Event Archive

Join us to enjoy musical contributions from our students, faculty, and Jan Gerdes' students! For refreshment, there will be coffee and cake. From 6 p.m. Open Stage.

Admission free

In the early nineties, newer and newer media appear on the scene out of nowhere. Digital conceptualism is born. In the last part of Course in New Music, we explore the question of how new audio-visual programs keep changing the work of composers. The specter of AI also makes the rounds.

Free admission - donations welcome!

In the penultimate part of Course on New Music we deal with contemporary music from the GDR. We also deal with the question of how the situation of composers changed after the fall of the Wall. What remains of a country that no longer exists? With live music contributions and a panel discussion.

Guests: Christfried Schmidt, Ellen Hünigen, Ralf Hoyer, Helmut Zapf
Concept and moderation: Andreas F. Staffel

Free admission - donations welcome!

Reine Liebe (2015/2019) for piano solo
Improvisation for live electronics and four-channel installation

Admission: 15 € | 10 €

Lecturer: Andreas F. Staffel

While composers such as Ferneyhough and Finissey are writing increasingly sophisticated and complicated scores, especially in Great Britain, we are, on the other hand, experiencing a movement of New Simplicity in Germany, which does not shy away from the use of tonality. - Welcome to postmodernism!

With musical examples by Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Finissey, Wolfgang Rihm, Manfred Trojahn, Detlef Müller-Siemens and others.

As always with explanations at the grand piano.

Free admission - donations welcome!

Stephan Krawczyk - songs, texts, soliloquies

Songs and literature are the means of expression of this artist, who has been on stage for four decades and has already experienced a lot that goes beyond the everyday. Stylistically diverse, chansonesque, even South American pulsating, with his not ingratiating, but all the more insistently gentle voice, Krawczyk fans out his song world reflectively and poetically, very individual, sympathetically peculiar.

Admission: 15 € | 10 €

Lecturer: Andreas F. Staffel

In the twelfth part of the "Course in New Music" we go to Paris in the seventies and experience the birth of spectral music, a completely new musical style that was to influence many composers.

With works by Gerard Grisey, Tristan Murail, Horatiu Radulescu and Claude Vivier. As always explained on the grand piano and with historical music examples.

Admission free - donations requested!

Make up date!

Lecturer: Andreas F. Staffel

Luigi Nono: Intolleranza (1960)
Hans Werner Henze: Sinfonia N. 6 (1969)
Luciano Berio: Sinfonietta (Oh King, to the Memory of Martin Luther King) (1969)
Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Requiem for a Young Poet (1969)

On the basis of these important works from the 1960s, we will explore the question of how the political changes and worldwide student protests affected the composers' works. And what relevance the topic still has today.

As always, explained on the grand piano and with historical sound and film examples.

Admission free, donations allowed!

Jan Gerdes | Piano

The Berlin pianist Jan Gerdes, renowned interpreter of both classical-romantic and contemporary piano recitals, has for many years, at first in secret but in recent years increasingly coming into the public eye, been musically engaged as a border crosser between classical music, new music, electronics and performance with the interface of contemporary piano music and the sounds of electronic club culture.

Admission free/donations requested

New music from Germany and Ukraine (Roman Yusipey)

Roman Yusipey, accordion

Vil lieber zeit uff diser Erde - Music of the 15th and 16th centuries played on the clavichord

Ellen Hünigen,bound clavichord (built after Parisian model by Andreas Hermert, Berlin)

Admission free/donations requested

There will be songs sung and played by Alexandra. On accordion Vladyslav Urbanski, on guitar Valerij Pysarenko, on bass Michael Jach and on violin Daniel Weltlinger. Afterwards we will watch the new music video together   A film by David Gräber. Saperavi, Georgian wine, will be served.

Admission: 15 Euro

Lecturer: Andreas F. Staffel

At the beginning of the sixties, two compositions marked an important new period in recent music history. With Atmosphères (1960) by the Hungarian composer György Ligeti and Threnody by the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, we encounter two masterpieces that employ the compositional technique with large-scale clusters in very different ways.

As always, explained on the grand piano and with historical sound and film examples.

Admission free, donations allowed!