Vanessa Porter: Live in Berlin

On 12 October 2026 the percussionists Vanessa Porter and Emil Kuyumcuyan will perform their record release concert at the Musikbrauerei Berlin presenting their latest duo-CD BETTER ME . The album has been released on the Label Neos recently and is already nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award 2026. Susanne Benda from magazine Fono Forum is mesmerized: You don’t interrupt this CD; it possesses power and a compelling pull—a dazzlingly sonorous spectacle of the world—fantastic! BETTER ME exclusively presents compositions by both artists that move between contemporary music, electronic sound art, and performative energy. 

On 14/15/16 October 2026, Vanessa Porter will make a first appearance with The Alonetimes – Music-Theatre by Jennifer Walshe and Philip Venables at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. This celebrated production was just presented at Musica Strasbourg, the BOZAR Brussels and the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam to great acclaim and will celebrate its UK-premiere on 19 October 2026 at the Schwarzman Centre Oxford. Vanessa is joined by Aedín Cosgrove (costume and light), Romain Muller (sound), Ragnar Árni Ólafsson (video), Loré Lixenberg und Oskar McCarthy (vocals), Adam Starkie (bass clarinet), Diamanda La Berge Dramm (violin) and Andreas Borregaard (accordion).

(published on 6 October 2026)

A. Komsi: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

On 8 October 2026, the soprano Anu Komsi will make her debut with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande at the Victoria Hall in Geneva. Under the baton of Eva Ollikainen she will sing the outstanding composition Mirage for soprano, cello and orchestra by Kaija Saariaho with the cellist Lionel Cottet as well as Jean Sibelius‘ Luonnotar – tone poem for soprano and orchestra op. 70. Further works on the programme will be Sibelius’ Pohjola’s Daugther – Tone poem für large orchestra op. 49 and Pjotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky‘s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique. The second concert will be scheduled on 10 October 2026 at La Grange au Lac, Évian-les-bains in Neuvecelle.

(published on 29 September 2026)

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)