impuls . Academy 2015

impuls . 9th International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music, 2015 (13. - 25.2.)

Summary 2015

Tutors, Ensembles, Lecturers ... 2015

Participants 2015

Besides composers´ and instrumental classes, chamber music and ensemble work the impuls Academy always offers various special programs to its participants. Check a short summary here.

Amongst others:

Composition beyond Music was an opportunity to reflect on presentation forms for acoustic works, for sound compositions that go beyond the classic concert setup, such as site-specific compositions and installations, the presentation of sounds, sound production as a social pattern, the essentials of sound and music, music without sounds, technology and research into source material, the body in music, field recordings, sound and other media.

This workshop was accompagnied by Winfried Ritsch and visual artist Christine Schörkhuber.

The workshop was a special project developed by impuls and set up within the EU project and network Ulysses.

Composer participants of impuls were invited to hand in new pieces for double bass solo. At the impuls Academy Dario Calderone offered a reading-session for all composers of this program (other listeners welcome as well of course), gave a holistic feedback on the pieces handed in, and worked on a selection of them more intensively together with the composers.

This program has been developed for and was part of the Ulysses-Network-Projects.

As part of the EU-network Ulysses impuls - together with its project partners Gaudeamus, IMD and Time of Music - has chosen a young ensemble to work intensively with composer participants and tutors on spot. The ensemble was given the possibility for extensive rehearsals and artistic cooperation, taking advantage also of other offers: meet up with tutors, attend lectures, meet and exchange, interlink and work with different instrumentalists, build up new repertoire… and present the results in public concerts.

For 2015, the Ensemble Nikel has been selected as ensemble in residency.

Composers developed new pieces for percussionist(s) and flutist(s) on spot at impuls under the guidance of tutors Dieter Ammann, Eva Furrer and Christian Dierstein and also worked directly with the instrumentalists of these classes. There was also a final presentation of the new pieces in public during impuls.

Performative Computer Music (PCM) is a musical practice in which composition and performance are not considered separate activities. Performance in PCM means not only interpretation and staging of a text, but is understood as an integral part of the compositional process, which also includes the design of the instrument. As a consequence, the roles of performers, composers, and instrument builders merge in PCM.

The general idea and starting point of this project was the attempt to develop new definitions of musical spaces through happenings positioned on the borderline of concert, installation and performance.

As cooperation partner of impuls the Ernst Krenek Institute in Krems commissions a composition to a participant of the composition class at impuls also in 2015. After a three-week visit at the Institute in Krems and in depth study of composer Ernst Krenek, a piece for a chamber music ensemble shall be composed and in sequence premiered by Klangforum Wien.

For 2012/ 2013 and 2014/2015 impuls and Fondation Royaumont/Voix nouvelles in France established an exchange program for the support of young composers of excellence. 

impuls 2015 hosted Raphael Languillat, one of the participants of Royaumont´s Composition Session 2014. The composer had free academy access, free lodging and coverage of trip.