Drawing from a carefully selected palette of electro-acoustic textures and shapeshifting rhythms, PASSEPARTOUT DUO’s work investigates the way in which we listen to and connect with sound. Reassessing the tools they use to create their music, the group is continually developing a specialized and evolving ecosystem of handmade musical instruments that have ranged from analog electronic circuits and conventional percussion, to room-size textile installations and found objects.

Looking for ways of sustaining an independent musical career and shaping an international network of artists and musicians, the group has been on a nearly continuous world tour ever since they began collaborating in 2015, and their experiences traveling have heavily influenced their unconventional creative process.

This from-scratch approach has materialized itself in a series of discographic releases: their most recent Circo Pobre (2022) and Daylighting (2021) are both LPs exploring different ways of approaching sound synthesis and electronic musical interfaces, respectively realized through electromagnetism and textile fibers. Their 2020 LP, Vis-à-Vis, features compositions written for a portable wood and metal instrumentation that accompanied the duo during a month-long train journey across Central Asia. A residency at AIR Niederösterreich (AT) also provided the duo with time to combine writing for acoustic piano and synthesizer through their EP titled Epigrams, exploring the Ernst Krenek Institut’s Buchla 100 Series.

Passepartout Duo has been the recipient of dozens of artist residency opportunities around the world including The Watermill Center (US), the Swatch Art Peace Hotel (CN), the Rogers Art Loft (US), and the Embassy of Foreign Artists (CH). Their multidisciplinary approach has also led them to exhibit both their own creations and their collaborations with fellow artists at venues such as Casino Luxembourg (LU), the Nakanojo Biennale (JP), Aarhus Artspace (DK), and Fanrong Museum (CN).

The duo was selected for SHAPE+ Platform’s roster of artists 2022-2023.

Passepartout Duo is formed by pianist Nicoletta Favari (IT) and percussionist Christopher Salvito (US/IT).