THE PRESENT: Artist-in-Residence

Between 2 and 11 October 2026, the Vocal ensemble THE PRESENT will be Artist-in-Residence 2026 at the Heinrich-Schütz-Musikfest, presenting four different and new programmes in six concerts, focusing on Heinrich Schütz and the motto Early Music reimagined:

ERHÖRE UNS, WENN WIR ANRUFEN 
2 October 2026, Zentralwerk Pieschen Dresden
4 October 2026, Festsaal Schloss Moritzburg, Zeitz
Heinrich Schütz Italian Madrigals SWV 1–19, works by Laura Steenberge (world premiere)

Schützling - Ein geselliger Abend in der Klangwelt des jungen Heinrich
7 October 2026, Schwarzbier Brauerei Bad Köstritz
9 October 2026, Altes Brauhaus Weissenfels
Music by Hans Leo Hassler, Orlando di Lasso, Vittoria Rafaella Aleotti, Clément Janequin and Giovanni da Palestrina

MAN LOBT DICH IN DER STILL'
8 October 2026, SLUB Dresden
Works by Heinrich Schütz, Laura Steenberge, Moritz Gagern and others as holistic experience

IL VASTO MAR
11 October 2026, Kirche Sankt Leonhard Bad Köstritz
Works by Heinrich Schütz and Moritz Gagern (world premiere)

Performing artists will be: Hanna Herfurtner/Olivia Stahn (sopranos), Bernadette Beckermann/Amélie Saadia (altos), Johannes Gaubitz/Tim Karweick (tenors), Nikolaus Fluck/Felix Schwandtke (basses) supported by Lisa Fütterer (set and costume design), Leonard Albach (light design), Eli Vardzhiyska and Sarah Rose Lucey (production and direction assistance).

(published on 25 September 2026)

Marco Blaauw: Strasbourg & Athen

Following the successful premiere of Georges Aperghis‘ Trompe-oreille at the Festival Présence (Radio France) in Paris the trumpet player Marco Blaauw will perform this piece on 30 September 2026 at the Festival Musica Strasbourg at the Salle de la Bourse. In the same concert, double bass player Florentin Ginot will perform Georges Aperghis‘ Obstinate and Black Light. Dionysios Papanikolaou from IRCAM oversees the electronics.

On 9 October 2026, he will present the Greek premiere of Trompe-oreille at the Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall. Further solo pieces include Elena Rykova’s Vicissitudes and Arefeh Hekmatpanah’s Residing. Thomas Wegner will join him for the sound design.

(published on 24 September 2026)

Sofia Jernberg: world premiere Sunville

On 25 September 2026, Sofia Jernberg will present the world premiere of her first music-theatre composition Sunville - Afrofuturistic musical theatre at the Deutschen Oper Berlin/Tischlerei. Further performance dates are 26/27/30 September and 1/2 October 2026. Sofia Jernberg is involved as composer, musical director and vocalist in this remarkable season premiere. Fiston Mwanza Mujila has written the libretto and will also perform on stage. Stephanie Thiersch is responsible for the staging, the choreography and Sonja Füsti for the set design. Further performers are Noa Frenkel (alto), Serge Kakudji (countertenor), Ole Morten Vågan (double bass and musical study), Kit Downes (piano), Espen Reinertsen (saxophone) and musicians of the Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin.

The hosts for this evening are two intergalactic collaborators: Sun Ra, pioneer of Afrofuturism in response to omnipresent racism, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, who sought to flee the constriction of the art world. «The truth about the planet Earth is a bad truth,» sings Sun RA in 1972. He selects music and, with a dose of irony, space as a place of refuge. Afrofuturism is about «resistance through imagination» (Adyam Tesfamariam). This performance follows this trail and seeks out new answers. Sofia Jernberg’s music is a place of resonance and contradiction: Contemporary composition meets spiritual jazz, improvisation is juxtaposed with griot tradition.

(published on 22 September 2026)

Sarah Defrise: Fat Tuesday in Berlin

On 16-18 September 2026 the soprano and actress Sarah Defrise will perform in Die 5. Jahreszeit - Fat Tuesday by Antonis Anissegos and Michael Wertmüller at the Theater im Delphi in Berlin together with the opera company Novoflot and the dissonArt ensemble. The production in the staging of Sven Holm recently has been presented for the first time in Greece at the Greek National Opera in Athens. Next to conductor Vicente Larrañaga soprano Rosemary Hardy and Renae Shadler will join the team.

(published on 15 September 2026)