28 November 2024

“Winter Music” presents compositions by Akademie members on sonic renewal and memory

Concerts and discussions
Saturday and Sunday, 7 + 8 December 2024, Hanseatenweg

For the fourth edition of the festival “Winter Music”, you are invited to a weekend of sonic renewal and remembrance. On 7 and 8 December, under the artistic direction of Clara Iannotta and Sarah Nemtsov, the festival presents a diverse programme on the theme “Echoes of Tomorrow”, combining musical currents spanning different generations.

At the centre of the festival is the idea of building a bridge between the past and the future, creating new memories and forming a multi-layered image of the present. The festival honours the composers who have made ground-breaking contributions to contemporary music, combining traditional acoustic instrumental music with electronic enhancement and innovative synthesizers in a visionary way. York Höller’s work TANGENS or Ernstalbrecht Stiebler’s Repetitionen for 1970s synthesizer ensemble are exemplary of this approach. With the reconstruction of Péter Eötvös’ early composition Airport Oeldorf and the performance of Thomas Kessler’s last work La montagne ardente / Der brennende Berg, composed for the synthesizer trio Lange//Berweck//Lorenz, the festival also commemorates recently deceased members and keeps their musical legacy alive.

At the same time, the festival introduces new members of the Akademie der Künste and promotes the younger generation of musicians. Composers including Liza Lim, George Lewis, Annette Schlünz and Christopher Fox, who were recently inducted into the Akademie, will be featured with new works that will be interpreted by Fabrik Quartet, RAGE Thormbones and Samuel Stoll. The composer Trond Reinholdtsen himself will perform in his new oeuvre. In two panel discussions, the audience will have the opportunity to meet and engage with the composers.

Every two years, “Winter Music” presents works by members of the Music Section of the Akademie der Künste. Each edition of the festival is curated by two members, who decide on a theme and select the musical pieces accordingly.

Saturday 7 December 2024
5:45 pm: Talk with the composers
With George Lewis, Trond Reinholdtsen, Chiyoko Szlavnics, Hanna Hartman, Christina Kubisch, moderated by Clara Iannotta, Sarah Nemtsov
7 pm: Concert
Christopher Fox: The people’s salute (2022, UA) for natural horn
Liza Lim: Pharmacon (2018, rev. 2024, DEA) for two trombones
Christina Kubisch: ELECTRIFIED (2024) for synthesizer trio and tape
Annette Schlünz: verhalten, entgleiten, entfalten... (1994) for solo guitar
Annette Schlünz: schau(m)ich (2000, short version 2016) for solo cello
Ernstalbrecht Stiebler: Repetitions (1977) for synthesizer ensemble
Thomas Kessler: La montagna ardente / Der brennende Berg (1974 / 2024) for synthesizer
York Höller: TANGENS (1973) for cello, electric guitar, piano, electric organ and 2 analogue synthesizers + conductor
With: Samuel Stoll, RAGE Thormbones, Lange//Berweck//Lorenz, Martin Smith, Seth Josel, Aaron Cassidy (conductor)

Sunday 8 December 2024
4 pm: Concert
Hanna Hartman: Metusalem (2021–2023) for solo horn and tape
Peter Eötvös: Airport Oeldorf (1972) for electric organ and synthesizer
Annesley Black: Hurry up the machine. I HAVE STRUCK A BIG BONANZA (2022) for Minimoog or Behringer D synthesizer [10’]
Chiyoko Szlavnics: Water Sky (2018) for video and sinewaves
Trond Reinholdtsen: Das Skeptische Bewusstsein (The Followers of Ø, part 3) (2024) for video and tape, with an introduction by Trond Reinholdtsen
With: Sebastian Berweck, Samuel Stoll
5:45 pm: Composer talk:
With: Christopher Fox, Liza Lim, Annesley Black, Annette Schlünz, Walter Zimmermann, moderated by: Clara Iannotta, Sarah Nemtsov
7 pm: Concert
George Lewis: String Quartet 4.5 “Partial Truth” (2022)
Walter Zimmermann: 10 Fränkische Tänze, sublimiert für Streichquartett (1977)
Liza Lim: String Creatures (2022)
With: Fabrik Quartet

Winter Music. Echoes of Tomorrow
Concerts and Talks
Saturday and Sunday, 7 + 8 December 2024
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
Concerts €15/9, day ticket 8 Dec. €20/12
Tickets: www.adk.de/tickets, tel. (030) 200 57-1000, ticket@adk.de

Press contact and press tickets: tel. 030 200 57-1514, presse@adk.de