The results of the 9th Ars Electronica Forum Valais competition for acousmatic music have been announced. The winning works will be performed in Münster/Goms in March.
PM/SMZ
(translation: AI)
- 26 Jan 2024
Composers of the Ars Electronica Forum Wallis 24 (AEFW) Selection (the other half can be seen at the end of the article). Image composition: AEFW
301 composers from 51 countries and all continents submitted a total of 327 works, more than ever before. It is remarkable that the proportion of works by female composers in the submissions is less than 20 percent, but amounts to almost 30% in the selected works. Compared to previous years, there was also a significantly higher proportion of selected works by composers from Latin American and Asian countries (45%).
Into the ranks of the Ars Electronica Forum Valais 2024 Concert Selection included a total of 23 works. In addition, there were 18 further pieces with Special Mention.
Concert Selection (in alphabetical order)
Gabriel Araújo, Saw (BRA)
Bariya Studio (Pratyush Pushkar & Riya Raagini), Delhi Polyphones (IND/IND)
Natasha Barrett, Impossible Moments from Venice 2 (NOR/GBR)
Beau Beaumont, No Input (GBR)
Sébastien Béranger, Superflu(x) (BEL)
Alex Buck, Otherness (BRA)
Mikel Kuehn, Unlocking The Keys (USA)
Léo Magnien, un relief suspendu par transparence (FRA)
Paolo Montella, Cairo Backwards (ITA)
Cameron Naylor, Spent (GBR)
Naxal Protocol (Piero Stanig), Microinsurrezioni (ITA/SGP)
Paul Oehlers, Automaton (USA)
Lucie Prod'homme, Tu es démasqué (FRA)
Luis Quintana, Junkyard Construction (PRI)
Francesco Santagata, Overthinking - listening to music and not talking is the best, I think (ITA)
Dimitris Savva, Tranglitchuilizer (CYP)
Bernd Schumann, Canon for 4 loudspeakers (GER)
Sylvain Souklaye, invisible body (FRA/USA)
Mehmet Ali Uzunselvi, Iklık Park (TUR)
Frida Vasquez de la Sota / Kathia Rudametkin, Climbing (MEX/MEX)
Jorge Vicario, Poltergeist II (ESP)
Bihe Wen, unfold (CHN)
Yunjie Zhang, Le Caméléon (CHN)
Special Mention (in alphabetical order)
Giuseppe De Benedittis, sottosuolo (ITA)
Manuella Blackburn, Cupboard Love (GBR)
Maria Fernanda Castro, Arbóreo (COL)
Mauro Diciocia, Rygerfjord (ITA)
Christian Eloy, Dans les jardins de Cybèle (FRA)
Juro Kim Feliz, Kinalugarán (PHL)
Nicole Fior-Greant, un-Form 3 (CHE)
John Fireman, Lacis (USA)
Mariam Gviniashvili, Free Flow (GEO)
Andrew Lewis, Two Lakes (GBR)
Yannis Loukos, 3D Meditation (GRC)
Manolo Müller, emblematic identities (CHE)
Rodrigo Pascale, Discontinuous Meditation I (BRA)
Lucie Prod'homme, Comme un malentendu (FRA)
Paul Rudy, From one drop an ocean (USA)
Nicolas Vérin, Méditation sur l'Ukraine (FRA)
Chen Wang, Cyberspace Paradox (CHN)
Otto Wanke, Cycling (CZE)
The pieces of the Ars Electronica Forum Wallis 2024 Concert Selection will be performed on March 8, 9 and 10 on the 16-channel accusmonium of the MEbU (Münster Earport) as part of the Festivals for New Music Forum Wallis was played by Simone Conforti (IRCAM Paris). The jury consisted of the Japanese Kotoka Suzuki (UTSC Toronto), the Peruvian Jaime Oliver La Rosa (Waverly Labs NYU New York), the New Zealander Reuben de Lautour (Canterbury University NZ) and the Swiss Javier Hagen (ISCM Switzerland, Forum Wallis, jury president).
The Forum Valais is the annual festival for new music organized by the IGNM-VS, the Valais chapter of the International Society for New Music. It will take place for the 17th time in 2024.
Composers of the Ars Electronica Forum Wallis 24 (AEFW) Selection (the other half can be seen at the beginning of the article). Image composition: AEFW
Andrea Bischoff becomes lecturer for oboe at the HSLU
The Department of Classical and Sacred Music at the Lucerne School of Music (HSLU) welcomes Andrea Bischoff as a new oboe major lecturer as of the 2024/25 academic year.
HSLU
(translation: AI)
- 25 Jan 2024
Andrea Bischoff. Photo: zVg
Andrea Bischoff completed her teaching and orchestral diploma with Louise Pellerin in Zurich and then obtained her concert and soloist diploma with distinction in Heinz Holliger's class at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg im Breisgau.
She has been principal oboist in the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra since 1997 and is frequently engaged as a guest solo oboist (including the Camerata Salzburg, Bern Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Zurich, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Philharmonia Zurich). As a chamber musician, she is a member of the Heinz Holliger Oboe Trio, among others. Solo performances with the St. Gallen Chamber Ensemble, the Zug City Orchestra, the Lucerne City Orchestra, La banda ANTIX, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Basel New Orchestra and the Zug Sinfonietta round off her artistic activities. She performs on period instruments with the Ensemble Corund and many other chamber music and orchestral formations.
Her many years as a section leader with the Zentralschweizer Jugendsinfonieorchester (ZJSO) and with "Auftakt", the ZJSO's project for young musicians, also document her commitment to the next generation of artists.
As part of the 13th Norient Festival, Kenyan artist and festival director Emma Mbeke Nzioka also held workshops for school classes.
Gabiz Reichert
(translation: AI)
- 22 Jan 2024
Photo: Norient/Marianne Wenger
This year, the Norient Festival took place from January 10 to 14 at various locations in the city center of Bern. Like its predecessors, it was not an event for the faint-hearted. The name Norient (No-Orient) stands against orientalism and exoticism. Norient sees itself as a global community of artists who bring their ideas to a broad, interested audience and create a cultural exchange. They do this by addressing various socio-critical and geopolitical topics. This year's program included formats such as (short) film and podcast screenings, panel discussions, DJ sets and online/live hybrid concerts by artists from all over the world. These formats addressed topics such as the connection between sound and storytelling, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the extinction of the Hmong musical language or the Western exploitation of African resources, with the musical aspect usually taking center stage.
In the midst of this difficult-to-digest food for thought, it was somewhat surprising to find two workshops for school classes, organized by the Bernese association Bee-flat. Bee-flat and Norient are ideal partners for this. Both search the world over for exciting topics that can be translated into music to broaden the audience's horizons. The Kenyan DJ, photographer and cinematographer Emma Mbeke Nzioka (aka DJ Coco Em) routinely explained the basics of electronic music production using the Ableton program during the 90-minute event. Nzioka, the artistic director of this year's festival, skillfully encouraged the children to participate. They creatively produced beats and at the end asked with interest about the software presented and Nzioka's artistic work.
Creating respect, questioning what is taken for granted
Despite the light-footedness with which Nzioka and the leader of the second workshop, Justin Doucet (aka DJ Huilly Huile), conveyed music, children are not the festival's core audience. When asked how such workshops fit into the festival program, Nzioka says: "There should be a certain respect for what you consume, how it is created and the work behind it. It is important to understand the entire process and come into contact with it." Even if the workshops at the festival seem strange at first glance, they harmonize with Norient's role as a "messenger".
It is about questioning what we take for granted in the modern world, both in the events for children and in the complex content of the rest of the festival. Freedom to travel, for example, is not something that Nzioka takes for granted. On January 12, she spoke at a panel discussion about her own experiences with Europe's visa policy. She has also been the victim of arbitrary refoulement because, as a childless and unmarried African woman, she is classified as a risk by the European authorities. It is assumed that she wants to stay here illegally and will not fly back. Evidence of appearances, work and return flights was not enough. As if to prove it, two artists were also unable to perform at this year's Norient Festival. "The freedom of movement of African artists should not be taken for granted, neither in Europe nor within Africa," added Nzioka.
New thoughts that stick
In the evening, films were shown in two cinemas. One highlight was the documentary Songs That Flood the River. Nziokas highly recommends this film. It deals with the eradication of spiritual cultural practices in connection with the exploitation of natural resources. It also addresses the artistic process of songwriting and the extent to which external factors can influence it. The audience is left with thoughts that cannot be shaken off. Nzioka says: "The audience won't find: 'We're going to change the world today', no, but perhaps viewers will at least change one aspect of their lives ... Perhaps their dealings with other people or the education of their children."
For Norient festival-goers, as diverse as they are, music and images promote an understanding of little-known parts of this world. It is to be hoped that Norient can create a new kind of cultural awareness through this mediation.
Check for female+ of the Künstlerhaus Boswil
On December 18, Soroptimisten Bremgarten presented a support contribution of CHF 5,000 in the form of a check to the female+ support program for young female musicians.
PM/SMZ
(translation: AI)
- Dec 20, 2023
Manuela Luzio (Vice President Soroptimisten Bremgarten), Rose-Marie Mülli, Stefanie C. Braun, Dorothee Bokhoven, Therese Kron, Stefan Hegi, Michaela Allemann. Photo: Künstlerhaus Boswil
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the Service Club Soroptimist International - Club Bremgarten-Freiamt In September 2023, a fundraising campaign in the form of an auction to benefit the female+ music fund of the Boswil House of Artists through. A benefit concert is usually held every two years in aid of female+. However, guests and Soroptimists were also impressed by this fundraising project and generously participated in the auction. On December 18, the check in the amount of CHF 5,000 was handed over to the female+ music fund at the Künstlerhaus Boswil.
The next benefit concert will take place on September 8, 2024.
Some of the canton's most important musical institutions are to find a shared home on the current radio site in Lugano. The presentation of the winning architectural project on December 12 provided the first comprehensive information about the ambitious "Città della Musica" project.
Max Nyffeler
(translation: AI)
- Dec 18, 2023
Visualization of the new multifunctional rehearsal hall of the Città della Musica in Lugano. Image: Architecture Club
The Città della Musicathe name of the project, is being built on the former site of Radio Svizzera italiana (RSI) in the Besso district above the SBB railroad station. The main user is the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CSI)partners are the Orchestra della Svizzera italianathe Coro RSI and the Barrocchisti by Diego Fasolis, the Swiss National Sound Archives and the association Sonart. (Radio will keep some of its studios here, but will move all its other activities to the television site on the outskirts of Comano). The total costs are estimated at around 45 million francs. Donors are the city of Lugano, the canton and, as far as the CSI is concerned, the federal government. Around a third is to come from private investors. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and the Città should be completed by 2028.
Cultural hotspot with supra-regional appeal
The project, which complements the modern LAC concert hall on the lakeshore, will create a cultural cluster that underlines Lugano's growing importance as a city of music halfway between Zurich and Milan. From a local perspective, the Città della Musica There is also a significant gap in the infrastructure. The LAC has no rehearsal rooms, and the acoustically unique Auditorio Stelio Molo on the radio site is a sought-after location for recordings, but too small for symphonic ensembles. The Città della Musica will put an end to the rehearsal room crisis.
Apart from the great benefits for professional training and research, the campus with its generous space also opens up new perspectives in terms of cultural policy. The musical institutions should open up to the city and the region, it is said, on the one hand through the low-threshold access to the site and to the events, and on the other through the Conservatorio's range of courses. The President of the Conservatorio Foundation, Ina Piattini Pelloni, speaks of the integrative effect that the project will have, bringing all generations together musically. In addition to the internationally oriented university and the pre-college department, the music school with its basic education for children and young people will also benefit from the new location. Great importance is attached to general music education in Lugano. For example, the Friends of the Conservatorio association, which is dedicated to promoting young talent, has raised 160,000 francs for the current school year alone, providing over 150 scholarships to students from less well-off families - a different kind of inclusion.
Architectural synthesis of old and new
The Architecture Club's award-winning project is also committed to the principle of openness. The young team of architects from Basel, who also designed the Campus 2040 for the Basel Music Academy, came up with a solution for the redesign of the site that has now received much acclaim at the presentation. The spacious ensemble of existing buildings remains largely untouched on the outside, and their astonishingly timeless design language from the 1950s has been unobtrusively adopted for the new buildings. The hexagonal Auditorio Stelio Molo will remain at the heart of the center. However, the polygonal building of the generously proportioned, multifunctional rehearsal hall, which can accommodate up to three hundred people for concerts and, like all the other buildings, blends organically into the park-like surroundings, now has a more important function. The Japanese company Nagata Acoustics, which also left its mark on the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, is responsible for the acoustic design of all rehearsal and practice rooms on the site.
Exemplary cooperation at all levels
The Città della Musica project is supported by a broad social consensus. In the speeches and personal conversations at the press conference, there was a sense of collective euphoria about the successful start. "All declarations of intent and agreements have been reached in a collegial, trusting relationship," says Conservatory Director Christoph Brenner, who was instrumental in driving the project forward. "There is this will in a small canton to really work together." The word "change of mentality" was used, and some spoke of a minor miracle: all decision-makers, from the institutions involved to senior politicians, had pulled together. Good conditions for the development of a promising, locally well-anchored music culture with international appeal.
Ticino, just a vacation paradise with palm trees, spaghetti and vino rosso? The new foundation disproves this preconception. After the LAC, the Città della Musica is a further step on the way to becoming a cultural canton.
A conference in Bern highlighted the media upheavals that the "Musiklexikon der Schweiz" (MLS) has to cope with. Interested parties are invited to help write new entries as part of a participatory project.
Wolfgang Böhler
(translation: AI)
- 15 Dec 2023
The search function is integrated on the homepage of the Swiss Music Encyclopedia. Image: Screenshot
In contrast to other European countries, Switzerland does not have a modern reference work on music history. The existing encyclopaedias are outdated and do not do justice to the diversity and richness of Switzerland's musical life, writes the Swiss Music Research Society (SMG) on its website. A new, scientifically based music encyclopedia has been demanded for decades.
Work is underway on the planned and now realized first fragments of theMusic lexicon of Switzerland (MLS) At the University of Bern, a keyword list has been compiled for the MLS from the existing reference works. Around 11,000 older encyclopaedia articles on 6,800 people have been digitized and processed in a database. However, writing new, original articles is now a far greater challenge than the founding team might have imagined, as the world of encyclopaedias has undergone fundamental changes in recent years. Instead of books, they can now be found on the Internet.
Multimedia, modifiable, multilingual
The media revolution has also completely changed text editing. Encyclopedia articles are no longer erratic texts that may be corrected or supplemented for second or third editions after a few years, but in extreme cases liquid structures with integrated audio, video and image material that editors, external volunteers and other participants are constantly working on. In addition to the actual articles, for example, the history of their changes must now also be documented. Last but not least, Internet, database and multimedia specialists have to be integrated into the team. In addition, a revolution is currently taking place in terms of multilingualism: Lexicon users are increasingly turning to automatic translation aids in order to read texts in their native language. This has far-reaching consequences for the language design of a reference work, especially when, as with the MLS, a multilingual lexicon is created.
The MLS, whose funding is by no means secure, is therefore facing many challenges: On the one hand, its exponents currently have to constantly redefine what it should look like - in the knowledge that digital lexicons and their uses could be completely different again in a few years' time. On the other hand, it is necessary to organize all those who will be working on this major work in a way that academic institutions in Switzerland have little experience with. A professional, full-time editorial team, as was common decades ago for such mammoth editorial projects, is no longer sufficient. Nowadays, such projects also involve countless freelance authors who are familiar with specialist subject areas or geographical regions, and moderation is required for ongoing commentaries on articles.
Databases and citizen science projects
To take the project a step further, the MLS Board of Trustees, in collaboration with the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS) and the SMG, organized a colloquium (November 23 and 24, 2023) and a workshop (November 25, 2023) for interested authors at the University of Bern.
What the upheavals in the media world mean for the updating of traditional encyclopaedias was shown, for example, in a report on the retro-digitization of the Theater lexicon of Switzerland (tls.theaterwissenschaft.ch). However, the colloquium was also amazed at how diverse the landscape of digital encyclopaedias has become. For example, the competence network Memoriav for the preservation of the audiovisual cultural heritage of Switzerland, a Dictionnaire du Jura or the Western Switzerland project notreHistoire.ch, a historically oriented platform on which the French-speaking part of Switzerland can exchange views and documents on the past and which has corresponding offshoots in the other parts of the country (ourhistory.ch, lanostrastoria.ch, nossaistorgia.ch). There is also a "Musicians' Index", a list of names of musical personalities active in Switzerland in the 19th century. This index is one of several Databases of the Institute of Interpretation at the Bern University of the Arts. Wikipedia cultural ambassador Diego Hättenschwiler rounded off the conference with insights into the work of the global online encyclopedia.
Free contributors and lots of money are needed
Translator and musicologist Irène Minder-Jeanneret, the initiator of the MLS, pointed out that the ten-year project is expected to cost around CHF 9 million. The biggest challenge is likely to be the search for freelance contributors and their cooperation with the MLS editorial team. Assuming that a comprehensive Swiss music lexicon would have to contain perhaps 10,000 new articles, a cultural participation project of this kind is an extremely ambitious undertaking.
On the other hand, cultural participation has been a focus of Swiss cultural policy since 2016. As part of a "Citizen Science" initiative by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, the MLS team has also launched a participatory project. Groups and individuals are encouraged to document local music cultures for the MLS using words, images and sounds. In the workshop following the conference, a relatively small group of interested people were instructed on how texts should be pre-written so that they are suitable for the lexicon.
Xavier Dayer succeeds Michael Eidenbenz at the ZHdK
The University of Applied Sciences Council has appointed Xavier Dayer as the new Director of the Department of Music at Zurich University of the Arts as of August 1, 2024.
PM/SMZ/ks
(translation: AI)
- 13. dec 2023
Xavier Dayer. Photo: zVg
As the Canton of Zurich's Department of Education writes, in Xavier Dayer, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) has gained an experienced and well-connected personality with a broad track record in the Swiss music academy landscape as the successor to Michael Eidenbenz, who holds the post until the end of July 2024.
Xavier Dayer has worked at the Bern University of the Arts since 2002 and has been President of the Suisa Cooperative since 2011. He has won several composition prizes and written numerous works for important ensembles.
An exhibition worth seeing traces Ligeti's work in nine striking modules.
Verena Naegele
(translation: AI)
- Dec 12, 2023
The original documents are mounted on grids. Photos: Philipp Emmel/Historisches Museum Basel, Musikmuseum
The Ligeti year is almost over and the 100th birthday of the Hungarian composer, who died in 2006, has been commemorated in detail in newspapers, events and radio reports. So it may seem like "snail mail" to some that the Paul Sacher Foundation is only now presenting an exhibition: In the Music Museum of the Basel Historical Museum the majority of the objects on display are from György Ligeti's estate held in the Foundation.
This "late" honor is mainly due to timing. The Budapest Music History Museum - one of the cooperation partners is the Musicology Institute of the Budapest Research Center for the Humanities Hun-Ren - where the exhibition was previously on display, only had capacity for it in spring 2023, while the Basel premises were only available from November. These circumstances do not detract from the content of the exhibition, which is highly recommended and can be seen until April 7, 2024.
It not only demonstrates Ligeti's high status in 20th century music, which continues unabated, it also introduces us to the composer's thinking and work in a fascinating way that will probably not be possible again so soon. An essential part of this "journey" into the "Ligeti labyrinth", as the exhibition is called, are the many originals to be admired - a quality that is unfortunately being increasingly neglected.
Maze in prison cells
However, anyone expecting a chronological presentation will be disappointed - fortunately. Instead, the focus is on the various facets of Ligeti's thinking, creativity and working processes, which are explored in nine modules. Topics such as "Dreams and Fantasies" or the "Web of Voices" immediately catapult connoisseurs of Ligeti's works into his special world.
The striking modules were devised by Heidy Zimmermann from the Sacher Foundation, which has been looking after the Ligeti estate for years, and the Hungarian musicologists Anna Dalos and Márton Kerékfy. The concept and idea are based on a statement by Ligeti: "I feel my way forward from work to work, in different directions, like a blind man in a labyrinth." And this "Ligeti labyrinth" finds a fascinating counterpart in the Lohnhof Basel music museum with its former prison cells, which is difficult to play.
On display is a wide range of source material that has been carefully selected and annotated. According to estimates by Heidy Zimmermann, the Ligeti estate comprises around 25,000 pages of manuscript, 10,000 pages of correspondence and 800 photos, films and audio documents. Without knowing what else is hidden in this treasure trove, the selection presented in Basel seems stringent and exciting. In this way, Ligeti's personal working process can be studied in a unique way.
Graphic concepts for musical factors
For each of his works, Ligeti wrote down pages and pages of conceptual ideas, not notes but words, wildly jumbled together with various colored pencils or sometimes in graphic representations. What at first glance appears to be an impenetrable jumble becomes an eye-opening experience in the vicinity of the composed work. The accompanying texts provide the necessary background and the music excerpts shown can also be listened to on a cell phone.
For example, there is a sketch of the famous Atmosphères (1961), on which the music is precisely described with the disposition of the form parts and their precise duration. Or there is a sketch of the course of Aventures (1962), which records the vocal and instrumental parts on four A4 sheets glued together horizontally, as a "time and form control", as is noted on it. Why did Ligeti first make such extra-musical sketches? "Ligeti only received piano lessons at the age of 14," explains Heidy Zimmermann, "so he had to imagine musical impressions for a long time because he had no way of writing them. Perhaps that is the reason for this path."
Ligeti's special path is illustrated by the Violin Concerto (1990-1992), which is discussed in the chapter "Mood and detuning". There are no fewer than five sheets of colorful verbal sketches. Kerékfy characterizes these in the excellent accompanying catalog: "The notes refer partly to the form of the movements, partly to their melodic content and metrical structure. Ligeti also planned the basic tempo and the estimated duration."
Another module focuses on the "Rhythmic Discoveries". It shows Ligeti's turn to polyrhythms, as used in the Piano Concerto (1985), for example. He was inspired by the music of a Central African tribe, the Banda Linda, which consists of rhythmic polyphonic patterns. Ligeti owned a collection of around 140 records with traditional folk music from all over the world, which is presented in a themed room with all the covers. This is an exciting aspect that also stimulates discussion in the case of Ligeti. There is so much to see and read in Basel.
A cell shows covers from Ligeti's record collection. Photo: Philipp Emmel/Historisches Museum Basel, Musikmuseum
The third installment of Sonic Matter, the festival for experimental music in Zurich, was held under the motto "Leap". Over 4 days, 16 events were offered at several concert venues and in different formats.
Thomas Schacher
(translation: AI)
- 11 Dec 2023
Opening concert in the Schiffbau: Mazen Kerbaj's pictures are projected onto the screen. Photo: Kira Kynd
The good news right at the start: Sonic Matter can be continued. At the request of Zurich City Council, the municipal council has decided to continue supporting the festival for experimental music over the next four years with an annual operating grant of CHF 250,000. The City of Zurich is the main sponsor of Sonic Matter. The festival, which emerged from the Tage für Neue Musik Zürich in 2021, was previously in a pilot phase and had its creditworthiness assessed by an external company.
Getting to know something different
After the first edition with the motto "Turn" focused on musical and extra-musical changes and last year's "Rise" was intended to understand standing up in a political sense, the motto "Leap" now formed the bracket for the third year. In the foreword to the program, the two artistic directors Katharina Rosenberger and Lisa Nolte invited the audience to "take a leap into the unknown together". The interconnectedness of the world should be used as an opportunity to get to know what is different, to embrace the unforeseen. In addition to musicians from Switzerland, numerous foreign artists, primarily from the Middle East, were also invited. And as a guest, the Festival Irtijal Beirut is also part of the party.
Surprising sounds and twists
The opening concert in the Schiffbau of the Schauspielhaus Zurich provided a concrete expression of these ideas. The encounter with the Iranian composer and qanun player Nilufar Habibian was exciting. In her piece Becoming the oriental zither forms astonishing combinations with the electric guitar, cello and bass clarinet. Guitarist Sharif Sehnaoui and video artist Mazen Kerbaj, the two founders of the Beirut festival Irtijal, provided a powerful contrast to this performance by the Geneva-based ensemble Contrechamps with their impromptu performance Wormholes. To the unusual sounds of the prepared guitar, Kerbaj drew and sprayed abstract images on a foil, which were simultaneously projected onto a screen. In the light of the current war in Gaza, the suddenly appearing sentence "We are the dead of tomorrow" read as a clear political message. The composition for live ambisonic turntables and immersive electronics presented at the end by the composer Shiva Feshareki offered surprising 360-degree sound experiences, but clearly took too long compared to the wealth of ideas.
The traditional Tonhalle concert, which Sonic Matter announced at short notice would not take place as part of the festival this time, was accompanied by a scandal. Both organizers remained silent about the reasons. When asked, Sonic Matter's press spokesperson merely stated that the decision was "due to the geopolitical situation". In any case, the decision to cancel the Tonhalle concert meant a loss of prestige for Sonic Matter.
Outdoor sound course. Photo: Kira Kynd
Lounge, Party, Course, Marathon
In addition to the traditional concerts, Sonic Matter once again offered alternative presentation formats, such as the Listening Lounge with current electro-acoustic music from twenty countries, the party for young people with the DJ group Frequent Defect from the Beirut club scene and an outdoor sound trail. The four-hour concert marathon Long Night of Interferences at the Theaterhaus Gessnerallee allowed music from different cultures to collide. The Swiss part of this was provided by the world premiere of a new work by Geneva composer Denis Rollet, in which violin, bass clarinet and live electronics go through various stages of convergence and distance.
"Umva!" by Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman with the group Silbersee at the final concert in the Rote Fabrik. Photo: Kira Kynd
The festival took a major geographical and aesthetic leap with the closing event at the Rote Fabrik. The composer, who lives in the Netherlands Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman and her group Silbersee whisked the audience away in their performative installation Umva! to Rwanda. The subject is the life of Aurélie's grandfather Kanyoni Ladislas, who lived in Rwanda as a cowherd and natural healer and died at the age of 113. The narrative, the dance elements and the playing of traditional African instruments and the "European" violin created a fascinating Afro-European musical theater.
Conclusion after three years
After the third edition of Sonic Matter, it is clear that the festival has become an integral part of the avant-garde music scene that people no longer want to miss. However, the variety of presentation forms, the aesthetic breadth of the performances and the participation of artists from half the world also harbors the danger of a certain arbitrariness and also leads to a division of the audience into different interest groups.
Listening Lounge with current electro-acoustic music from twenty countries. Photo: Kira Kynd
Liechtenstein Music Academy focuses on holistic human development
The Liechtenstein Academy of Music has had a new look since yesterday. It presented it on the construction site: the "Hofstätte Hagenhaus" campus, including the concert hall in Nendeln, is expected to be ready for occupation next fall.
SMZ/ks
(translation: AI)
- 01 Dec 2023
The highest governing body of the Liechtenstein Academy of Music is the Foundation Board. Pictured at the press conference on November 30 in the concert hall are, from left to right: Jürg Kesselring, Drazen Domjanic (Artistic Director), Otmar Hasler (President), Olav Behrens (Vice President), Christina Zeller and, at the top of the screen, cellist Kian Soltani, alumnus and now professor at the Music Academy Liechtenstein. Photo: SMZ
The floor is still raw concrete, the access door a temporary solution. Nevertheless, the press conference took place in the future concert hall of the Liechtenstein Music Academy, which was founded in 2010 and is headed by Drazen Domjanic. The hall is located in the former Tenn of the Hagenhaus estate in Nendeln. The buildings there are currently being renovated and supplemented by a new building. The music academy is expected to find a new home with promising development opportunities there from next fall.
In the course of this major change, the appearance was completely revised, as was the training concept. The Music Academy aspires to be "a leading institution in the international music world with firm roots in the Principality of Liechtenstein". It sees its educational program as a complement to the Bachelor's and Master's programs at music universities. In addition to the proven high-quality musical education of young, exceptionally talented musicians from all over the world by internationally outstanding teachers, the focus is on the holistic education of the individual. This includes comprehensive career planning that promotes people with all their social, health and economic needs. The three courses appeal to different age groups: Students up to the age of 18, those over 18 and those who already have a Bachelor's degree. A large part of the training is financed by scholarships.
For my article "Mystery in the shower" (Schweizer Musikzeitung 12/2023), I interviewed musicians. Their detailed answers can be read here in alphabetical order.
Hanspeter Künzler (translation AI)
(translation: AI)
- Nov 29, 2023
Strolling along whistling: Niklaus Keller in Bologna. Photo: zVg
Annakin, Singer/Songwriter
What does "inspiration" mean to you?
For me, inspiration is the state of mind it takes to write a good song. It is the epiphany, a revelation or a flash of inspiration, the shot of endorphins and the start of something exciting. It's at the beginning and is important for the creative process to flow.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
I can't really do without inspiration, because without it you can hardly make any progress, if at all. And I also believe that you can hear it in a song because it then sounds uninspired. Inspiration is therefore an indispensable source for me to be able to work creatively and perhaps also a seal of quality. I don't think the result is the same if you work hard on something creative in an uninspired way. Because, in my opinion, inspiration animates the work.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration for you?
At some point I realized that there are methods for tapping into inspiration. For example, I often just write down my inner monologue in search of good lyrics. Sooner or later, my thoughts circle around something that is worth pursuing or a play on words arises that I record. Basically, you can find inspiration everywhere if you sharpen your senses. Just recently, I couldn't quite read a sign that said "Brockenhaus" from a distance and thought it said "Broken Hans". A wonderful title for a new song, I thought.
Is there anything else you would like to say about inspiration?
Embrace it while you can! It is often a fleeting liaison with inspiration and hard work to keep it by your side for a long time.
Inspiration (in relation to art/creation) for me is something I want to work towards. I usually see it in the form of other artists who achieve something that I find worthwhile. The most important thing for me is how they achieve it and how authentic they are to themselves and to the outside world. This includes things that touch and/or impress me. In other words, anything that does something to me and that I can identify with can be an inspiration for me and be part of the very process or development that I am pursuing.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
I think there's no getting around "hard work". However, I think that inspiration is also at the heart of hard work. Why do you work hard? For me, the drive is just as linked to inspiration as anything else. Accordingly, I believe that inspiration lies at the heart of all creation.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
For me, it comes very sporadically. It doesn't need a certain state or a specific situation, just the will to be inspired.
It means that something is stimulating your mind. This can come from outside or from within. The spirit that "inspires", i.e. visits you, is everywhere, but you can't always open up to it straight away. It sometimes rings at the artist's door at inopportune moments. What triggers inspiration? A creative environment can have an inspiring effect, other people, artists. But being alone can also inspire. As I said, spirit lives everywhere, it just doesn't always reveal itself.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
Inspiration means energy; yes, it takes inspiration to create, and then immediately hard concentrated work, otherwise the spirit is gone again immediately. You cannot "postpone" inspiration. Unfortunately, hard work alone is not enough. You simply don't have the strength to do anything. You dry up without inspiration. Today, distraction is the danger; everything strives for the energy minimum, which is physics, chemistry: i.e.: Fridge, news, wellness, TV, social media. That's when the mind just marches out the door again ... But if you manage to stick with it, there is the "inspiration pull", where a whole stream of ideas, creative urge and kairos come together.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
Other musicians, great concerts, great works of the past; but also great literature and other cultures.
Is there anything else you would like to say about inspiration?
Yes; I believe there is a superordinate "creative spirit" that characterizes people and gives them the opportunity to design a kind of "counter-creation". If you can join this superordinate spirit, connect with it, you are able to do things that you cannot actually do. can. This is what Bach means, for example, when he writes JESU JUVA in the most complicated parts of his compositions. You want to get the spirit to help you reach the kairos, the point of success. That means happiness.
That's also the only reason why you do it at all. There's no commercial sense in writing a four-part spiral fugue. You can't even bluff with it these days hahaha. But when it's played and works, it's of course great and a moment of happiness. And then, years later, you never understand how it all fits together so well and could succeed: As a composer, you create your own creative puzzles, hahaha.
Inspiration is life-sustaining for me. Like the oil in the gearbox.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
Creating something new and unprecedented requires inspiration. It takes hard work to turn inspiration into reality. And a lot of perseverance.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
Thanks to the lockdown, I was able to experience that I can only be creative when I am in social interaction with people, namely strangers. Observing strangers inspires me and stimulates my imagination. Lounging around at home with my family in harmony and security is wonderful and relaxing, but it's counterproductive for me. I didn't write a single song during the entire lockdown.
How do you write a catchy tune?
Earworms can be stupidly intrusive and unpleasant. Sometimes they attack me when I wake up and continue to buzz nefariously in my head, and when I try to process them, they are too greasy and intrusive for anything beautiful to come of them. In such cases, trusting in a collaboration with a fellow musician or producer is fruitful. A collaboration that allows and endures disagreement and tension. I find it difficult to aim for a catchy tune.
Is there anything else you would like to say on the subject of "inspiration"?
Inspiration is a wonderful thing because it just happens to you. It comes to you like a breeze. Without having to make an effort. It feels like falling in love. And it can't be forced or bought. That is sometimes a beautiful aspect.
Inspiration is the reason why I have to create. It's as if I have something important that I really want to say. It has to get out. It's a feeling of happiness, a "flash". Although happiness is not quite the right word. You're more focused then, "in the zone". I'm not jumping for joy in the studio. I tend to become quiet, humble and grateful that I can experience this moment. It doesn't feel as if I have done or created something. It's a spiritual experience and you don't feel like an actor, more like a medium.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
If I only created when I was inspired, a song would never be finished. It always needs the aspect of hard, dry work. But only through hard work I would never find a song interesting enough to release. Since I also can't control when I'm inspired and when I'm not, I also have to go into the studio when I don't feel like it. There are many areas of music that I can work on, even when I'm uninspired.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration for you?
I wish I knew that! Listening to music can lead to inspiration and vice versa. As I live in the city, trips into nature are always very inspiring. Maybe it's just about the change of scenery. Visits to other cities also always trigger a lot. Sometimes it feels like a battery being recharged.
How did the idea of a collaboration with Simone Felber in the Bergbahn come about? Did the "forced" inspiration it provided lead your creative work in different directions than when you were alone?
The collaboration was initiated by Swisscom. They created an online format called X-Stories to bring people from different worlds together. In our case, it was city X country, electronic music X folk music. This forced element was very refreshing and beneficial for me, because I don't usually get to do that so often. I "had" to deliver something and this pressure was good for me. I think that whenever you have to get out of your comfort zone, exciting things happen. If I only ever did collaborations, I'd be really excited if I was suddenly allowed to work alone for a day. But because I so often work alone, the exchange was very valuable and enriching.
What also helped were the strict deadlines. Otherwise I can spend ages tweaking a track. Move a detail here, make a small change there until it's "perfect". And then it's still never perfect. I had to be much more pragmatic and that helped me. We found a good mix between free playing time, fiddling around and searching on the one hand and the harsh reality that we have to deliver 15 minutes of music on the other. That sounds like a compromise and "settling for something quicker", but it wasn't like that. It was simply longer working days and shorter nights.
Is there anything else you would like to say about inspiration?
It's a word that can be used to say everything and nothing. And it can also be used as a killer argument and as an excuse, because you can never prove or disprove it. I could still be working on my first song and convince myself that I'm just waiting for inspiration and in the meantime I'm lying on the sofa scrolling through social media. But once you've experienced that "flash", you want to hold on to the feeling forever. I often ask myself what it feels like for other people. And what actions or moments make non-musicians feel it and how they express it.
It is this spark that ignites my creativity, the moment when ideas, emotions and impressions come together and lead me to create something new.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
Inspiration is at best the beginning of the creative process that brings my work to life, but since you can't just wait for the big inspiration, I have also developed my techniques to foster my creativity. And this is where the work aspect comes in. It can be more than tedious, even frustrating, but it is also the only faithful and fearless companion that is by my side throughout the whole process.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
I find inspiration in many aspects of life, because basically you are surrounded by ideas and impressions every day, not to say non-stop. The important thing is that I am also on the path of wanting to create something new. Only then are my antennae active and I can receive signals. Breaking out of the daily routine, leaving the comfort zone, turning night into day again, going out, leaving the warm room, going to concerts, going to the theater, going to the cinema, all these are circumstances or wonderful things that then amplify the signals exponentially.
Can you force a catchy tune?
An earworm is usually a catchy song or a melody that keeps popping up in your mind. You can definitely try to compose catchy melodies that have the potential to trigger an earworm in the listener. This can be achieved by using certain harmonies, melodies or lyrics that are easily remembered. There are entire textbooks that have analyzed the big hits and tried to derive a so-called key to success from them. Production teams and record companies also try to apply these schemes and if this song then runs non-stop and in continuous rotation on all channels, the chances are certainly not bad that the catchy tune will become a hit at best.
Is there anything else you would like to say on the subject of "inspiration"?
Inspiration in the sense of breathing in actually means nothing other than that everyone needs inspiration to survive and can and must be inspiration for others.
An artistic work, a performance or a football match must be brought to life - in its creation and during its execution. Rules, skill and a fat budget alone are not enough. We speak of "animated" when an event triggers empathy, emotion and community. This happens through the "breath of things" - life is breathed into the living beings involved. They begin to believe in the here and now together.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
Inspiration is like a Japanese spirit that constantly changes into other bodies. It appears out of nowhere in the shower as well as during hard work. So it cannot be forced, but it can be evoked: through patience and dedication to the music, in artistic ecstasy as a permanent state, so to speak.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
Work flow - whether under stress or with lots of time and space, the tunnel vision has to be right. The composer Morton Feldman says: To compose, you need two things - unconditional concentration and belief in it. I would add: tremendous joy in the music. Incidentally, this is how FCZ recently became champions against overpaid and greased competitors: joy, focus, faith.
Would you be willing to answer a few questions on the subject of "inspiration"?
Gladly, because:
A: Inspiration and creation are the two cornerstones of my life. Spirit and creation determine my existence, kissed by the muse, I compose in my study. I have no idea what I am doing there, the divine spark permeates me and the quill in my hand, the notes write themselves.
B: Maybe not, I make music and have little idea of the neurological sequences in the brain. Inspiration and creation are perhaps ultimately nothing more than electrical charges and people only create something new, just as they climb a mountain, namely because the mountain is there. So he writes music because he can and for no other reason.
Whether A or B, the music sounds the same. Good, then we can start the interview now, "Mr. Keller, thank you very much for the introduction."
What does "inspiration" mean to you?
For me, inspiration means having an idea without having to actively think about it; the spirit enters consciousness unexpectedly and is perceived. This happens in a moment of relaxation and self-forgetfulness, neither of which can be brought about consciously, because the whole process, I repeat, happens unexpectedly.
Unfortunately, I can't think of full-length symphonies at the drop of a hat; they tend to be short motifs and melodies that usually reveal themselves to me as I stroll along whistling. If I like a motif, I record it with my device, my cell phone.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
For me, inspiration is nothing supernatural, it is generated by people or their brains themselves, tends to be unconscious and arises from what you have stored as music in your brain and is reassembled there if it is an original idea. As I said before, I come up with short melodies. Then the hard work begins, which is sometimes worthwhile if the idea is good. Inspiration is the building block and a help to get started.
The fact that inspiration serves as a starting point can also be seen in the fact that some musicians believe that inspiration is a direct message from God. Trusting in God certainly gives you additional strength and legitimizes your own work. But you can also start without inspiration, because there are other parameters besides inspiration that play a role, such as the urge to create something that is right in itself, like a designer with a beautifully shaped car or a footballer with a beautifully struck free kick or, like Rossini, when he cooks something good.
And yes, it is work. You work long hours, because it shouldn't sound like hard work, but like it was made on the spot, and it should also sound good, so you should also have certain technical skills.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. I don't think even Beethoven would have one, because even he, if I remember correctly, didn't achieve 1001TP3 results in the operatic field. If he had known how to assess the situation correctly, he wouldn't have written operas - or better ones. But inspiration isn't everything, it's also about freeing yourself from your own making and looking at it from the outside, so to speak. Like the Beatles did for each other when writing songs. Moreover, inspiration doesn't just happen at the beginning. You also have new ideas during the work, which are a result of the initial spark.
Inspiration is what a musician lives on. It is the heartbeat of our creative existence. Inspiration is that which cannot be explained, the magic behind a song, that certain something.
Does it take "inspiration" to create or is hard work enough?
You definitely need inspiration. You can achieve a lot with hard work, but I am convinced that creative work in particular requires inspiration that comes from somewhere and finds you. I think only hard work doesn't bring inner satisfaction because this magic is missing.
What circumstances are most likely to lead to creative inspiration and artistic results for you?
Everyday things, but also the really big emotions. Sometimes you write a song about a break-up, a loss, the birth of a child or other drastic experiences. But sometimes all it takes is a sentence from a good book to inspire you to write a song.
Can you force a catchy tune with calculation? Some of your choruses are incredibly catchy ...
We don't believe that this can be forced. We've actually tried it a few times. But we always got to the point where we couldn't get any further or became dissatisfied, and that's where inspiration comes into play. It works best when you are open to it and have no expectations, and then it just suddenly flows.
Do-re-mi in a quiet room - is that what a music teacher does on a day-to-day basis? Since June 2021, a broad-based working group under the leadership of the Swiss Music Schools Association has been scrutinizing the profession and developing a contemporary job description.
Anicia Kohler
(translation: AI)
- Nov 28, 2023
Symbolic image. Photo: fransz/depositphotos.com
The career path to becoming a music teacher is clearly defined. After passing the entrance examination at a university, students complete a Bachelor's and a Master's degree, the latter with a focus on music education and didactics. They then teach independently or at music schools, often part-time, so that they have enough time for their own artistic work. - A brief summary that does not quite do justice to the wealth of opportunities that are available after graduation. Because what does that mean: teaching music? Is it one-to-one instrument lessons for school-age children? Is it leading a music and movement program? Is it leading parent-child singing, an ensemble for senior citizens, a youth orchestra, bands of all styles? Teaching in a team with elementary school teachers? Organizing and directing musicals and concerts? Setting up a music production program on a smartphone or computer?
Standardize professional understanding
In November 2023, the working group, consisting of members of various associations and representatives of universities and music schools from all over Switzerland, published the Job description music teacher. The document is intended to serve as a basis for music students and conservatoires as well as for those responsible for education, politicians and policy-makers. It is to be understood as an update of the mission statement developed in 2006 and provides an insight into topics such as the educational mission, training and further education as well as musical teaching and learning itself in four chapters.
The student at the center
The basic value of "pupil-centeredness" is particularly important to the working group: music teachers should focus entirely on their counterparts. This includes, for example, taking into account different biographies, but also the students' individual wealth of experience. This requires teachers to adopt an inclusive attitude and be sensitive to diverse needs and special learning profiles. This attitude, especially when including the physical dimension, is particularly important in the area of music and movement, as Céline Shuler, Head of the Rhythmics Switzerland office, emphasizes.
Broad-based and talent promotion - music for all
Another key point in the job description states that music teachers are ambassadors for music education and are committed to equal opportunities. "Music teachers lead their students to active music-making at both a broad and advanced level," says Marcel Blanchard, Prorector of the Zurich Conservatory of Music. Matteo Piazza, President of the Ticino music school association FeSMuT (Federazione delle Scuole di Musica Ticinesi), also emphasizes the importance of equal opportunities in music education, which is enshrined in Article 67a of the Swiss Federal Constitution.
Developing, thinking ahead
The concept of lifelong learning also applies to music education. According to the mission statement, this learning can take a variety of forms. Vessels such as coaching or team teaching are mentioned as well as participation in further education programs in both the pedagogical and artistic fields.
Promoting public awareness
Music teachers should be creative, musical role models, motivating, competent in organization and project management and yet, where necessary, spontaneous, interested in current developments and able to work together in different teams. These are high demands. - Are there such music teachers? "Oh yes, many things are not new and are already practiced in this way," says Christian Braun, Head of the St. Gallen Music School. "Unfortunately, many facets of this great profession are not yet known to the public," adds Philippe Müller, Head of the Cercle Lémanique d'Études Musicales in Lutry. Julien Feltin, Director of the École de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle in Lausanne, describes the document as a "360-degree panorama of music education in Switzerland". For the working group, one thing is clear: the professional mission statement should inspire and serve as a basis for reflection and further development. At the same time, it should show where the potential of music education lies - with the aim of further anchoring the offer throughout Switzerland both structurally and politically.
Together with other partners, the Basler Madrigalisten are offering a prize for choral conducting for the first time. The competition is combined with a master class.
Basel Madrigalists
(translation: AI)
- Nov 26, 2023
The Basler Madrigalisten under the direction of Raphael Immoos (front center). Photo: Christoph Läser
Call for applications from young choir conductors living and working in Switzerland
The Basel Madrigalists, in collaboration with the International Lyceum Club of Switzerland, Swiss choral associations and media partner Swiss Radio SRF2 Kultur, are awarding the "Swiss Made Choir Conducting Prize" for the first time. This prize is intended to promote young, talented choir conductors and is the first of its kind in Switzerland.
The winner receives the unique opportunity to develop and perform a concert program in the following year together with the Basler Madrigalisten, the renowned chamber choir of professionally trained singers. The collaboration provides practical experience in rehearsal techniques, project and concert organization.
Masterclass with competition: February 15 to 17, 2024, Music Academy of the City of Basel
Do you have a professional diploma in choral conducting and live and work in Switzerland? Then apply now! The pre-selection allows you to:
4 30-minute concerts with the Basler Madrigalisten, including dress rehearsal and competition concert.
Individual coaching during the master class with Raphael Immoos, artistic director of the Basler Madrigalisten.
Participation in the 1st Swiss Choral Conducting Competition Swiss Made with the chance to win your own project with the Basler Madrigalisten.
Application deadline: December 17, 2023
Program details and registration formalities can be found on our website www.basler-madrigalisten.ch. Register now and join in!