ULYSSES Journeys offer young composers and performers the opportunity to take part in courses, workshops and residencies, but also to have concrete working experiences, through commissions and concerts.

The tuba trio Microtub – Robin Hayward, Peder Simonsen and Martin Taxt – explores microtonal music written both by and for them. They specialise in just intonation tunings, using custom-made microtonal instruments and the Hayward Tuning Vine as compositional tools. The microtonal tuba is capable of extreme tuning precision, opening up both the vast harmonic potential of the ‘pure’ intervals found in the harmonic series and also the vibrations and beat phenomena happening when pitches are tuned very close together.

In 2024, Microtub and Ultima invite 1-2 ULYSSES-endorsed composers (tbd) to write a short piece (max. 6′) or sketch for the trio, and to work with Microtub in a two-day workshop during the Ultima Festival 2024. This will be followed by a work-in-progress concert with the new works.