Greta's Cantata by ProyectoeLe

​We are thrilled to co-host our friends proyectoeLe from Seville for their upcoming performance of Greta Cantata in Brussels! Composed by their own conductor, Carlos Cansino, this powerful piece chronicles Greta Thunberg’s journey and her fight against climate change. Composed in 2024 by Carlos Cansino, Greta’s Cantata is a large-scale contemporary work based on the speeches, interviews, and public statements of climate activist Greta Thunberg. The libretto combines Thunberg’s own words with narrative passages that trace her life and activism, creating a structure inspired by the Passion settings of Johann Sebastian Bach, in which spoken testimony alternates with reflective and dramatic musical movements. The work seeks to amplify Greta’s message on climate change through an accessible musical language in which textual clarity takes precedence over musical abstraction. Written for choir, soloists, percussion ensemble, and electronics, the cantata draws on a wide range of influences, from the minimalist styles of Philip Glass, John Adams, and Steve Reich to the grand choral traditions of Purcell, Handel, Beethoven, and Verdi. Recurring musical motives and harmonic relationships link the various movements, creating a unified musical narrative. One of the central moments of the work sets Greta Thunberg’s famous “How dare you?” speech, while another incorporates an electronic projection of her own recorded voice. For Cansino, Greta’s Cantata also marked a deeply personal milestone, representing his return to original composition after many years devoted primarily to arranging and editing music. The result is a work that combines artistic expression with environmental advocacy, using the power of choral music to raise awareness of the climate crisis and inspire collective action.