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Happy New Ears

This series of workshop concerts launches its 30th season! A good excuse for a something special: honouring the great Hans Zender by performing hisCabaret Voltaire. (world premiere 2002). As was the case last season, two concerts belong to the ICCS (International Composer & Conductor Seminars) and their up and coming artists: the Lucerne Festival Academy have been invited along with selected composers who are involved with the rich in tradition Warsaw Autumn Festival. There are also two portrait concerts for the renowned conductor and composer Johannes Kalitzke and composer Brigitta Muntendorf, whose interdiciplinary output has earned her international acclaim. Come and hear them talking about their work, illustrated by exerpts of their music.

October 31 Lucerne Festival Academy

Pierre Boulez‘ Lucerne Academy is featuring in Frankfurt for the third time. The Academy’s leader Wolfgang Rihm and Dieter Ammann hold a two week »Composer Seminar« at the Lucerne Festival each summer, during which young composers discuss their works with Rihm, Ammann and other guests before they are performed in a closing concert with the IEMA Ensemble. The Ensemble Modern then choose five composers and perform their works in a Happy New Ears concert. The composer Unsuk Chin stood in for Rihm this summer: the five selected composers, from Hungary, Lithuania, Switzerland, the USA and China, will be introduced by a long-term member of the Ensemble Modern, the flautist Dietmar Wiesner. This concert is part of the International Composer and Conductor Seminar’s (ICCS) »curtain call« project. The ICCS was founded by the Ensemble Modern and aims to help young composers and conductors embark on successful careers.

AbigéI Varga Dancing Sparrows
Sofia Ouyang Through us from which language speaks
Bo HuangTransient Splendor: Illusion 
Lukas Stamm all that is solid melts into air
Kristupas Bubnelis split seconds, shifting sand …

Conductor Xizi Wang
Introduced by Dietmar Wiesner 

Workshop concerts with the Ensemble Modern - a joint Ensemble Modern, Oper Frankfurt & the University for Music and the Performing Arts Frankfurt project. Part of the ICCS's »curtain_call«, the Ensemble Modern and International Ensemble Modern Akademie. The ICCS is made possible because of generous support from the Aventis Foundation.