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

Space arises out of sound, is defined by sound – and vice versa: sound develops into a translucent space, which is influenced and shaped again also by the site, which by itself again is defined also by its own sounds, noises and specific conditions for a performance.

But it is not only the space per se, but also the temporality of a site that is influenced and changed by sound and the sound´s own temporality.

A central point also for this special program is to work with what can be found at a specific site on spot, not to intrude and impose, and only carefully and gently interfere with what these sites unfold themselves, and to open up to new sounds that are already at least potentially existing at specific sites.

Out of nothing so to say a huge, but dense net of sound spaces is spreading and also hereby defines a city – places like windows in another time and another space.

*

Each participant selected decides on a specific place – we try to develop a concept together, which will both combine the various parts and actions, but also to some extent influence the further progress of the individual projects. (Klaus Lang)

Conditions:

translucent spaces. is a special program for composition participants of impuls 2017. If instrumentalists or instrumentalists as performers and protagonists should be needed for the realisation of the individual projects originating from this program, instrumentalists of impuls can of course be included depending however on their availability and interest (please note that it will be up to the composers however to find volunteers and arrange details with them).

translucent spaces. is a special program of impuls 2017 open for approximately 10 composers. Starting on February 11th, 2017 Klaus Lang will work with the participants selected on a daily basis and lead them from a conceptual phase through a working  period until the final realisation of the individual projects (the final performance/realisation of all projects is scheduled for Sunday, February 19th within the impuls festival). As this program will be a very intense one, composers participating will only be offered one more lesson with another composition tutor. Of course all other offers (such as group lectures and discussions, concerts and other programs impuls holds) are open to the participants of this program as well.

How to apply:

1.) You have to register and be accepted as participant of the impuls Academy 2017 first.

2.) Please name your interest in participating in translucent spaces. already with your application or by sending an email to offic(at)impuls(dot)cc with 1-2 scores as pdf of your favorite pieces until July 25th, 2016 at the latest.

3.) The selection of participants will then be announced by around end of August at the latest.

Collaboratory is an 11-day intensive workshop for creative composer-performer-sound artists coached by Stefan Prins, which has the following foci:

1.) developing of your own work-in-progress (composition/installation/performance/…) through

a. process of dialogue with and feedback from all participants in daily presentations and group discussions, moderated by Stefan Prins

b. one-on-one sessions with Stefan Prins

c. experimentation at the Gallery Space ESC

2.) preparing a performance/presentation/installation of your work-in-progress at a final event at ESC, and participating in the work of your colleagues where necessary and possible

3.) collaboratively developing and curating an overall dramaturgy/concept for the final event, in which all works are presented/performed.

The projects ideally explore/use/include „other” media/performance practices/presentation formats and make optimal use of the space, location and technical possibilities of the Gallery Space (see below for information and fotos on ESC.)

4.) Collaboration is a crucial element of this workshop: the selected artists not only share one space and equipement, but they also share thoughts, energy, inspiration. This also has social and political dimensions. In a world in which the most important issues are more and more unfolding on a global scale (ecological threats, economical models, ...), collaboration is of crucial importance to be able to tackle those issues succesfully. Though this is not obligatory, it is encouraged that the proposed projects thematize the concept of collaboration in some way.

Planning:

- 10:00-13:00: daily group sessions (ATTENDANCE OBLIGED!) in which (first part of the week) each participant presents/contextualizes his/her project, taking part in a dialogue and feedback process with the entire group and (last part of the week) developing and curating an overall dramaturgy/concept for the final concert, in which all works are presented/performed

- afternoon and/or evening: working on your project in the gallery space + individual sessions with Stefan Prins (time slots will be filled in the course of the week)

- First Presentation planned for Feburary 19th, 2017 within the impuls Festival

Who can apply?

We are looking particularly for adventurous composer-performer-sound artists working in the fields of composition/performance/sound art/installation/…, who want to develop a project of their own AND are willing to fully engage in a week in which collaboration is central.

The applicants are responsible for performing/presenting their work, for which they can draw on help from the other participants. In extremis it’s also possible to collaborate with other performers from the Academy, though that would be your own responsibility (and the performers of the Academy are already heavily leaned on to participate in the other Academy activities, so their availability is limited)

Taking part in this workshop implies a big engagement and might make it impossible to actively participate in other projects of the Academy. This also implies that „Collaboratory” participants will not be granted the same amount of invidiual lessons with other tutors as regular participants.

The workshop will be open to a maximum of 12 participants

How to apply?

Announce your interest to the impuls office as soon as possible and send the following information to office@impuls.cc until October 15th 2016 at the latest: 

- CV & bio

- short (max 1 page) motivation letter to participate in this workshop

- short letter including the following information:

a.) have you already worked on similar projects (and if so, give some examples/links)

b.) short description of the project you want to work on at the workshop and a preliminary technical rider of the needed material (check with the impuls office for tech rider of the ESC gallery / please be aware that the available equipment might have to be shared amongst the participants and for special needs or equipment and material that is not available at ESC you you will have to provide it yourself!)

Info on the Gallery Space: ESC medien kunst labor:

ESC is positioned in the very centre of Graz and at three sides is opening up to the city through its frontlines made out of glass. With this specific architectural feature the esc herefore encourage to open up, explore and include the city with its sounds, architecture, population and social, geopolitical … conditionalities in the new works to be developed during the workshop. Also the mission statement of the esc could serve as additional source of inspiration and as starting point (ESC: “the central endeavor of the esc is the production of art; a central focus hereby lies on the exact observation and seismographic understanding of artistic processes, which capture socio-political developments (information and biotechnology, socioeconomic systems …) and new technologies (hard- und software).

Pictures, floor plans

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Algorithms That Matter (ALMAT) focuses on the experimentation with algorithms and their embedding in live performances. Rather than conceiving algorithms as established building blocks (“live electronics”) or the formalisation of a compositional idea (“algorithmic composition”), we look at them as performing entities whose consequences are irreducible to models. Algorithms “matter” in the sense that matter and meaning cannot be distinguished, they may be moulded and they may unfold material in an ecosystemic way: Materials become a new source for transformation.

This workshop seeks to attract computer music practitioners, sound artists and composers by offering a platform for exchange and reflection about their personal approaches towards algorithmic experimentation. The participants are enabled to further develop their approaches, where special emphasis is given to the reciprocal coupling of their respective systems. The workshop starts with an internal presentation of the participants for the other participants and tutors, followed by an in-depth analysis and discussion of the different approaches. The rest of the workshop takes a semi-structured form, open to adaptation to the interests of the participants. Focus will be on the mutual engagement and the production of connecting points between systems, using both data and sound links. At the end, concert slots within the impuls festival are allocated for the participants to present either existing works or new works developed during the workshop.

The workshop will be held at the CUBE performance space of the Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM). The CUBE is equipped with a 24-channels periphonic loudspeaker setup for advanced sound spatialisation and an 18-cameras infra-red motion capture system allowing bodily motion to be used as input for sound synthesis and processing.

The workshop Almat was developed by David Pirrò and Hanns Holger Rutz (both IEM Graz) and will be realised together with Agostino Di Scipio.

How to apply:

1.) You have to register and be accepted as participant of the impuls Academy 2017 first.

2.) Please name your interest in participating in ALMAT already with your application or by sending an E-Mail to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (concern: ALMAT).

3.) Please send a description of your personal work in relation to the workshop's theme stating your previous experiences and describing employed computational approaches, their aesthetic motivation and possible ideas for connecting to other system (up to 500 words) and a Curriculum Vitae (again 500 words maximum). Please send both part to office(at)impuls(dot)cc until October 1st, 2016 at the latest.

4.) The selection of participants will be announced by beginning of November 2016.

5.) If selected please make sure you bring along your own computer, software, controllers and audio interfaces.

6.) Please be aware that the participation at ALMAT requires a daily presence and is to be considered as one of the very intense special programs. This implies that ALMAT participants will not be granted the same amount of invidiual lessons with other tutors as regular participants.

Composer participants of impuls interested to learn more about the topic film+music are not only welcome to join a symposion on this topic scheduled on February 15th, but can also sign up for coaching with composer performer Jorge Sánchez-Chiong during the Academy (16.-18.2., schedule tbc still). Combined with these offers is a call for score for „L´Arrivée“, a short experimental film by Austrian filmmaker Peter Tscherkassky (length 2 min.), who will be present at impuls as well for several days (check Tscherkassky's Homepage + L´Arrivée on Youtube). The scores are to be developed only after the meeting and exchange in February (with a deadline set by November 30th, 2017).

This special program is part of a larger project initiated by impuls within the EU-Network Ulysses, that will develope new compositions for Peter Tscherkassky´s CinemaScope Trilogy within the next years. Ensemble Nikel, being in charge of the realisation of the new works and present for meetings and exchange at impuls for several days in the person of Yaron Deutsch as well, will select at least one of the new pieces handed in by impuls Academy participants and include this new composition in their performance at impuls 2019.

Infos on the whole project will be published later on.

If interested to join please get in touch with the impuls office (office(at)impuls(dot)cc) mentioning already if interested in the symposion and/or coaching by Jorge Sánchez-Chiong (equivalent one individual lesson) and/or writing for L´Arrivée.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Conditions for the impuls Reading sessions with Klangforum Wien and Enno Poppe:

1.) You have to register and be accepted as participant for the impuls Academy 2017 first and announce your interest in this special program to the impuls office.

2.) The works can but must not necessarily be written for this specific occasion. Also sketches or even part of works can be handed in. Of course your work also does not have to include all instruments mentioned in paragraph 3.), but can be written for a smaller instrumentation. However it needs to convey the character of an ensemble piece - thus no small (chamber) music pieces will be accepted.

3.) The instruments available for the reading sessions are as follows (one musician per instrument only, except for violin where two musicians are available!): flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, accordion, piano, percussion

As to percussion: Only a small percussion set will be made available by Klangforum Wien and impuls. In case your piece should really require any other percussion instruments, you need to supply them yourself; same holds true for specific sound objects or other devices.

Please also note that no electronic equipment nor amplification is available.

4.) Scores (printed or well readable hand writing) must be sent as pdf to office(at)impuls(dot)cc until November 15th, 2016 at the latest.

5.) A commission consisting of members of Klangforum Wien will then choose some of the works handed in. The composers selected will be given notification by the end of 2016 at the latest and might be asked to also deliver the parts until January 15th as pdf per E-Mail. In any case the composers selected will have to bring along both score and parts to impuls then  and agree that also copies will be made available to the other participants attending.

6.) The impuls Reading sessions with Klangforum Wien and Enno Poppe will take place on February 11th. In addition to that a lunch for further discussions is planned during the break that day. All impuls participants, be it composers or instrumentalists, are invited and welcome to attend the Reading sessions, profit from this program and participate in the discussions coming along with it.

impuls 2017 and Ensemble Schallfeld invite young composers to submit scores to be considered for rehearsals, reading sessions and – at least partly – also a public performance within the impuls Festival 2017 (planned for February 17th, 2017).

1.) composers must be registered and accepted as participants of the impuls Academy 2017 to be considered.

2.) composers must then register for this program with Ensemble Schallfeld: please send an email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc and also to schallfeld(dot)ensemble(at)gmail(dot)com to announce your participation.

3.) the ensemble line-up and instrumentation will consist of:

flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello, double bass, piano, percussion + conductor

4.) As to flute, saxophone, clarinet and double bass the following specific instruments will be available (1 musician only!):

flute: piccolo, C flute, alto flute, bass flute

saxophone: soprano, alto, tenor, bariton

both clarinet and bass clarinet

double bass: five string bass

percussion: tom-tom 20’’, tom-tom 18’’, tom-tom 16’’, tom-tom 14’’, tom-tom 12’’, tom-tom 10’’ + bongos + djembé ca. 12’’, djembé ca. 6’’ + tambourino + darbuka + snare drum piccolo 13’’ + vibraphone 4 octave + carillon + triangle + opera gong + tam-tam + cymbals x3 + maracas + 5 wood blocks + flexatone + different shakers (eggs, african shakers...) + kalimba + Cuban güiro + mark tree

Please note that no electronics or amplification will be available on spot.

Please also note that in case any piano preparation is planned you need to make sure it will by no means harm the piano.

5.) Pieces handed in (regardless whether written for this occasion or already existing) must be written for this specific Ensemble Schallfeld instrumentation. Only pieces for a minimum of five players will be accepted (thus no solos, duos, trios or quartets will be taken into consideration). We encourage you however to include saxophone and double bass if possible.

The length is restricted to a 8 to 10 minute maximum.

6.) scores and parts must be submitted in electronic form (PDF) no later than October 15th, 2016 to both office(at)impuls(dot)cc and schallfeld(dot)ensemble(at)gmail(dot)com.

7.) The selected composers will be notified by the end of November at the latest. All composers selected need to bring along both score and parts in a printed version directly to impuls in February. The material has to be made available to the Ensemble and impuls for free.

8.) Ensemble Schallfeld will be present at impuls from February 11th to 19th, 2017, amongst others to work on the pieces selected and perform part of them at the impuls Festival on February 17th. On February 18th the ensemble will open up an additional day for feedback to composers and discussion, also reading part of the pieces not performed the day before.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

With Trio Accanto impuls is hosting one of the most prestigious chamber music formations dedicated to contemporary music. The trio has premiered more than 70 works and now offers the rare chance to participants of impuls 2017 to work with them (both composers and instrumentalists are addressed for this program). 

As first step Trio Accanto is calling for scores amongst the composer participants of impuls 2017. From the pieces handed in Trio Accanto will then select compositions to both work on and perform themselves, but also to be studied and presented by instrumentalists participating in the Academy.

Conditions:

1.)  Composers have to register and be accepted as participant for impuls 2017 first.

2.)  If you intend to hand in a piece, please send a short message to office(at)impuls(dot)cc to announce your participation already early in advance. Please then hand in your piece per E-Mail (score as pdf / transposed for saxophone) to office(at)impuls(dot)cc) until November 15^th at the latest. In case the piece is chosen please bring along two printed copies in February.

3.)  As to instrumentation: Please note that there is no electronics nor amplification available. As to percussion: please only use small set ups and point out all instruments needed beforehand to us. The exact instrumentation also has to be discussed and approved by Christian Dierstein. As to saxophone: Both soprano, alto, tenor and bariton are available. Please also note that in case any piano preparation is planned do make sure it will by no means harm the piano. 

4.) Pieces may be both newly written and already existing ones. No restriction as to length given. However only trio pieces written for the specific line-up of Trio Accanto will be accepted (thus neither solos nor duos will be taken into consideration). 

5.) A selection will be announced by January 10 at the latest and the selected scores will then be made available also to the impuls participants.

6.) Instrumentalists are welcome to announce their special interest in the program, but donnot necessarily have to register separately.

7.) If you need further information please contact the impuls office at office(at)impuls(dot)cc.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

This special program is intended as an active collaboration between musicians and composers, where specifically a close communication between these two partners is explored and developed on several levels. Principle points of focus include active collaborative exploration of the accordion, notational issues, and improvisation on chosen sound fragments. A maximum of 5 accordionists and 10 composers are invited to take part, each accordionist will thus be working in a team with 2 composers. The groups will meet a number of times - this program is therefore a rather intense one, counting on everyone´s active participation. The composers will explore and expand their prepared sketches or even start from scratch and develope new ones – naturally during the process of exchange and collaboration with the performers. The resultant miniature compositions of approximately 2-3 minutes will be presented to the public.

How to apply:

1.) composers and instrumentalists must be registered and accepted as participants of the impuls Academy 2017 to be considered.

2.) composers must then register for this program: please send an email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc to announce your participation. Accordionists are welcome to name their special interest in this program, but do not need to apply separately.

3.) composers send a short cv, a recording of a solo or chamber music piece - not necessarily for accordion! - (link to f.e. soundcloud preferred – please refrain from sending big files to this address!) together with the relevant score (pdf file!). Deadline: August 30th, 2016

4.) composers will be selected and given notification by end of September. Selected composers shall then prepare a short sketch with a clear focus on a single sound or musical gesture (one minute maximum!) for a piece they would like to develope together with the musicians at impuls.

All composers participating in impuls 2017 are invited to hand in a short piece either for voice solo or voice duo or voice + instrument(s).

The pieces selected will then be worked on during impuls by both singers/instrumentalists and composers in Petra Hoffmann´s class for voice and enrich the exchange and transfer of knowledge amongst composers, singers and other instrumentalists. The pieces might then be also performed in public.

Conditions:

1.) Composers have to register for impuls 2017 as a participant of the impuls Academy first.

2.) If you want to hand in a piece, please send a short message to office(at)impuls(dot)cc, concern: Voice solo / Voice + to announce your participation already early in advance. Please then send your piece per E-Mail (pdf) to office(at)impuls(dot)cc. Deadline: November 15th, 2016 at the latest. In case of selection please bring along a printed version of the score plus also parts to the Academy.

3.) Length of piece: approximately 3-4 minutes

4.) Instruments available besides voice (register depending on participants): flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, cembalo, accordion, (e-)guitar, percussion.

5.) If you intend to hand in a piece for voice + instruments please be aware that we can only accept pieces for very small formations and that no conductor will be available for rehearsals/concerts.

6.) The selection of pieces will be made by Petra Hoffmann. The scores will then be made available to singers and instrumentalists participating for preparation.

7.) For the rehearsals all composers participating in impuls 2017 are of course invited to attend, learn more about the specifics and possibilities of writing for voice, ... and enrich the discussion and mutual learning through their perspectives. No extra registration necessary for those, who will not write a new piece themselves but want to attend anyway. Also singers do not have to register separately.

8.) Please note that the pieces must not necessarily be current ones or written especially for this occasion. Also there is no restriction as to choice of words.

9.) If you need further information please contact the impuls office office(at)impuls(dot)cc

In 1977 Claude Vivier wrote his „Love Songs“. And he stated:

To be staged or not
To be felt not understood

Let tones from the others inspire your own.
Let the music flow out of you as if you were a kid.
Notation is only a reminder for certain states
never follow the signs but only their spirit.
In this score you do what is appropriate for you to do 
and let the rest to the others. Always be in love! 

We encourage you as composer participants of impuls 2017 to hand in scores for voice (solo up to vocal ensemble) following Claude Vivier’s thoughts. You are welcome to work with already existing music and to develop your own „cover version“ of Love Songs or come up with your own original compositions for this topic. The same holds true for the texts used. And of course also Songs without Words (Lieder ohne Worte) are an option as well for this call.

Conditions: 

1.) Composers have to register for impuls 2017 as a participant of the impuls Academy first. 

2.) If you want to hand in a piece, please send a short message to office(at)impuls(dot)cc, concern: Love Songs to announce your participation already early in advance. Please then send your piece per E-Mail (pdf) to office(at)impuls(dot)cc until December 10th, 2016 at the latest. In case of selection please bring along a printed version of your score plus parts to Graz as well. 

3.) Length of piece: approximately up to 5 minutes

4.) Range of Voice: We do count on soprano and most likely also mezzo and alto participants plus at least 1-3 male participants. However we suggest to check with the impuls office about the actual registrations of voice participants and/or write without the necessity of a specific pitch.

5.) The selection of pieces will be made by Andreas Fischer. The scores will then be made available to singers and instrumentalists participating for preparation. 

6.) For the rehearsals all composers participating in impuls 2017 are of course invited to attend, learn more about the specifics and possibilities of writing for voice, ... and enrich the discussion and mutual learning through their perspectives. No extra registration necessary for those, who will not write a new piece themselves but want to attend anyway. Also singers do not have to register separately. 

7.) Please note that the pieces must not necessarily be current ones or written especially for this occasion.  

8.) If you need further information please contact the impuls office office(at)impuls(dot)cc.

All registered composer participants of impuls 2017 can hand in works for saxophone duo up to saxophone quartet and also saxophone + 1 or 2 other instruments (e.g. e-guitar and accordion). A few pieces out of these submissions will be selected, discussed and worked on in the class of Markus Weiss and Lars Mlekusch and might also be presented in a concert. 

Conditions:

1.) Composers have to register for impuls 2017 as participant of the impuls Academy first. 

2.) If you want to hand in a piece, please send a short message to office(at)impuls(dot)cc, subject: Composition for Saxophone +, to announce your participation already early in advance. Please then send your piece per email (pdf only!) to office(at)impuls(dot)cc until October 15th 2016 at the latest.

3.) Duration of the piece: 5 - 10 minutes maximum.  Available saxophones: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone saxophone.  Both works written especially for this occasion and already existing ones will be accepted.

4.) The selected compositions will be made available to impuls instrumentalists for free.

5.) The selected composers must bring along a printed version of the score and parts to the Academy in February.

6.) If you need any further information, please contact the impuls office at office(at)impuls(dot)cc.

Saxophone tutor Lars Mlekusch will meet up with composer participants of impuls 2017 to talk about specifics of composing for saxophone ensembles. Topics such as notation, instrumentation and peculiarities of the different instruments will be addressed amongst others and questions from the composers will be answered. In addition to that composer participants are invited to hand in scores they have written for saxophone ensembles themselves, which then might be included in the workshop as starting point for discussions and possibly could also be considered for future programs, be it at impuls or with projects of Lars Mlekusch and Marcus Weiss.

Conditions:

1.) only composers registered and accepted as participants of the impuls Academy 2017 can participate.

2.) composers are asked to register for this program: Please send an email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (subject: Saxophone Ensembles) to announce your participation. Please also mention if you intend to send in a piece yourself. If so please send it to the same address in electronic form (PDF) until December 20th at the latest.

Composer participants are welcome to hand in works (new or already composed ones) for oboe(s) and/or english horn (be it solo pieces or works for up to 5 musicians). A selection of these works will be discussed and rehearsed by participants of impuls under the guidance of Ernest Rombout and might even be performed in the end.

You are welcome to send your pieces right away. Please be so kind to announce your interest in any case to office(at)impuls(dot)cc and hand in your piece per E-Mail (pdf) to office(at)impuls(dot)cc until January 10^th, 2017 at the latest. In case your piece is chosen please bring along two printed copies in February, the score will be made available to all participants already beforehand per pdf.

Oboists don´t have to register separately.

If you need further information please contact the impuls office at office(at)impuls(dot)cc.

Composer participants of impuls 2017 are invited to hand in scores either for 2 double basses or for double bass and electronics. impuls will provide a small PA with 2 speakers and a microphone. The computer however will have to be brought along by the composers, who will also be responsible for the technical realisations on spot.

Please announce your interest in this workshop (office(at)impuls(dot)cc; subject: Double bass in Dialogue) and hand in your pieces until November 30th, 2016 at the latest. A selection will then be worked on during the Academy in the class of Uli Fussenegger. Please note: only new pieces (maximum length 10 minutes) will be accepted.

Anna D´Errico, pianist of Ensemble Interface, is offering a call for works written by participants of impuls 2017. Both pieces for piano solo and piano plus up to 2 additional instruments are welcome. In the latter case please note that only instruments the Academy offers classes for and works that do not need a conductor will be taken into consideration.

All composers are welcome to submit their compositions (both new and already existing ones; length should not exceed 7 minutes). A selection will be made by Mrs. D´Errico, and selected pieces will be worked on together with the composers during the Academy. Some of the works might be considered for performance during impuls.

In addition to this, Mrs. D´Errico will also offer a Workshop-Forum open to all participants of impuls – both instrumentalists and composers – to discuss the pieces worked on, highlighting aspects of piano writing (such as sound possibilities, extended techniques, notation, strategies to communicate musical ideas in the score) and approaching issues of contemporary piano playing.

Please announce your interest in this call and send the pieces as pdf to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (concern: pieces for Anna D´Errico). The pieces will be considered in order of application and should not arrive later than December 1st, 2016.

All registered composer participants of impuls Academy 2017 are welcome to hand in compositions (new or already existing ones) for classical guitar or e-guitar (solo pieces or works with up to 5 musicians from the pool of the impuls Academy classes will be considered). A selection of pieces will be discussed and rehearsed under the guidance of Mats Scheidegger and possibly also performed. Mats Scheidegger might also consider to work on and perform one or two solo pieces himself depending on the submissions and time availability.

Please send an Email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc to announce your interest and hand in your compositions via email (PDF) no later than November 30th,  2016. If your piece is selected, please bring along 2 printed copies to Graz in February. The scores will be made available to all participants as pdf.

Guitar players do not have to register separately for this program.

Please contact the impuls office (office(at)impuls(dot)cc) if you need any further information.

In this workshop Uli Fussenegger will give some valuable insight information on writing for double bass (such as specifics on notation or technical features of the instrument) alongside demonstrations. Composer participants of impuls 2017 are welcome to hand in questions beforehand and also add scores serving as basis for their individual topics of interest.

Please announce your interest in this Workshop (office(at)impuls(dot)cc; Subject: On Double bass) and send your questions/scores to the same address until December 20th, 2016 at the latest.

Analysis of scores written for string instruments by participants and practical advice on: 

- concept versus readability 

- general and specific rules of string instrument notation 

- notation of extended techniques, harmonics etc. 

- production of score and performance material 

- advice on efficient use of rehearsal time with ensembles 

Composers are welcome to sign up in advance (send E-Mail to office(at)impuls(dot)cc, concern: Notation Merkel) and hand in pieces that might be of interest to be discussed on spot. All of these pieces (scores and parts) need to be brought along in printed version to Graz then.

Tutors Benny Sluchin and Bill Forman will offer a 2-part workshop, in which composers and brass players will come together. Interested composers must submit written material (sketches, experiments, ideas etc., no completed compositions please!). All composers are invited to listen, but active participation is limited to 10 composers (first come first serve! - latest day to send in material is January 15th though: Thus do send in your material as soon as possible to have a good chance to be included in this program). During the workshop, following a lecture on important themes of brass playing, the brass players will work with the composers on the submitted material and discuss aesthetic and technical issues including notation, playability and context understanding.

Composers participants of impuls 2017 are welcome to announce their interest (short email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc, concern: brass) and submit written sketches as pdf or similar to office(at)impuls(dot)cc).

Instruments available: trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba. Sketches can be for solo instruments or combinations of up to 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 tuba and 1 horn.

Besides his class for percussionists Christian Dierstein will give an

additional Masterclass, that will put a special emphasis on new techniques for percussionists as well as specialities of music-theatrical forms. Specially for composer participants of impuls 2017 Mr. Dierstein will thematize particular new techniques on percussion-instruments as well as striking techniques and tools.

Duration of Masterclass: approximately 2 hours.

Please announce your interest on registration or asap by sending an email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (Subject: Percussion Masterclass). First come first serve.

As composer, concert organist and improvisator on the organ, harmonium and similar key instruments, Klaus Lang will give an insight look into the possibilities of sound and playing techniques and special features of the organ. Specific questions in relation to composing for organ will be demonstrated on several available big organs.

The contrabass clarinet was developed around 1900 as orchestra instrument and by now enjoys a successful career in new music mainly due to its huge range up to five octaves and also for the interesting possibilities it holds in concern of high overblow tones. Despite of various improvements today´s contrabass clarinets still only represents an optimized compromise. On the initiative of Ernesto Molinari a team of scientists from Bern started a radical new conception of this instrument back in 2012 with the goal to develope a sensory-dynamic contrabass clarinet. In an interdisciplinary scientific project with the instrument builders Jochen Seggelke and Martin Suter (Clarinet Solution) as well as the engineer Daniel Debrunner Ernesto Molinari started his search for an accoustically ideally formed contrabass clarinet. Thanks to the usage of a sensationally new steering of the flaps driven by little motors the toneholes could be placed ideally in respect of intonation and sound improvement. The flapsystem is now operated by a mechatronic steering method, which allows the programming of both the German and French fingering system. On top of that a multimedia usages can be achieved by the electronic recognition of the different finger positions. Instead of the extension of the instrumental performance through the manipulation of sound and special effects a totally new instrument was created. An instrument, that can be reprogrammed and reconstructed by both interpreters and composers: Clarinet extended, in short version: CLEX.

At the impuls Academy Ernesto Molinari will present this instrument with all its features and characteristics.

No matter whether you are composer or musicians: in case of interest to join this workshop presentation please let us know by sending a short email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (Concern: Clex Interest).

Andreas Orasch, piano maker and piano tuner not only at KUG, but also for pianists such as Markus Schirmer, will first give an intro to preparation methods and possibilities on the piano and then answer all your questions. Please bring along your own works that ask for preparation or also works by other composers with similar needs.

No matter whether you are composer or musicians: in case of interest to join this workshop please let us know by sending a short email to office(at)impuls(dot)cc (Concern: Piano Preparation).

The Ernst Krenek Institute in Krems will commission a composition to a participant of the composition class at impuls . 10th International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music. 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 should be composed.

Requirements:
1.) Composition (of 10-15 minutes) for a chamber music ensemble (5-7 musicians), which should contain parts for string, woodwind, percussion and/or piano (at least three out of the four instrumental groups have to be chosen).
2.) Three week residency at the Ernst Krenek Institute, with Ernst Krenek’s work providing the impulse for the creation of an independent composition.
3.) The deadline for submission of the score and parts is the end of 2017.

The commission includes:
1.) 2,500 EUR
2.) A three-week visit to Krems (including accommodation and travel expenses)
3.) Premiere of the new piece at a concert of Klangforum Vienna
The composer will be selected during the impuls Academy in February 2017. (It is not necessary to apply for this selection).

For more information contact:

Antje Müller

a.mueller(at)krenek(dot)com

www.krenek.at

Yoga for Musicians is a daily, developing class, lasting from Sunday, February 12th till Sunday, February 19th, 2017, 8.30 to 9.30 am at KUG, offered by Eva Furrer, tutor also of the flute class at impuls Academy 2017.
•No previous experience with yoga is necessary.

•Participants can take a small breakfast before the class.

•After the class some fruits and tea will be provided.

•Participants must bring along a suitable Yoga-mat.

•The number of participants is restricted to a maximum of 25 participants.
•Contribution for the whole course per person: € 50.- (including taxes, fruits and tea; to be paid at the beginning of the class)

•For registration please contact the impuls office: office(at)impuls(dot)cc.

•If you have any questions about the yoga class please contact Mrs. Eva Furrer directly: eva.furrer(at)aon(dot)at and have a look also at www.lujong-yoga.at/en/Vita.html

LU JONG (Tibetan Healing Yoga) functions on three levels: physical, energetic and mental. During the yoga practice, our concentration moves from “outside to inside”. Therefore, we shift our senses from the outside world to inside our bodies. We learn to feel ourselves, to listen to ourselves and to find the source of inexhaustible strength and our center.

The five basic exercises of LU JONG to balance the five elements are particularly effective in the prevention of health problems, above all in people that experience chronic stress. In Tibetan Medicine, the disruption of the inner winds (lung) is understood to negatively affect the balance of the five elements and the three vital fluids or principal energies (wind, bile and phlegm). This manifests itself as a disruption of our internal powerhouse and is followed by physical and psychological disease (weak immune system, chronic back pain, digestive problems, insomnia, trouble concentrating etc). 

In the eyes of western medicine, stress is defined as a physical reaction to external or internal burdens. Musicians are often placed under enormous strain for extended periods of time, for example, striving for perfectionism, intense work and endurance pressures, exaggerated awareness of duty, noise, bullying and so on. The so called “Burnout Syndrome” is described as total emotional exhaustion, the feeling of estrangement from one’s self and/or experiencing other adverse reactions and a diminishing capacity to function (or increasing dissatisfaction with performance). “Burnout” refers to a concept of our core energy and means the burning out of fuel elements due to overheating or a decline in cooling. In TibetanTantrayana burnout is understood as a closure of the energy channels whereby the free flow of energy in the body is inhibited. This impacts the physical, energy and mental levels. 

Lu Jong – Exercises:

Lu Jong exercises concentrate mainly on the movement of the spinal column, our powerhouse or battery.The spine is stretched, turned and bent in every direction. Lopsided, unbalanced stresses and strains, such as those, caused by playing an instrument, are evened out, damage caused by long periods of sitting, bad posture and tension are counteracted. The energy channels become permeable again, blockages are released, and the five elements and the body energies are brought back into balance.

www.lujong-yoga.at/en/Yoga_for_Musicians.html