Festival

Piano Preparation

Workshop for composers, pianists and other interested impuls participants with Andreas Orasch

Andreas Orasch is not only a piano maker, but was also piano tuner at KUG for many years and still works with pianists such as Markus Schirmer. At impuls he will first give an introduction to preparation methods and possibilities on the piano and then answer questions around the topic. Please feel free to bring along own works that ask for preparation, or also works by other composers with similar specific needs.

Pierre Jodlowski Lecture + Discussion

Body without Organ – a metaphor to explore interdisciplinarity

Body without organ is an expression, French poet and writer Antonin Artaud was the first to use. Behind this concept emerges a new freedom concerning how body can be defined or considered as part of the stage. Not only a functional body - in case of musician, a vector of the instrument, but a more complex entity dealing with space, actions, gestures, sounds…

Isabel Mundry Lecture + Discussion

Johannes Kalitzke Lecture + Discussion

time capsules

The lecture examinates the integration of historical relics in concepts of instrumental-electronic composition, such as in "Zeitkapsel" and "Hoffmanns Erzählungen" by Johannes Kalitzke.

Franck Bedrossian Lecture + Discussion

Harmony through Noise  

Elements of Aesthetics, analysis and technology will be articulated in order to reflect on the various approaches of the relationship between pitch and noise in my music, and how the harmonic conception evolved through time.

Francesco Filidei Lecture + Discussion

What is a flower? . Working on Umberto Eco's "The name of the rose"

On Double Bass

Special Program for composers and double bassists with Uli Fussenegger

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 2025 are welcome to hand in questions beforehand and also add scores serving as basis for their individual topics of interest.

On Percussion

Special Program for composers with Christian Dierstein

Aside from his class for percussionists, Christian Dierstein invites composers to 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 2025 he will thematize particular new techniques on percussion-instruments as well as striking applications and tools. A good basis hereby offers the book "The Techniques of Percussion Playing. Mallets, Implements and Applications" by Christian Dierstein, Jens Ruland und Michel Roth, published by Bärenreiter Verlag.

Clara Iannotta Lecture + Discussion

The purple fuchsia bled upon the ground

The lecture delves into the creative process behind the piano concerto "The purple fuchsia bled upon the ground" and its connection to Dorothy Molloy’s poetry. It will also explore how the concerto evolved into "glass and stone", a multimedia work for two pianos, two percussion, video, and electronics.

Misato Mochizuki Lecture + Discussion

Cultural resources and scientific metaphors

Misato Mochizuki´s lecture will examine the topic focusing on the three pieces performed at the impuls Festival 2025 (19.2. | 20.2. | 21.2.).

Carola Bauckholt Lecture + Discussion

With a Keen Ear - Examples of own compositions

A central theme of Bauckholt's work is the examination of the phenomena of perception and understanding. Her compositions often blur the boundaries between visual arts, musical theater and concert music. She is especially fond of using noisy sounds, which are often produced by unconventional means (such as extended instrumental techniques or bringing everyday objects to the concert hall). It is important to note that these noises are not just part of some kind of a predetermined compositional structure, but rather they are carefully studied and left free to unfold and develop at their own pace lending the compositions their own unique rhythm.

Ignaz Schick Workshop

Experimental Turntablism – History and Basic Techniques

Ignaz Schick, the Berlin based sound artist and experimental turntablist, is offering a 4 hour intense workshop at the impuls Academy. The workshop comes in two parts:

A historical and technical introduction to basic techniques of experimental turntablism is open to all impuls participants interested. Hereby the focus is set on the turntables as an instrument rather than a DJ-tool.

In a second step with an also hands on approach (open only to selected participants with an already practical background in electro-acoustic music) further different topics covered will be, amongst others: specific important playing techniques, external vinyl manipulation and recordless turntablism. Hereby most of the time will be spent by playing and actually exploring the machine.

Pierluigi Billone Lecture + Discussion

Mani Materia, for wooden instruments (2022)

An analytical and technical description as well as reflections on the difference and the shift in focus between the practice of striking and the practice of contact with the matter.

Lisa Streich Lecture + Discussion

Chords my Love, Precarity my Sugar

In this presentation, I aim to illustrate the use of chords from my book BOOK OF CHORDS through text, audio examples, and scores. I will systematically go through some pieces and address the peculiarities of the various chords and how they are orchestrated to come as close as possible to the expression of the chord or even to amplify the expression. Furthermore, I will address some precarious moments, which may vary from piece to piece.

Chaya Czernowin Lecture + Discussion

What happens when music starts answering back

Chaya Czernowin´s lecture will revolve around current thoughts on music based on her latest compositions.

Composers' Talk

Damián Gorandi | Jieun Jeong | Piyawat Louilarppasert | Njabulo Phungula | Kelley Sheehan

Vimbayi Kaziboni moderation

A half hour Composers' Talk before the Laureate Concert with Klangforum Wien, premiering five new impuls commissions.

Meet the Composers

Damián Gorandi | Jieun Jeong | Piyawat Louilarppasert | Njabulo Phungula | Kelley Sheehan

Vimbayi Kaziboni moderation

Presentations and discussion with the composers of the impuls commissions after the premieres of their new works on February 25th.

Klangforum Wien . Reading Sessions

Vimbayi Kaziboni conductor, moderation

Works by Gaia Aloisi | Hed Bahack | Giordano De Nisi | Beniamino Fiorini | Patrycja Kołodziejska | Davide Wang

On top of premiering five new impuls commissions on February 25th, Klangforum Wien and Vimbayi Kaziboni offer a full day with readings for young composer participants of the impuls Academy, where, amongst others, questions on formal and esthetic aspects, notation and instrumentation are discussed.

Simon Steen-Andersen Lecture + Discussion

Opera as Object Trouvée?

The lecture will examine the topic on basis of Simon Steen-Andersen´s "Don Giovanni's Inferno" (2023) and "THE RETURN" (2022).

Matthew Shlomowitz Lecture + Discussion

Now is not the time for Neoclassicism: the case for Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is largely eschewed by our New Music scene, as are associated values such as clarity and lightness. This talk advocates for Neoclassicism, emphasising entertainment, short forms, transparency, and playfulness.

Clemens Gadenstätter Lecture + Discussion

Composing as Creating Deviant Politics of Perceptions, Sensations and Emotions

Perceptions, Sensations and Emotions are socially and culturally trained and preformed skills by which we create the world. Perceptions, sensations and emotions are our interface to the world and the grounding setting to create the world we live in. They structure and form the relations to anything we call the world. Our relation to this world I call politics, we create these politics by our perceptions, sensations and emotions.

I work on a music that works on these settings starting from an analysis of our perception, sensations and emotions. From here all compositional means are developed. By re-contextualizing and transforming the grounding settings I work directly on the basics of human existence. By building a deviant perception, offering different sensations and by this searching for unknown emotions I see the possibility for changing us and the world that we are part of. Composing is thus fundamental research on us related to the world via perception, sensations and emotions by creating deviant perceptions, sensations and emotions.

Elena Mendoza Lecture + Discussion

Opening up the orchestra space

Elena Mendoza will talk about how theatrical thinking can be a chance to rethink the instrument "orchestra" and present her recent compositions "Stilleben für Orchester" (Stilife for orchestra) and "Inside metropolis".