creations
More than ever in these unusual times, Klarafestival wants to give artists the opportunity to create new work.
We invite composers, musicians, writers and even visual artists to reflect on society, to work together and let their imaginations run free. This press release briefly summarises three projects that have arisen from this idea.
listening to the change
The STEGREIF.orchester is an improvisational orchestra from Berlin that has built up an incredible reputation in German-speaking countries in recent years. The instrumentalists question the traditional concert formats and develop challenging alternatives, usually standing up, in colourful clothing and without sheet music. Klarafestival invited them to create a new production that is to be streamed from the GRETCHEN nightclub in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Interviews with people from various European member states about their experiences of the past year form the basis of new compositions/improvisations which ultimately culminate in a unique version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. What is the aim of this concert? To overcome feelings of isolation, to bring stories together and to show that Europe is still brimming with vitality.
Just before the concert, Rolf Falter, Head of the Bureau of the European Parliament in Belgium, talks to Juri de Marco, artistic director of the STEGREIF.orchester. They discuss the role of Europe in relation to culture and how orchestras can organise themselves in the 21st century. Let’s talk about the future!
sound & vision
Do musicians have the last word when creating a film, video or digital concert, or do visual artists make the final decisions? Klarafestival takes part in a unique experiment and commissions four duos, each comprising a composer and a visual artist, to create new work. Frederik Croene, Anouk De Clercq, Peter De Bruyne and Saskia Venegas Aernouts are just some of the artists involved! Koen Plaetinck and Wim Van Hasselt also perform the work of Wim Henderickx and Nicole Lizée: audiovisual creations that would have premiered at Klarafestival 2020 under normal circumstances.
de oude woorden...
Klarafestival and Passa Porta, with the backing of Muziektheater LOD and BOZAR, asked the famous Dutch author Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer to write a new poem. On the basis of this text, titled De oude woorden van een tijd die komen gaat, (the old words of a time that is to come) Frederik Neyrinck composed a score for the Antwerp wind ensemble I SOLISTI, soprano Lore Binon and narrator Josse De Pauw. Prior to the creation, Nicky Aerts talks to Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer. Living in Genoa, he had a front-row seat at the start of the coronavirus crisis in Europe which resulted in the poem he wrote: an ironic ‘idyll’.
Register now
From March 13 until 22, we will present forgotten gems, great Romantic classics, plenty of new creations and also new, young talent. You’re welcome on our website to explore this digital experience. If you want to enjoy the free digital concerts, please don't forget to register in advance. Register via www.Klarafestival.be/live and watch the entire festival in optimal audio and video quality for free.
Images
© Stefan Vanfleteren
© Ludwig Nikulski
© Jury Heinsch
