On 4th and 5th March 2016, the ULYSSES Network partners come together in Paris for their final network meeting of this project-period (2012-2016), upon invitation by the project coordinator IRCAM.

On Friday 4th March, 11h30 at IRCAM, the ULYSSES Network partners publicly present the results of the network activities since its beginning in May 2012.

Several young international artists, who could benefit from European support through the Network and develop their activities in the framework of the ULYSSES projects, discuss their experiences and present their works:

Benjamin Scheuer  –  composer

Nuria Gimenez-Comas  –  composer

Dario Calderone  –  performer

You are all invited to join us for this presentation and discussion!

IRCAM – Salle Stravinsky, 11h30 – 13h

Free entrance, please register by email.

THE VIDEO RECORDING OF THE ENCOUNTER CAN BE WATCHED ONLINE HERE!

On Saturday 5th March, people attending the final meeting and public presentation have the occasion to attend the concert at Centre Pompidou performed by Divertimento Ensemble, presenting works by Gérard Grisey and by ULYSSES composers Daniele Ghisi and Raphael Cendo.

Gaudeamus Muziekweek, partner of the ULYSSES Network, presents every year in September the latest music created by young pioneers.

The Dutch festival, which has won national and international plaudits, took place in Utrecht (NL) from 9 through 13 September. From classical crossover and minimal soundscapes to modern composition with (live) electronics. Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2015 offers excellent opportunities to immerse yourself in the newest music.

This year Gaudeamus Muziekweek also offered professionals and other music lovers plenty of opportunities to delve deep into the music and related subjects. Prior to the festival itself, the Gaudeamus Muziekweek Academy allows a “behind-the-scenes glimpse” at rehearsals of the shortlisted works.

The connecting threads through the festival are the works of the five nominees for the Gaudeamus Award.
After the closing concert on 13th September, the winner of the Gaudeamus Award 2015 was announced. From the hands of festival director Henk Heuvelmans composer Alexander Khubeev (RUS 1986) received the prestigious award.

Khubeev* is now included in the respectable hall of fame with previous winning composers such as Yannis Kyriakides, Michel van der Aa and Louis Andriessen.

The Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2015 was also an occasion to presented several ULYSSES projects :

# The final concerts and world premieres of the IEMA Composition Workshop 2015

# Works of the two selected composers taking part in the ULYSSES Composer Exchange Program between Royaumont Foundation (FR) and Gaudeamus (NL)

# Concerts by Dario Calderone in the Solo Double Bass project, in cooperation with impuls (AT)

© Anna von Kooij

© Baldwin Henderson

* Alexander Khubeev
Born in the city of Perm in 1986 where he began his composition classes. Subsequently moved to Moscow to study at the conservatory and complete his post-graduate studies with Yuri Kasparov. For the past eight years, Khubeev has lived in Moscow while simultaneously attending master classes with composers such as Beat Furrer, Ivan Fedele, Chaya Czernowin, Martijn Padding. In addition, he took part in the biannual Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music (2014), where he received a stipend for the session in 2016. “Fortunately, during my years of study in Moscow, Russia’s concert life became increasingly rich and diverse. My music was performed by most ensembles of contemporary music in Russia (as well as in countries such as Ukraine, Italy, Germany, USA, and Argentina). Along the way, I won various composition competitions. Resulting from an ongoing collaboration, I was appointed as composer in residence at the GAMEnsemble (a first in modern Russian history) in 2011.”

The project is inspired by the book “An Experiment with Time”, by John William Dunne: linearity of time is a collateral event of consciousness, whereas, inside dreams, past and future coexist.

Watch the video-trailer for his project:

© Daniele Ghisi

The video setup is made of three juxtaposed screens. The central screen represents the writing of the main character’s diary, and will be a journey across its reflexions and thoughts, spanning one full year, and looping seamlessly at the end. The other screens (only active in some specific sections of the video) suggest the presence of two “aliases” experiencing different temporalities (the left one looping through a single day, and the right one living a complete life).

The installation is a 46min – loop consisting of video and electronic music.

© Daniele Ghisi

Daniele Ghisi comments on his project:

“An Experiment with Time” is probably the biggest artistic challenge I have faced up to now, both for its duration and for the effort it involved – as I am writing this note, I am still finishing working on the score for its live version.

It is, at present, the project about which I am most passionate: this is why I am extremely grateful to the Ulysses network and to the partners that have made this possible (first of all Ircam and Divertimento Ensemble). I am also extremely glad I had the chance to share this passion with many participants (first of all Luigi Acerbi and Paolo Puggioni) and with other festivals which have so kindly shown their interested in it.

Somehow, “An Experiment with Time” represents my widest attempt to think project-wise instead of piece-wise – and I find this line of thinking quite important, especially for contemporary music.”

Project Tour Calendar

(you can find photos from the tour below)

June 2nd + 3rd 2015, Maison de la Poésie, IRCAM ManiFeste-2015, Paris (FR) – installation/ video and electronics
17h30 – 19h15

September 13th – 18th 2015, Progetti Arte Contemporanea, Piazza delle Murate, Florence (IT), FLAME festival –
installation/ video and electronics

September 18th 2015, KLAPEIDA Concert Hall – Klapeida (LT) –
installation/ video and electronics

December 12th + 13th 2015, Teatro Litta, Corso Magenta – Milano (IT) –
installation/ video and electronics:
12th December : opening at 17h00.  Showings at 18h00, 18h45, 19h30, 20h15, 21h00, 21h45.
13th December : showings at 11h00, 11h45 12h30, 13h15, 14h00, 1445, 15h30, 16h15, 17h00

January 26th 2016, Teatro Litta, Corso Magenta – Milano (IT) –
20h30 – live version/ video and electronics + Divertimento Ensemble – World Premiere

March 5th 2016, Centre Pompidou – Paris (FR) –
20h30 – live version/ video and electronics + Divertimento Ensemble – French Premiere

Photos from the tour

Paris – Installation June 2015 (FR)

© Daniele Ghisi

Florence – Installation September 2015 (IT)

© Zeno Cavallari

Klapeida – Installation September (LT)

© Daniele Ghisi

Milano – Installation December 2015 (IT)

© Divertimento Ensemble

© Giovanni Daniotti

Milano – World Premiere Live version for ensemble and electronics January 2016 (IT)

© Giovanni Daniotti

+++

Artistic credits:

Daniele Ghisi, composition, video, computer-music design

Divertimento Ensemble

Yann Philippe, IRCAM video manager
Sylvain Cadars, IRCAM sound engineer

Commission:

Divertimento Ensemble and Ircam-Centre Pompidou

Coproduction:

IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Paris, France / Divertimento Ensemble, Milano, Italy (live version)

Coréalisation Maison de la Poésie, Paris, France

With instrumental classes and ensemble work, composition classes, many-faceted lectures, call for scores and special programs such as reading sessions with Klangforum Wien, Composition beyond Music, electronic and improvisation workshops … and also possibilities for participants to present their work in public, impuls offers to young musicians and composers from all over the world an intense training and holistic approach to contemporary music both in a theoretical and a practical way.

© Christine Schörkhuber

impuls promotes and supports young composers not only through its Academy, but also through the international impuls Composition Competition . Every second year impuls commissions new works for ensemble from young composers selected by a jury. Subsequently these composers are invited to take part in the impuls Composition Workshops in Vienna respectively in Graz, where their new works are collectively rehearsed and discussed extensively with musicians of world-class ensembles such as Klangforum Wien.

The world premieres of these pieces are to be witnessed at the prestigious Opening of the impuls Academy and Festival in Graz in the presence of the young composers.
And for the fourth time, the Academy was accompanied and enlarged by a daily Festival program offering various possibilities to experience new and contemporary music to a broadening audience with open ears and external Academy visitors. Hereby Graz was again turned into a festival city and a center of contemporary music and the arts.

 
© Christine Schörkhuber

>> Some more hard facts on impuls 2015
ACADEMY
* 199 regular Academy participants  and another 9 external participants  coming from 4 continents and more than 45 nations  plus additional international guests and external visitors were accepted to the 9th International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music in 2015 (this is more than double the size compared to 2009 and a rise of 10% compared to 2013; close to 500 musicians and composers applied; in general: again strong rise of applications, again a good mix of Austrian and international participants).

© Christine Schörkhuber

* For the second time impuls was part and partner of the European Project (ULLYSSES NETWORK) realising several special projects  within this network (Composition beyond Music + Young Ensemble in Residency + Composer Exchange Program impuls-Royaumont and IKI/Opus XXI + Double bass solo- Dario Calderone).

Thus – besides Academy ensembles formed on spot – with Ensemble Nikel an already existing young ensemble was included in the Academy offering reading sessions and premiering several works by impuls composer participants besides presenting pieces by tutor Chaya Czernowin and winner of the impuls Competition Marco Momi.
At Georg Nussbaumeręs Masterclass “Composition beyond Music ” composers realised site-specific works at esc medien kunst labor, and were visually accompanied and documented by Christine Schörkhuber. A call for score amongst the participants gave rise to several new works for double bass  to be read and premiered by Dario Calderone . Last but not least with Raphaël Languillat  and Benjamin Scheuer  two young composers
could be included and featured at the impuls Academy and its partners through special exchange programs.

* Both offers for composition, electronics and instrumental classes could be enlarged  again (with more than 30 tutors, classes also for improvisation, yoga and intermedia projects amongst others) and new ones were installed successfully also for e-guitar and vocal ensembles for the first time.

* Besides individual and group lessons as well as chamber music and ensemble work also lectures, discussions , instrumental presentations and special workshops (f. e. Piano Preparation Workshop, Free improvisation – instant composing, brass instruments: specifics, notation, techniques, possibilities, Contemporary Techniques on the Saxophone…), a jour fix for composers , workshops on various theoretical topics as well as with practical impact (f. e. Self-marketing platforms and promotion, Why (not) programming contemporary music etc.)

© Christine Schörkhuber

* An additional workshop  was organised specially for young pupils  of the school pilot project Klex (Marschallgasse, Graz).

FESTIVAL
* 12 days with concerts of both young as well as internationally renowned musicians and composers (including also a Marathon concert  – lasting more than 7 hours –, the impuls MinuteConcerts at various locations in the city – lasting more than 12 hours –, as well as a format called “A Day on Campus and in the City”, with concerts and presentations all around the clock from 10 am to 10 pm), concerts with young ensembles  such as Ensemble Schallfeld und Nikel, premieres of impuls commissions , composers, talks, public reading sessions  and rehearsals, afternoon and evening lectures, round tables, workshop presentations… set up a festival program of various kinds and highest density.

© Christine Schörkhuber

* Premieres, contemporary compositions  – amongst others also impuls commissions – as well as compositions  of the 20th century  and improvisations :  51 public world premieres, plus 1 Austrian first night; altogether  178 works plus several improvisations performed in public;  further works were  rehearsed during the Academy).

* With an exhibition  of mainly installation pieces plus a couple of performance s and video screenings that were all conceived during the special program Composition beyond Music and concerts placed at various galleries  and art institutions in Graz impuls also enforced the link of music and the visual arts.

In February 2015, the German composer Benjamin Scheuer (1987) was invited to impuls festival and academy 2015 in Graz (AT),  also in the framework of ULYSSES Network’s composers exchange with OPUS XXI/ HfMT.

At this occasion, Benjamin Scheuer received a commission for a new work, he presented his work in a public talk on 17th February 2015 at the KUG in Graz (AT) and several of his works were presented to the international audience:

° Benjamin Scheuer –  Impulsive Lieder for sampler, alto flute, tenor saxophone and accordion (2015), 6´, World Premiere (commission: impuls)
Performed by
Dominik Matzka – sampler | Delphine Grataloup – alto flute
Pedro Pablo Camara Toldos – tenor saxophone | Vid Sčavničar accordion
Andreas Fischer conductor

23rd February 2015, 20.00,  MUMUTH . Proberaum

° Benjamin Scheuer – kaleidoscope for 4 female voices with additional instruments (2012), 10´
Peyee Chen – soprano | Noriko Yakushiji – soprano | Alice Fagard – mezzosoprano | Megan Ihnen – mezzosoprano
Andreas Fischer conductor

23rd February 2015, 21.15,  MUMUTH . Proberaum

More information about the whole concert program here.

But Benjamin Scheuer has already a longer history with the ULYSSES Network :

++ 2014 ++

# In 2014, he was one of the Gaudeamus Prize nominees, and his piece Kaleidoscope was already presented, among other works, in Utrecht (NL) during the festival Gaudeamus Muziekweek, including also a public talk and encounter with the young composer.

You can discover a short video produced by Gaudeamus Muziekweek here.

Other interviews with the composer can be found on his website or here.

++ 2013 ++

# Before that, Benjamin was invited also by OPUS XXI/ HfMT (DE) to the international Summer Academy OPUS XXI in 2013 where he received a commission for a new work.

# Also in 2013, Benjamin Scheuer was one of the selected composers to take part in the IEMA Composition Workshop 2013, presenting the premiere of his commissioned work with pieces by the three other selected composers at Royaumont Foundation (FR) before other concerts on tour in the Netherlands (Gaudeamus Muziekweek) and Germany.

++ 2012 ++

# Already in 2012, Benjamin participated in the Composition Session for contemporary music “Voix nouvelles”, organized at Royaumont Foundation (FR).

Under the guidance of the guest composers Brian Ferneyhough, Alberto Posadas and Raphaël Cendo and in direct cooperation with the singers from “Atelier vocal de Royaumont”, this is where he finalized and premiered on 22nd September 2012 the piece kaleidoscope for four female singers.

Atelier vocal de Royaumont
Angèle Chemin, Betsabée Haas, Julia Sese Lara – sopranos
Mari Sano – mezzo-soprano

The internationally renowned festival for contemporary classical music and young composers offers a broad palette to music lovers. Each year in September, the Muziekweek invites us all to embrace the here and now and sample the latest work of tomorrow’s composers.

A short video presentation is available here.

In 2014, the Muziekweek hosted several ULYSSES projects, such as the the young ensemble IEMA – presenting a concert with not less than 4 world premieres commissioned to young international composers that have been working with the young musicians from the IEMA ensemble and various tutors over several months.

Besides IEMA, the Looptail Ensemble from Amsterdam (NL) has been another young ensemble invited by the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2014 to perform pieces by the young composers, especially the Gaudeamus Prize Nominees 2014, in various concerts.

Other projects that have been presented during Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2014 and have been supported by the European Commission are :

# Soundroots.

In several workshops guided by Peter Ablinger these past few months, (Composition beyond music) the music technologists of the Soundlings collective developed electronic and acoustic ways to ‘translate’ the secrets of plants into audible material. This project is part of the celebrations of 375 years of botanic gardens in Utrecht. The route takes visitors through the city of Utrecht to museum garden De Oude Hortus and the Botanic Gardens. Soundlings consists of: Gagi Petrovic; Mark IJzerman; Roald van Dillewijn; Eric Magnée; Tijs Ham; Dianne Verdonk; Marieke van de Ven and Berit Janssen
.

Some photos of the project (© Anna von Kooij)

You can watch a video about this project here.

This workshop has also allowed to discuss the issue of “Art in the public space” during a seminar:

Walking down the street we often pass some statue or other without a second glance. Many such objects are taken for granted. Today’s composers increasingly want to make their work heard in the public space. Sound walks are gaining popularity; music is presented in the most unexpected places. Sound art does tend to change the environment but is anybody taking notice? How does the public react? What is the impact of sound in the street?
Speakers: 
Reinhard Flender, 
Peter AblingerModerator: 
Bart van Dongen

Photos © Anna von Kooij

# Disklavier Plus.

The Disklavier poses real challenges to composers. The automated instrument does not require a human pianist. In other words, the possibilities are endless. Gaudeamus commissioned three composers to write for Disklavier and live electronics. Machi-nory by Ji Youn Kang was premiered in Muziekweek 2013 and made quite an impression; so a reprise is justified. Lucas Wiegerink adds harp to his piece, with a particular focus on the pedals of both harp and Disklavier. In Ben Wallet’s Sonata for Disklavier the entire history of music is churned out at breakneck speed.
More information here.

GAUDEAMUS PRIZE 2014 + 2015

The nominees of the Gaudeamus Prize 2014 were

Since October 2014, the jury of the Gaudeamus Prize 2015 including Calliope Tsoupaki (Greece), Raphaël Cendo (France) and Stefan Prins (Belgium), has studied all entries for the competition (in total 198 works by 66 composers from 25 different countries).

Five compositions have been selected and nominated for the Gaudeamus Prize 2015:
Alexander Khubeev (1986, Russia)
Jason Thorpe Buchanan (1986, USA)
Mátyás Wettl (1987, Hungary)
Stylianos Dimou (1988, Greece)
Utku Asuroglu (1986, Turkey)

We are already looking forward to discovering their works as well as the rest of the program of Gaudeamus Muziekweek in September 2015!

See you there!

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the First World War Flagey, the Theater De Spiegel, the Philharmonie de Chambre Belge, the Philharmonie de Luxembourg and the HERMESensemble have commissioned new pieces to two young Belgian composers : Karl Naegelen and Hanne Deneire for ensemble and children choir.

80 children aged 11 to 14 and the HERMERSensemble elaborated and performed the pieces, based around the theme of PEACE.

While Karl Naegelen chose to first completely write the score before starting the rehearsals with the children, Hanne Deneire decided to elaborate her piece in direct exchange and cooperation with the children.

The results are two amazing works, allowing the children to experience singing and various musical interactions with a professional ensemble, that they were all very proud to present in the final public concerts

A great occasion for the children to discover contemporary music – as active performers -and giving them the opportunity to live this experience from the inside, in playful but still demanding and almost professional conditions at the same time.

This project and the cooperation with the children choirs has been realized thanks to an initiative and under the guidance of MUS- E Belgium, a bilingual artistic organization and member of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation.

For more information you can watch a short video below

as well as a short television report (in Netherlands) here.

The concert will be presented again on 22nd April 2015 in Milano (IT), in cooperation with the DIVERTIMENTO ENSEMBLE and with Italian children choirs.

World Premieres

Monday, 26.05.14 / 13:30 (school concert)

Tuesday, 27.05.14 / 19:30

flagey, STUDIO 4

Program :

Hanne Deneire (1980-)  –  Innerlight (XI) for flute and bass clarinet  (2011 – 3’)

Karl Naegelen (1979-)  –  Les Villes endormies (2014 – 20’)

Hanne Deneire  –  Innerlight (IV + XI) for flute and bass clarinet  (2011 – 6’)

Hanne Deneire  –  Poppy  (2014 – 20’)

With children from two schools:

De Mozaïek (Schaerbeek, BE) + Les Jardins d’Élise (Ixelles, BE)

Coordination: MUS-E, Tom Goris

HERMESensemble

Steven Verhaert, director

Mireille Capelle, mezzosopraan / mezzo-soprano

Karin De Fleyt, fluit / flûte

Geert Callaert, piano

Gaetan La Mela, percussie / percussions

Peter Merckx, klarinet / clarinette

Stijn Saveniers, cello / violoncelle

Marc Tooten, altviool / alto

Texts:

Hanne Deneire, Poppy

(Tom Lanoye; after : In Flanders Fields, John McCrae)

In Vlaamse velden klappen rozen open

Tussen witte kruisjes, rij op rij,

Die onze plaats hier merken, wijl in’t zwerk

De leeuweriken fluitend werken, onverhoord

Verstomd door het gebuder op de grond;

Nous sommes les morts,

Nous qui songions la veille encore

À nos parents, à nos amis,

C’est nous qui reposons ici,

Au Champ d’Honneur;

Take up our quarrel with the foe,

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch be yours to hold it high,

If you break faith with us who die.

We shall not sleep.

Karl Naegelen, Les Villes endormies

I. Aux portes de la cité déserte

Les anciens ont déserté la porte

Les jeunes ont cessé leur musique

« Est-ce là la ville qu’on appelait toute belle ? La joie de toute terre ? »

La joie a disparu de notre coeur

Notre danse s’est changée en deuil

« Est-ce là la ville qu’on appelait toute belle? La joie de toute terre ? »

Ilion

Aksoum

Smyrne

Ecbatane

Sinope

Sibaris

Sriwijaya

Cnossos

Ilé Ifé

Suessula

Sparte

Agrigente

Hattusha

Carthago

Véiès

Tikàl

Babylone

Copàn

Comme les dunes s’amoncelant les unes sur les autres

recouvrent les précédentes

III. Interlude / Hommage à Thallis

IV. Danse de la cité

Ami, souviens-toi Scipion pleurant ses ennemis

Ami, saurons-nous briser le cycle de victoires et de revers

Ami, entends-tu la voix des villes endormies ?

Ami, saurons-nous goûter au tendre bonheur d’une paix sans victoire ?

This project by no means excludes “music”, but above all is an opportunity to reflect on presentation forms for acoustic works, for sound compositions that go beyond the classic concert setup. This is a course for young artists representing different disciplines, who work together in creating installations or performances at different locations in public spaces.

Field recordings, site-specific compositions and installations, the presentation of sounds, sound production as a social pattern, the essentials of sound and music, music without sounds, technology and research into source material, the body in music, archaeoacoustics, sound and other media, perception and reality – these are just some of the potential themes to be explored, elaborated, and presented by the participants in their own works in this workshop series that combines theory and practice. The direction and focus of each workshop is ultimately be determined by the individual concepts and ideas of the participants and also depends on the available venues, galleries, and performance possibilities.

In preparation of the final workshop in August 2014 organized during the the 47th International Summer Course for New Music,  Peter Ablinger met selected young artists from 23rd to 25th April in Darmstadt and from 8th to 10th May in Utrecht to train them and guide them in the process of making site specific works.

At this occasion, they had the possibility to visit different places in the cities of Darmstadt and Utrecht to prepare their future site-specific works.

Work session in Darmstadt (April 2014), workshop participants – Credits : Elena Rykova

Work session in Darmstadt (April 2014), a young artist with Peter Ablinger – Credits : Elena Rykova

Work session in Utrecht, at the Botanic Gardens (May 2014) – Credits : Henk Heuvelmans

Work session in Utrecht, at the Botanic Gardens (May 2014) – Credits : Henk Heuvelmans

More photos of these two works sessions are on our Facebook page!

Next and final step for this project is planned in August 2014 during the 47th International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt (DE) with a workshop on new works using sound, in situ. It will lead to public presentations, installations and performances.

Find more information about the project here.