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Presenting concerts in a completely different way was the exciting challenge for the 8 ensembles that qualified
from all music universities in Germany and traveled to showcase their art on various stages and compete
at the highest artistic level.
The ensembles composed their own pieces, created their own sets, exhibits, and everything needed to equip their stages
for the competition performances, all handcrafted and self-assembled. Eight different locations were available to choose from,
and preferences could be expressed in the applications. However, the final decision on which location was assigned to each
ensemble was made by the jury.
All ensembles performed excellently, and the “fire” burned within each individual artist. With body, soul, and complete dedication,
the audience was entertained and delighted from May 28 to June 1, 2024.
D-bü was held in 2024
organized by the State University of Music Nuremberg. Each competition is hosted by a different music university,
and it was held in Nuremberg for the fourth time, following Trossingen (2022), Hamburg (2020), and Berlin (2017).
Concerts in Transition
With the changing times, many new approaches have emerged in concert culture. Classical music has previously
been expanded to include contemporary performance styles. In this diverse field, historical and geographical ideas of
“classical” and “concert” are being explored.
Artists in training, who are confronted with changing challenges in this profession, learn to understand that society
and music culture are in flux.
The 8 different locations in Nuremberg were something special. The ensembles selected by the jury for each location
fit their pieces and the artists perfectly, like “a glove fits the hand.” The choice of location is a significant factor. It must
match well because the atmosphere created and the message conveyed by the artists to the audience only come to full
effect with the right location, thus resonating perfectly with the audience.
Therefore, in the music industry, locations are chosen with care and much experience. They are perfectly constructed
and staged by set designers to ensure an impactful performance. Lighting and sound are two additional components
that enhance the location. This will be evident in pictures and video clips.
The artistic direction was led by Prof. Anselm Dalferth, with artistic consultation by Steven Walter, and project management
by Philipp Gaiser, who is an artist and freelance singer himself.
The call for applications ran from October 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024. Various criteria had to be met, with up to 75 applications
possible, and a maximum of 3 ensembles from the same music university allowed to apply. In 2024, there were 50 ensembles,
8 of which were selected, and the jury consisted of 16 members. The jury members came from music universities that did not
have ensembles in the competition, ensuring neutrality and objectivity. The 8 ensembles performed over 4 days in 8 different
locations, with the awards ceremony on the 9th day marking the end of a successful and very exciting week for the 8 ensemble
location premieres.
There were 3 winners:
Repeatability Award = Synaptic, Audience Success Award = Lied Extended, Originality Award = Chaos | Cadenz and Friends.
The competition of the repeatability Award was won by the ensemble ‘Synaptic Trippin’.
Adele and Theresa have known each other for three years, and it was “love at first sight.” Adele, who is from Vienna,
participated in the Erasmus program, and six months ago, their desire to make music together grew even stronger.
Since they were already friends and basically living together in a musical setup, it felt natural. They had previously
performed Winterreise in Bolivia—under palm trees—and Cold Trip is their absolute favorite piece. Both are studying
music with a focus on contemporary music.
It’s essentially the Winterreise of new music. “A total standard work,” says Theresa. It is very popular, has been
performed many times, and she knew it would be a lot of fun for both of them. “It’s very cool to play together and it’s just a blast.”
“We make music together, and so the D-bü competition was a perfect fit, and we were invited to participate.”
How did you come up with this topic?
So the ensemble’s name came about because it reflects the collaboration of synapses. We explore the essence of
Winterreise and The Cold Trip.
This is the psychological exceptional situation, and how does society deal with it?
The topic is scary, and the reality is even scarier. In fact, in the context of journalistic work, there have been experiences
where a mentally ill person made a woman’s life a living hell. There were thousands of pieces of evidence, yet the court
still let the guilty party go free, thereby allowing him to continue tormenting and destroying the life of the victim with
further tyrannical actions.
The “verdict” was: “The defendant is acquitted due to lack of evidence.”
So they came up with the “True Crime” theme. This podcast form: There are some very tasteless podcast lines in
this context that bothered both of them. “Murder on Ex,” or “We hope you’re not eating right now, because the body
was found in 1000 pieces.” Adele and Theresa collaborated with a performance professor, a Schubert specialist,
and a music pianist. The performance professor wrote the texts to create the impression that the podcast actually existed.
Adele and Theresa have often been approached about a “podcast.”
Singing Winterreise is always a beautiful gift. Theresa has a beautiful voice, clear, expressive, and she gets straight to
the point. “In the mailbox messages of the piece, it was tried to show that he has no use for the group anymore.”
It’s as if he’s being “sorted out.” You notice he’s a patient, and somehow he’s no longer an active member of society,
becoming more and more passive, and then various things happen because he can’t afford to be active anymore.
Like someone who is no longer practical for society, they just fall out faster – like “falling out.” And the opposite
of this performance-driven society, for us, is empathy for someone who is weak, who can no longer help themselves,
whom you help – even though you no longer have active use for society. Empathy that gradually gets lost, then
the person gets lost too… The piece was often revised, consisting of real contributions and experiences.
The competition of the repeatability Audience Success Award was won by the ensemble LiedExtended
Alba and Ingvill will complete their master class in music in July. When they saw the announcement for D-bü,
it was clear to them immediately that they wanted to do a joint performance. Sometimes Ingvill gets catchy
tunes in her head, like this time with “Homo Ludens.” She shared the tune with Alba, who then had the idea of the
“Game Show.” They have been working on it for quite a while.
They wondered what they could do with games that simultaneously create a structure for the audience.
It’s something people are familiar with and provides a framework to break away from the usual.
Not just playing music, but also playing games—how can they translate that musically? For Ingvill and Alba,
it was a great framework to execute their idea.
Did you always want to become artists?
Ingvill: She comes from a musical family—her father is a trained trumpeter and her mother is a hobby musician.
She plays the piano, and there has always been a lot of culture, dance, etc., in her family. She joined a girls’ choir,
and at the age of 14, she heard a recording of “La Boheme,” which solidified her desire to sing. At 26 and 25 years
old, both women are achieving a lot. They have few hobbies besides reading and occasional theater visits.
Starting in September, Ingvill will attend the Tonali Stage Academy in Hamburg for the next 3 years while working
as a freelance musician.
Alba: She is 26 years old and started playing the violin at the age of 3. She added piano at 9 years old and studied
both instruments concurrently until 2017.
Alba attended the conservatory, where she developed her own dynamic. At 14, she competed in competitions
and played extensively in orchestras with the violin. It was enjoyable for her, and she did not practice excessively.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree was a deliberate choice. In school, she had a professor who taught philosophy and
history and was the only one who supported her. He encouraged Alba to explore different avenues, suggesting
that she could become a professional musician.
This guidance set Alba on the right path, leading her to pursue violin and piano in her bachelor’s degree and
embark on a career as a professional musician. Alba’s family has always supported her, traveling across Spain
for exams and competitions—everyone came along. Music passion runs deep in her family. Alba’s hometown
is a small city near Barcelona, with Salzburg as her chosen home. After 9 months in Dresden, Alba is moving back to Salzburg.
“Human beings should always preserve curiosity and allow themselves to play within the great wheel of life.”
They performed their concert at St. Egidien Church in Nuremberg. At the beginning of the concert, two young
artists played the violin and were accompanied by various light installations. A soft, thin curtain opened,
inviting the audience to their seats. The concert “Anemonia” was sold out. It was a hybrid concert blending
theatrical elements with classical contributions. They utilized a piano with magnets, and impressive light
installations highlighted their unique style. The Anemoia ensemble had carefully considered St. Egidien Church
beforehand, acknowledging its sacredness and exceptional acoustics.
Initiated in spring 2023 by the University of Music – Saar, consisting of 2 technicians and 5 musicians, the time
and place were created, although not experienced. Oleksii Rybak and Gustav Hofmann are the two composers
who joined forces with Anemoia, the existing trio of Oksana Oposhnian, Ece Samanlıoğlu, and Otilia-Maria Lazăr.
The ensemble was completed by violinist Nahyun Lee and flutist Anna Slepova. The ensemble thrives on
experimentation and a love for ancient musical traditions. Through this collaboration, individual ideas often
evolve into unexpected greatness. (University of Music Saar)
Thomas Fritzler und Tzu-Yin Lin
They were nervous, uncertain of how the audience would receive their performance. Thomas and Tzu-Yin
were highly focused, taking no breaks, as they intended their performance to be a continuous presentation
that would resonate with the audience, as Thomas described to me.
During the performance, Thomas and Tzu-Yin found it difficult to gauge whether the audience was engaged,
concentrated, or disengaged. They were in the dark for a long time, remaining focused on their show, giving
it their all with full energy.
The applause, culminating in a lengthy standing ovation from the audience at the end of the show, reassured
Tzu-Yin and Thomas that their performance had been well received. The audience was completely silent from
the very first second. You could have heard a pin drop, and this level of attention and silence continued to the
last second of their performance, a testament to how captivated the Nuremberg audience was by their show.
“Tzu-Yin, how was it for you out there on stage, how did you experience it?”
Tzu-Yin was very excited and nervous because she didn’t know how their show would be received by the audience.
She enjoyed Thomas’ performance while “hiding” behind the large kettle drum. During the scene where she
was hiding behind the kettle drum, she observed the audience and their support, which she greatly enjoyed.
Tzu-Yin hoped that the audience would lose themselves and focus 100% on the show and enjoy it.
They didn’t want to take any breaks and aimed to present the show like a movie that touches the audience’s hearts and minds.
“How did the idea for your show develop?
“The movements, the music, the imaginary play with the ball, and how you involved the audience.
You conveyed the impression that you had never done anything else in your life.
Tzu-Yin: ‘We chose the title ‘The Human Gear’ to show the audience the balance in this world and in society,
because nothing is right or wrong, or black or white. Everything is about balance and how humans find it.
Also, you can see it in our clothing; at the beginning, Tzu-Yin wears white, embodying humanity, while Thomas
wears black, representing the anger of society, the stress, the rush; he is cold and provocative.
She ‘works’ with the big drum, while he roughly takes off her blouse. This shows how he takes influence
and represents society in that moment. You can’t simply follow the society’s call; the work on the big drum
shows the stumbling feeling in your heart, and your heart wants to be heard, so take off the coat and be more childlike.
Of course, such a concert wasn’t created in a day,’ says Thomas. ‘It was a process.’ The idea came; we wanted to show
the struggle between living in society and living one’s own life. So we chose ‘The Human Gear’ as the title because
it fits well and harmonizes well.
After creating a good length and structure for the show, we thought about how to connect the pieces,
and then new ideas came up, and others turned out to be ‘bad,’ so we took them out. For example, we had the idea
of speaking in the piece or between individual sequences, but then decided not to speak at all so that the audience
could enjoy their own interpretation.
Because if they should, the audience should come to us and ask, ‘How do we interpret that and explain our point of view?’
We want to give the audience the space to interpret the show themselves.
It’s wonderful to see how you think, work, and interpret things, and how you brought it all into a performance, because
that’s not an easy thing. It’s absolutely excellent.”
“How long have you been at the music university?”
Thomas is in his 5th semester of the Bachelor’s program in Detmold, which is a little over 2 years.
He is studying percussion, of course.
Tzu-Yin completed her degree in March and is now in her 1st semester. They met in Detmold, which wasn’t easy –
Tzu-Yin was in Berlin, but they visited each other often and worked hard on their performance.
When they interact with the audience, they also don’t know what will happen; some people like it, and others not so much.
How did you come to art on this wonderful path?
When Tzu-Yin was young, she did ballet and played a lot in the theater. While she was in college, she performed on stage
and in the theater. At that time, she had nothing to do with music. Tzu-Yin plays the marimba exceptionally well;
she has played on Taiwanese television, performed concerts throughout Europe, and won many awards.
Thomas’ family does not play instruments or have anything to do with theater. He had no musical background.
He started learning a percussion instrument at the age of 6, and his parents supported him. He danced and came to music,
and that’s how it has been to this day.
Thomas is 24 years old, and Tzu-Yin is 25.
As a preview, they applied in Detmold, won a special prize, and will be touring in North Rhine-Westphalia
(NRW) at the end of 2024 /
the next season. They will be seen and heard in several cities in NRW.
Tzu-Yin says, “For us, it is most important that the audience is free to interpret their story themselves.”
“We explain nothing, we give no structure, instruction, or guidance.” “It is a holistic experience that we hope everyone can
take something personal from and hopefully think about some things that they might not otherwise think about or consider.”
People were delighted, relaxed, and focused every minute during your show.
See you at the end of March in Bergkirchen.
In 2016, Dominik Vogl completed his Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Guitar and Jazz Composition at the University of Music,
and since 2021 he has been studying Music Composition: “Contemporary Music.”
When Dominik was 15 years old, he received a guitar and immediately knew that he wanted to make music,
with no alternative in mind. At first, he always went to his cousin, who was taking guitar lessons and showed
Dominik the chords and what was possible on the electric guitar. Then, Dominik bought his own electric guitar
and learned to play it.
How did you come up with the idea that a tree could respond to music?
Dominik spends a lot of time in the forest. It is now known that trees communicate with each other in the form
of an “early warning system” for pest infestations, for example. It has been proven that plants that are spoken
to are “happier,” responding to voices and attention by growing better. Studies have shown that when a plant
receives attention, it grows better, blooms more, and is generally healthier and less susceptible to diseases or pests.
For instance, if a plant is cared for, talked to, and its leaves are dusted off to allow it to breathe better,
it will live significantly longer than a plant of the same species placed next to it and ignored. The ignored plant
wilts and dies. Both plants were of the same kind, had the same location, water, and sunlight, etc.
For example, if bees are approaching, the tree starts producing more pollen within 3 minutes.
The bees collect it and pollinate the flowers, the fruits grow, and people enjoy some juicy apples.
Dominik meditates a lot to create a balance in his daily life, and he prefers to do this in the forest,
where he finds more peace than anywhere else. Over time, his feeling and perception of the trees
have intensified. Scientifically, Dominik has studied this and can confirm that trees also respond
to the moods of their surroundings, people, and the environment. The idea that trees could also respond to music
never left him. In the past four years, this “study” has intensified to such an extent that he has now succeeded in making
the musical perception of trees visible.
At the D-bü competition, Dominik’s entry was titled: “Duet with a Tree.”
Dominik wired up the tree, and the tree’s currents were visible on a computer screen through an electronic galvanometer.
The tree’s currents and electrical resistances were measured, making the tree’s reactions clearly visible.
These reactions changed with Dominik’s singing or various sounds and tones he played to the tree, either through a flute
or simply with his lips on a microphone.
The guitar was undoubtedly the tree’s favorite, and the idea of making such reactions visible is ingenious. Dominik has a
beautiful voice and sings very well, which captivated both the audience and the tree.
Dominik gave a fantastic concert, sharing great scientific insights with the audience and wonderfully raising people’s awareness.
The competition of the Originality Award was won by the ensemble Caos | Cadencz and Friends.
Post-Bodies (corporeal.code)
Adrian Thiess with me in the interview. Adrian is studying for a Master of Education in Music and Theater
and is almost finished. The theater component is always integrated into the projects.
Your piece in Segment 1:
How did you get there and how did you all come together?
The core ensemble, Caos Cadence, consists of only four people. They met during their music studies in Lübeck,
where they did their first projects together and formed as an ensemble. There is a “student evening”
at the university that is open for free use, and that’s where they met and experimented, which eventually led them to this competition.
At the time of the competition, not all four were still studying at the Lübeck University of Music, and according to the guidelines,
they had to enlarge their ensemble to ensure their application was still valid. Only 25% of the ensemble can be external members,
and since two of them were no longer students there, it was already at 50%. So they found four more people and continued.
The members of Caos Cadence:
Ariadne Dalatsi participated in the active design of various interdisciplinary projects such as TONALI Cultural Days
and the Blackbox Nature project during the international music festival in Hamburg.
Sophie Kockler is a clarinetist, stylistically versatile, studied clarinet with a focus on classical music, and is currently
doing her master’s degree at Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.
Jorma Marggraf is a trained pianist, studying conducting at HfMT Hamburg with a focus on recontextualizing
classical music, as he already demonstrated in the TONALI competition.
Adrian Thiess focuses on freely improvised music, exploring the sound of the trumpet in connection with synthesizers.
Adrian is currently finishing his Master of Education.
Jonathan Hartwig is completing his percussion studies at the Mh Lübeck with Prof. Fischer. Besides his solo training,
he was a member of various ensembles and participated in Jugend musiziert and WESPE.
Goeun Kim completed her bachelor’s degree in composition in South Korea and has been studying for a master’s degree
at Mh Lübeck with Prof. Katharina Rosenberger since 2022. Her works have already been performed internationally,
and she is active in various new music collectives.
Malte Langenbeck has been playing in various band projects for many years. As an event technician, he completed
his training as a choir and ensemble leader at the BfM in Kronach. Since 2020, he has been studying classical singing
at Mh Lübeck.Guilherme Raminhos began his career in 2017 with Prof. Carlo Marchione at the Conservatorium Maastricht.
He began his postgraduate studies in New Music at Mh Lübeck with Prof. Otto Tolonen in 2021 to further explore the potential
of contemporary music. This was an absolutely good decision because the size of the location had to be filled with action.
“The theme of humans, machines, and cyborg AI has been the core message that has occupied us
and the Caos Cadence ensemble for over a year.”
“And we had previous projects that were more focused on the theme of AI.”
“It was through this interest that we came into the area of humans/machines, which is directly linked,
and we decided to put it directly at the center.” Whether it’s a smartwatch, a pacemaker, or a prosthesis,
we already use technology in the human body. Especially in a building with such historical significance,
the atmosphere here is significant. The constant interest in humans, machines, cyborgs.
Do you want to wake people up? Yes, that’s one of the interpretations and associations we want to evoke
in our concerts. Also, generally speaking, not just for D-bü. It should create a space for possibilities for interpretation.
Each person should form their own picture of the whole performance because we don’t want there to be just “one”
message that AI is so dangerous or something like that. It’s just one facet of the whole thematic complex.
We hope that people have been touched on many different levels.
Post Bodys Cyborg
With the speaker costumes, it’s an interaction with the bodies. In one area, there was a torso with the sign:
Touch me!
It then made sounds. Where does the machine start, and where does it end? Is there a boundary?
Does it need to be defined? Sophie becomes a cyborg in one cell by sticking objects to herself and increasingly
taking on the shape of a cyborg, and Sophie then plays the clarinet as a cyborg.
The aim is to portray various transitions of these physicalities. Ariadne sings and recites texts. Jorma is a trained pianist.
Jonathan played the drums and started his studies at MH Lübeck in 2022. The performance included the band setting,
a promenade concert, texts being recited, free improvisation, and musical pieces performed. The bouquet was made
as large as possible to support the core idea of “new concert formats.” This was very important for Carsurance,
especially with new concert forms.
Adrian: Stay inspired and don’t just chase the latest craze.”
The ensemble ‘rauschgold’ from Munich works across disciplines, combining various elements from art and theater.
They have integrated singing, acting, zither, composition, and dramaturgy into their piece.
Thematically, the three artists Sarah Luisa Wurmer, Lena Kühn, and Emma Stratmann have focused on the topic of finitude.
For the concept “EndlichkeitsRAUSCH,” the artists collaborated with Sören Sarbeck (dramaturge) and composer Leon Zmelty.
It explores the idea that we as humans are finite. Death is largely taboo and dominated by fear. They aim to be curious and explore:
“What does this mean for us as humans?”
“How much ecstasy does finitude contain?
In a fusion of music and theater, we take the audience on a quest for contemporary answers.”
“For the concept ‘EndlichkeitsRAUSCH,’
the three artists collaborate with dramaturge Sören Sarbeck and composer Leon Zmelty.
Interdisciplinary, intercultural projects are close to their hearts, creating productions that blend absurd theater with spiritual depth.”
“They were able to demonstrate this at the XPLORE competition for new concert formats at the University of
Music and Performing Arts Munich, where they were awarded for their emotional performance.”
“Don’t worry too much, go out and enjoy life with as much fun and joy as possible :)”
Orlando Bass, the French pianist and composer of British descent, studied at the CNSM in Paris.
His diplomas in chamber music, composition, and piano enable him to include forgotten masterpieces
from various composers in his concert programs and combine them with his repertoire. Since 2018,
he has released several CDs and won first prizes at the Messiaen Competition in 2023 and the Bologna Harpsichord
Competition in 2015. Orlando Bass has premiered many solo and ensemble works.
Orlando Bass – Diabelli Playground presents:
At the Competition of German Music Universities in Nuremberg 2024, Orlando explored the 120 possibilities
of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations.
Together with Orlando, the audience embarked on a quest to uncover the hidden stories within the Diabelli Variations.
These tales from Beethoven’s era are musical sketches, portraits, and caricatures of Viennese society.
In the ambiance of a historic cultural barn, Orlando Bass encouraged the audience to let their imaginations run wild.
Together, they discovered the characters behind the various compositions, with Orlando engaging the audience and performing
selected works based on their choices.
Orlando Bass delivered an impressive performance filled with playfulness, joy, and curiosity, taking the audience on a fascinating
journey in a completely unique manner.
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