DESIGNING VOICES
Internationales Festival für
vokale Performancekunst, Klang & Musik
V o k a l a k t i o n e n
26—28 October 2023
operadicals: Vokalaktionen 1
PARETZ
Akademie
26 October 2023
7 pm introduction | 8 pm concert
• TONE ÅSE (NO)
• FRANZISKA BAUMANN (CH)
• ALEX NOWITZ (DE)
• STEN SANDELL (SE)
• singers of choirs from the Land Brandenburg: SALTO TONALE & KETZINER HAVELKLÄNGE (DE)
• SABINE VOGEL—soundpainting (DE)
PARETZ Akademie
An der Schleuse 1 /
14669 Ketzin/OT PARETZ
(map)
Die lange Nacht der kuriosen Stimmen
fabrik
POTSDAM
27 October 2023
7 pm introduction | 8 pm concert
• ISABELLE DUTHOIT (FR)
• KATIA GUEDES (BR/DE)
• CARL LUDWIG HÜBSCH (DE)
• ALEX NOWITZ (DE)
• CHRISTOPH REISERER (DE)
• RICHARD SCOTT (UK/DE)
fabrik POTSDAM
Schiffbauergasse 10
14467 Potsdam
(map)
operadicals: Vokalaktionen 2
Französische Kirche
POTSDAM
28 October 2023
7 pm introduction | 8 pm concert
• STEN SANDELL (SE)
• ALEX NOWITZ (DE)
• FRANZISKA BAUMANN (CH)
• TONE ÅSE (NO)
• singers of choirs from the Land Brandenburg: SALTO TONALE & KETZINER HAVELKLÄNGE (DE)
• SABINE VOGEL—soundpainting (DE)
Französische Kirche POTSDAM
Am Bassinplatz /
Charlottenstraße 55-58
14467 Potsdam
(map)
(combi-ticket => free choice of 2 concerts •
festival pass => all 3 concerts)
All INTRODUCTIONS (free of charge) start at 7:00 pm.
•
All CONCERTS start at 8:00 pm.
#DesigningVoices
Aufführungsorte
Französische Kirche POTSDAM
Am Bassinplatz
Charlottenstraße 55-58
14467 Potsdam
St. Matthäus-Kirche BERLIN
Matthäikirchplatz
10785 Berlin
Nordische Botschaften BERLIN
Gemeinschaftshaus ‘Felleshus’
Rauchstraße 1
10787 Berlin
Concerts for voices, piano (or pipe organ) and gesture-controlled live electronics
Sten Sandell & Alex Nowitz: SAM
DESIGNING VOICES stellt zwei Künstler vor, die in Kombination mit ihren Stimmen die Tradition des Pfeifenorgelspiels mit der innovativen Performancepraxis der Verwendung von gestengesteuerter Live-Elektronik, das am STEIM in Amsterdam entwickelte Strophonion, verbinden.
- STEN SANDELL
(Stockholm, SE)
Pfeifenorgel, Klavier und Stimme
http://stensandell.com/
- ALEX NOWITZ
(Potsdam, DE)
Stimme und Live-Elektronik (Strophonion)
https://nowitz.de/
… sowie Pfeifobjekte, Kontrabass, präpariertes Klavier, Flöten und Geige
DESIGNING VOICES features sound and music performances with a focus on extended vocal performance art. The theme in 2023 is “Vokalaktionen” [vocal actions].
The second edition of the three-day festival showcases individual and internationally renowned vocal performance artists who consider the voice as a multivocal instrument applying gesture-controlled live electronics. Highlighting the artistic practice of composer-performers DESIGNING VOICES also presents musicians who use their voice as integral part of their performance practice. Some of the invited artists in 2023 are inventors or specialists in the field of performing with unconventional instruments, such as the talk box or analogue synthesizers, either aiming for the extension of the voice or for its simulation. They all deal with the phenomenon ‘voice’ by beautiful, artistic means resulting in surprising sounds and refreshing music.
In 2023 the invited artists derive from Brazil, England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
DESIGNING VOICES präsentiert vokale Performancekünstler*innen und Musiker*innen, die Solo-Kompositionen und/oder Improvisationen vorstellen. Darüber hinaus treten sie in einen aufregenden musikalischen Dialog mit Sten Sandell und Alex Nowitz und verwandeln das Projekt SAM auf diese Weise in eine ständig wechselnde Trio- oder Quartettformation.
Vokale Performancekünstlerinnen
- TONE ÅSE
(Trondheim, NO)
Stimme und Live-Elektronik
http://www.toneaase.no/
- FRANZISKA BAUMANN
(Bern, CH)
Stimme und Live-Elektronik (Sensorglove)
http://www.franziskabaumann.ch/en/
- UTE WASSERMANN
(Berlin, DE)
Stimme und Pfeifobjekte
https://www.utewassermann.com/
Musiker*innen
- MATTHIAS BAUER
(Berlin, DE)
Kontrabass und Sprechstimme
https://www.bauerbass.de/
- FRÉDÉRIC BLONDY
(Avallon, FR)
Klavier und Pfeifenorgel
https://www.fredericblondy.net/
- SABINE VOGEL
(Potsdam, DE)
Flöten, Stimme und Objekte
http://www.sabvog.de/
- BILIANA VOUTCHKOVA
(Berlin, DE/Goritsa, BG)
Violine und Stimme
http://www.bilianavoutchkova.net/
Concert Performances
with introductions presenting live demonstrations of the applied, unusual instruments, audiovisual works and one lecture-performance
DESIGNING VOICES presents concert performances introducing the different practices and illuminating the characteristics and fascinating peculiarities of contemporary vocal performance art in interaction with instruments, media, and new technology. An introduction in the form of demonstrations of unusual instruments, one lecture-performance and audiovisual works precedes each concert performance.
The motto Vokalaktionen [vocal actions] points at what goes beyond the conventional use of the voice, applying so-called extended vocal techniques. At the same time, the range of vocal expressions can also be expanded by the use of computer and sensor-based technologies that require distinctive actions through gestures and motion patterns. This is the case if vocal performance artists apply gesture-controlled live electronics, such as the “sensorglove” by FRANZISKA BAUMANN, the “genki wave rings” by TONE ÅSE or the “strophonion” by ALEX NOWITZ. Each of these unique live electronic instruments requires a well-practiced action and motion vocabulary from the vocal performer. Differing from instrument to instrument, very idiosyncratic movements as well as vocal actions emerge.
During the course of the festival the clarinet, basset horn, tuba, piano and pipe organ can be experienced as well as the rarely used effects unit of a talk box combining basset horn and soprano by CHRISTOPH REISERER or RICHARD SCOTT’s unique combinations of rare analogue synthesizers.
Die lange Nacht der kuriosen Stimmen [The long night of curious voices] is the highlight of the festival taking place on the 27th of October 2023 at the fabrik POTSDAM. The concert performance showcases compelling vocalists, such as ISABELLE DUTHOIT (FR, voice & clarinet) and KATIA GUEDES (BR/DE, soprano & electronics) as well as musicians who unveil unique approaches to the creation of sound and music, such as CARL LUDWIG HÜBSCH (DE, tuba & voice), CHRISTOPH REISERER (DE, basset horn, talk box & live electronics) and RICHARD SCOTT (UK/DE, analogue syntheziser). Introducing the evening, ALEX NOWITZ will present “WHAVES—Wer hat Angst vorm erweiterten Stimmenklang?” [WHAVES–Who’s afraid of the extended sound of the voice?]
In collaboration with internationally established artists DESIGNING VOICES also provides a platform to enable and generate unparalleled concert experiences. The featured artists in 2023 are TONE ÅSE (NO, voice & live electronics), FRANZISKA BAUMANN (CH, voice & live electronics), ALEX NOWITZ (DE, voice & live electronics) and STEN SANDELL (SE, voice & piano or pipe organ). Ever since it was founded during the DESIGNING VOICES festival in 2021 in Berlin the quartet is called operadicals. Presenting works for solo, duet, trio and quartet formations as well as for a small choir, the quartet appears in two concert performances called Vokalaktionen 1 at PARETZ Academy on the 26th of Oct. and Vokalaktionen 2 at the French Church POTSDAM on the 28th of Oct. Fascinating vocal landscapes will emerge through the use of state-of-the-art technology, but also in the form of choral miniatures in collaboration with singers of two choirs from Brandenburg, the KETZINER HAVELKLÄNGE [sounds from the Havel in Ketzin] and SALTO TONALE (usually led by conductor, singer and visual artist Tobias Kielinger).
The music educational work along the way of the preparation is supported by SABINE VOGEL (DE) who introduces the singers to contemporary vocal expression by applying soundpainting—a universal multidisciplinary live composing sign language. Instead of using music sheets, it is the gestural vocabulary that generates and controls sound and music. Her gestures are immediately translated by the singers into vocal sounds. It’s a constant interplay between both parties celebrating the theme of the festival Vokalaktionen.
DESIGNING VOICES öffnet die Bühne für audiovisuelle Werke mit zwei bis zu vier Lautsprecher (A-V) sowie Lecture-Performances (L-P), also performative Lesungen, die Einblicke in zeitgenössische vokale Performancekunst, ihre Erweiterungsmöglichkeiten und vielfältigen Bedeutungsebenen gewähren und gleichzeitig sinnlich erfahrbar gemacht werden.
Audiovisuelle Werke
- ALEX NOWITZ
– Mundfundstücke: Das Konsonantenvokabular
– Searching the Magpie (Uraufführung)
(beide für Video und zwei Lautsprecher)
- STEN SANDELL
borduna elektrika II
(für Video und zwei Lautsprecher), Uraufführung
- SABINE VOGEL
Intertwining
(für Video und vier Lautsprecher), Uraufführung
- UTE WASSERMANN
Plänterwald 2
(für Video und zwei Lautsprecher), Uraufführung
Lecture-Performances
- TONE ÅSE
Is this a song?
(im Auftrag von DV)
- FRANZISKA BAUMANN
Radical Vocality
(im Auftrag von DV)
- ALEX NOWITZ
– The Manifesto for the Multivocal Voice
– Zur vielstimmigen Stimme
(Letztere aufgeführt zusammen mit Matthias Bauer)
- STEN SANDELL
Praise repetition!
(im Auftrag von DV)
- SABINE VOGEL
The Voice of Nature
(auf Grundlage von 5-Seen für Flöten, Field-Recordings, Objekte, Wasser und Video, im Auftrag von DV)
Vision
#DesigningVoices
DESIGNING VOICES
(in short)
DESIGNING VOICES presents sound and music performances with a focus on vocal performance art. The motto of the second edition of the three-day festival in 2023 is “Vokalaktionen” [vocal actions] presenting vocal performance artists and musicians with an unparalleled, unique approach to the human voice.
DESIGNING VOICES highlights the artistic practice of composer-performers and features vocal performance artists as well as musicians who either use their voice as integral part of their performance practice or develop extensions for and emulations of the human voice.
Apart from concert performances DESIGNING VOICES offers lecture-performances and audiovisual works, all of which illuminate the characteristics and peculiarities of contemporary vocal performance art.
Partner & Support
DESIGNING VOICES is sponsored by the Ministry for Science, Research and Culture of the Land Brandenburg (MWFK) and city of Potsdam, Germany.
DESIGNING VOICES is supported by the fabrik Potsdam, French Church Potsdam, Paretz Academy of the Helga Breuninger Foundation, Netzwerk Neue Musik [network new music] of the Land Brandenburg and Fields Notes Berlin.
The quartet operadicals is supported by the Norwegian Society for Composers, Swedish Arts Grants Committee, Swiss Foundation for Culture ProHelvetia, Kanton Bern, municipality Köniz (CH) and the city hall of Ketzin (DE).
The works by Christoph Reiserer and Alex Nowitz have been funded with financial means of the Musikfonds e.V., those by Richard Scott of the Senat Berlin.
Team
Artistic direction: Alex Nowitz • production: Johanna Madden • technical support: Michael Zillmann (Paretz Academy and French Church) and Ralf Grüneberg (fabrik Potsdam) • sound and audio documentation: Roy Carroll • video documentation: Sirko Knüpfer • social media: Sascha Wolters
Archiv
#DesigningVoices
Programmierung der Webseite
Berthold Fuchs
https://www.lillebit.de/










