inspired by the richly illustrated works on Kalsang Dawa, are brought to life before your eyes. With accompanying ambient music composed by Victor Chorobik, this collection of mesmerizing traditional Tibetan Buddhist Chants are presented in a (first ever) DVD format, featuring Buddha Shakamyuni, Chenresig, and Mahakala. This DVD comes with a booklet of the Chants written out in English, Chinese and Tibetan.'

March 2004 - December 2005

Film Projects

Between spring 2004 and winter 2005 I had the opportunity to create a musical score and participate in five short film productions. Here they are in chronological order:

Documentary film describing the work and life of one of the finest Polish graphic artists - Henryk Plóciennik.
The film was produced and directed by Adam Kowalczewski for Polish Television.

This 8 minute, fast-paced film promotes the new NMC, which, in the future will be located on the shores of North Vancouver. The Centre will be the destination for people to celebrate, discover and participate in the unique maritime fabric of the west coast. The film, like the future Center, celebrates stories from Coastal First Nations, the Arctic, shipbuilding, navigation, ocean trade, oceanography, underwater exploration, and much more.

This short film is presented at the Snazaist Center in Hedley BC.
Ochre mining, the first mining activity in the area, has an important historical role in the lives of the area's natives. Later, an incredible gold mine was built, called Mascot Mine, which operated from the early 1900's.

The film was produced by Geoff Browne, Peter Chrzanowski and Harvey Zlatarits.

The soundtrack features the Okanagan singer, storyteller, Herman Edward, (photo ­ left)

Five years after legendary climber Alex Lowe was swept away by an avalanche, Lowe's friends and family honored his memory by returning to the Himalayas to establish the Khumbu Climbing School. Designed to give back to the Sherpa climbers on whom nearly all Himalayan expeditions depend, the school teaches critical mountaineering techniques and skills essential for staying alive in one of the world's most formidable working environments. As the instructors and Sherpas work together to bring the school to life, it becomes apparent that mountains aren't the only bond they share.

The film was directed by Per Saari and the cast included Conrad anker, Harry Kent, Jon Krarkauer, Danuru Sherpa and others.

'Golden Rush' is a one hour film documenting a small logging/railway town in the Canadian Rocky Mountains struggling to change from mill town to a tourist based economy by using its greatest resource --- 'the best snow in the world.'

Golden Rush is directed by Peter Chrzanowski, an award winning filmmaker and adventurer specializing in high adrenaline action/adventure films. Peter has now taken mountain films into a socio/political context.

Working with musician Ivan Tucakov on the soundtrack to this film, started our ongoing collaboration in the studio…and on stage.

January 2004

Modlitwa Celtów - Celtic Prayer

One of my 'long distance' projects is a collaboration that resulted in the music for this theater play, audio CD and CD-ROM.
Performed by Izabela Drobotowicz-Orkisz and Jacek Lecznar from Hagiograf Theatre in Krakow, these are Vi - X century translated Celtic texts, paired with ambient music.
This CD is available in Poland only, but you can hear short fragments on the discography page.

August 2003

North by Northwest: Creative people and what they create

In August, this CBC program will feature the interview and some new music samples recorded in my studio. '…Each Saturday and Sunday morning, host Sheryl MacKay introduces you to places you've never been, people you've never met, and ideas you've never considered. North by Northwest presents artists, writers, performers, and 'just plain folks' talking about what the do and what others do. It's musical, theatrical, literary, artistic and delicious…'

July 2003

I'm very excited about this new project and about joining the team of Pat and Baiba Morrow, Canada's premier adventure photojournalists, writers and filmmakers.

Padma and the Dirty Dog: Stories from Ladakh.

Is now in production. This video documentary combines adventure in the high Himalaya of Ladakh in North West India with the human-interest story of Cynthia Hunt - educator, mountaineer, and “mad as a Van Gogh” illustrator of children’s books. We follow Cynthia on a journey over seven 5000-meter passes to remote villages where she introduces new health education materials of her own creation, including her latest book, Padma and the Dirty Dog, to school children.
The soundtrack will feature new original compositions with Gyalten Rinpoche as well as few pieces by the great Paul Horn.
To learn more about Pat and Baiba and to see their work please visit:

http://www.patmorrow.com/default.htm

May 6-18, 2003

UPCOMING EVENTS: The Linen Project

Art installation and exhibition by Joanna Staniszkis with music by Victor Chorobik

Ballard/Lederer Gallery
1540 West 2nd Ave., Vancouver B.C.
Tel: 604 736-3282

April 2003

'Generation of Wisdom'

I am also working on the film score for a short film called "Generation of Wisdom" by Geoff Browne. Hopefully it will find its way into the film.

Please visit Boundless Light Productions for more details.

April 2003

News from London: Signing by Iris Light

I can now announce my signing by the British label Iris Light. The slightly remixed 'Desert of Clouds' CD will be released in Europe in April 2003. Iris Light will also handle worldwide distribution, through Universal Music in the UK and PHD in Canada. Iris Light label is well known for their beautiful ambient and electronica releases.
Please read more about it.
And here is the review of 'Desert of Clouds'.

March 2003

'Desert of Clouds'in Canada

The Toronto and Vancouver based distribution company, Osho Canada and ShantiOm Music, will make my music available to Canadian listeners. Osho Canada and ShantiOm Music represent a select collection from several music labels, e.g. New Earth, Open Sky Music, Prabhu Music, Etherian, Karuna Records, Aquarius, Malimba, and others.

January 2003

'Desert of Clouds'in Poland

This year, 'Desert of Clouds' will also be available in my native Poland.

2002 - 2003

Himalayan Visions & Tibetan Voices

Last year I had the great privilege of participating in this beautiful and inspiring multimedia show. 'Himalayan Visions & Tibetan Voices' is now on tour, and here is a brief introduction:
This 90 minute digital multi-media show consists of over 225 of Brian Harris's award winning images and photographs of Seva's sight restoration work in Asia. Along with the visual components, the show features specially composed music and recorded narration by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche and Iain Marrs. Brian will present this show and give a workshop entitled 'Beauty in the Service of Others' across Canada and in selected US cities. The images are choreographed with environmental sounds, sacred music and music created in my studio with Tsar Tsar Gyalten Rinpoche.

For more information please visit here.

2002

In Germany:

Canadian choreographer Dominique Dumais used my 'sound bites', created with overdubbed, bowed electric guitar, for her project with the Stuttgart Ballet.

New instruments:

Thanks to Andrea and Drahan Petrovic, I have now this beautiful instrument in my studio. The fujara is probably the largest, most majestic flute in the world. This one was created by the Slovakian master Sur Dusan.

Big thanks to Joseph ‘Peppe’ Danza for allowing me to own one of these incredible percussion instruments. The Udu drum is a clay pot drum modeled after the Nigerian side hole pot drum. It is made entirely of clay, in the form of a narrow-necked, vase-like vessel with a circular hole in the side in addition to the opening at the top. Bent tones resulting from the player’s modulation of the apertures can be reminiscent of tablas or talking drums.

Special thanks to Alex Gabriel and Alix Noble for writing & editing the text, Isaac Marshall and Trevor Martin for their advice, design and bringing this website 'back to life'.