Still Videoproduktion Steven Takasugi

The ULYSSES Network supports several emerging European ensembles, programming concerts where a new repertoire is promoted, thanks to commissions and reruns.

Our ensemble-in-residence hand werk from Cologne is one of the young ensembles that travel to various festivals and academies within the Ulysses Network. hand werk was founded in 2011 and has since advocated new works at a high artistic level, with a focus on the “sustainability” and “reusability” of the works they commission. They dedicate themselves to working on, refining, and keeping alive new compositions that are otherwise often played once and then forgotten in our fast-paced society. “handwerk” means craft, and the ensemble puts their craft, as well as the care for the composition and quality of the interpretation, at the forefront of their work. In this way, ensemble hand werk contributes to the preservation of contemporary music in the long term.

In the week leading up to the festival, the ensemble will rehearse intensively together with three of the nominees for the Gaudeamus Award: Zara Ali, Uri Kochavi and Saad Haddad. hand werk can be seen and heard twice at the festival, during the opening night on Wednesday 6 September, as well as during the free lunch break concert on Friday 8 September.

DATES

September 6 & September 8