Lavinia Dames: AchtBrücken Festival

On 10 May 2025, the soprano Lavinia Dames will sing the world premiere of Hèctor Parra‘s Ich ersehne die Alpen / So entstehen die Seen at the Kölner Philharmonie at the invitation of AchtBrücken Festival / WDR Musik der Zeit. This will be her festival debut and her first cooperation with the WDR Sinfonieorchester which will be led by Christian Karlsen. This work is based on a text by Händl Klaus and written for soprano, narrator, electronics and big orchestra. The part of the narrator will be performed by actor Thomas Loibl. The additional work in the concert programme will be Kaija Saariahos D'OM LE VRAI SENS played by clarinetist Boglárka Pecze.

On 18 May 2025, Lavinia Dames will also make her debut at the Oper Köln/Staatenhaus with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne in Kaija Saariaho’s La Passion de Simone, an oratorio in 15 stations (libretto by Amin Maalouf). This scenic production will also be presented on 19/25/28/31 May 2025 and is a coproduction with ACHT BRÜCKEN FESTIVAL. The conductor will also be Christian Karlsen, Friederike Blum will be directing, and Lise Kruse will create the set and costumes. In the solo part of Simone, Lavinia will once again be able to demonstrate her skills and qualities for demanding soprano roles.

(published on 28 April 2025)

Sarah Maria Sun in Berlin & Witten

On 11 & 13 April 2025 the soprano Sarah Maria Sun will sing songs by Kurt Weill such as It never was you, Lied des Lotterieagenten, Bilbao Song, Die Seeräuber Jenny celebrating the composer’s anniversary at the Konzerthaus Berlin under the baton of Iván Fischer. The Konzerthausorchester will furthermore play Hanns Eisler’s Suite No. 2 op. 24, Erwin Schulhoff’s Suite for Chamber Orchestra, Paul Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher (viola: Lawrence Power) and Weill’s Suite panaméenne. 

On 3 May 2025 the world premiere of Sarah Glojnarić‘s Guide to Reality will be presented at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik. This headphones-concert flips the concert scenario on its head, introducing a hybrid format that blurs art forms and detaches string quartet music from its historicity. The audience experiences a diverse mix of noisy, virtuosic rhythmic textures, electronic soundscapes, podcasts, covers ranging from Nirvana to Enno Poppe and re-sampled string quartet repertoire. Sarah Maria Sun as a conférencier, guides the audience through the performance, acting as their subconscious, confidante, enemy, and past. The Kuss Quartett will perform and Paul Hauptmeier & Martin Recker will be responsible for the sound-design and Anahí Pérez for the light-design.

(published on 31 March 2025)

Sofia Jernberg: World premiere in LA

Following her solo concert on 29 March 2025 at the Korzo Zaal in Den Haag that vocal artist Sofia Jernberg will perform in complete darkness on the occasion of the Earth Hour, she will premiere Chaya Czernowins NO! on 29 April 2025 in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Daníel Bjarnason will lead the LA Phil New Music Group and will also conduct his own composition Snow Songs in the US-premiere. Chaya Czernowin has written this piece exclusively for Sofia Jernberg‘s voice. Subsequently, No! will also be premiered at the Kölner Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, the Wiener Musikverein as well as at NOSPR Katowice. This concert will be Sofia’s debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

(published on 19 March 2025)

THE PRESENT in Fribourg & Potsdam

The vocal ensemble THE PRESENT will present two very exciting programmes in concert:
On 22 March 2025, the ensemble will sing Yes-Songs - Lessons in tenderness with music by J. S. Bach, Reiko Füting, Carola Bauckholt, Lucia Ronchetti and Heinrich Albert in the series eclats concerts at the Museum for Art and History MAHF in Swiss Fribourg. The five singers will be Olivia Stahn and Hanna Herfurtner (soprano), Bernadette Beckermann (alto), Tim Karweick (tenor) and Felix Schwandtke (bass).

 On 27 March 2025, THE PRESENT will perform the extraordinary programme Cry Me A River, presenting Lieder and songs reaching from Franz Schubert to Justin Timberlake at the Nikolaisaal Potsdam in a scenic realization. This production has been premiered at the Neuköllner Oper Berlin as a music-performative reaction to the climate crises: The result is an evening about shedding tears over what has been lost, the ones who will be ceased and the water that will disappear. The most beautiful songs about weeping will be raised: Next to Schubert’s Gefrorne Tränen and John Dowland’s Flow my tears the ensemble will sing Helene Fischer’s Hinter den Tränen or Justin Timberlake’s Cry me a river i.a.. What will give comfort, is the music itself. The soprano duo Stahn and Herfurtner will be teamed up by Amélie Saadia (alto), Florian Hille (baritone) and Will Frost (tenor).

(published on 18 March 2025)