On May 13th from 7 p.m. we will play at the opening of the Classical:Next conference in the Pierre Boulez Saal! Together with our wonderful colleagues from four other Berlin ensembles, we are happy to represent the colorful Berlin cultural scene and show its diversity and thirst for new things.
https://classicalnext.com/opening/
Opening Classical:NEXT in the Pierre Boulez Hall
Classical:NEXT 2024 begins in Berlin’s newest concert hall – one of the most beautiful chamber music halls in the world. The Pierre Boulez Saal, designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2017, welcomes us with a concert by leading Berlin ensembles, which are international in their composition and each do groundbreaking work in their own way: The Stegreif Orchestra, which develops new forms of presentation; the Zafraan Ensemble, dedicated to the music of our time; The Third Orchestra, made up of musicians from different cultural backgrounds from London and Berlin; Chamber Music with Students from the Barenboim-Said Academy, which is based in the Pierre Boulez Hall and consists of young musicians from North Africa and the Middle East; and the opera studio of the Komische Oper Berlin.
Zafraan stands for music that reflects today’s life, today’s society and today’s reality in all its facets. In interaction with other art forms, Zafraan observes, explores and processes what surrounds us: people, events, nature, technologies, the normalities and absurdities of today. The ancient Greek word Kataklothes means “spinners” and refers to the Moirai, the three goddesses of fate in ancient mythology who weave the thread of life for humanity. The image of the thread of life fits Eres Holz’s composition: he creates a continuous thread in the form of a chain of harmonic sequences, the flowing course of which forms new chords. As soon as harmonic sequences have been established, shifts begin, the progression becomes rhythmically more complex, the development more playful and lively. Kataklothes was one of three premieres performed and recorded as part of “Klangrede”, a groundbreaking project in the development of the Zafraan Ensemble. The ideas of playful complexity and weaving around established harmonies reflect our self-image very well and reflect our constant search for new and exciting musical paths.
