ASYNC: Of music and chance, KALEIDOSKOP CONCERT

Marina Baranova, artistic director, was born in Kharkiv as the daughter of a married couple of pianists. Her training according to the ideals of the “Russian School” laid the foundation for her outstanding pianism, which she perfected with Vladimir Krainev in Hanover. After successful competitions and debuts, she realized that a career as a classical pianist only expressed part of her musical personality. She turned her attention back to improvisation and composition. She made her debut as a composer in 2013 with the album Firebird – Piano Meets World Percussion. To date, she has released six further albums in which she combines classical music, jazz, minimal music and synaesthesia. On the album Cosmic Calendar, released in 2023, she appeared as sole producer for the first time.

Prof. Roman Rofalski is a professor of practical piano playing at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media and a versatile pianist and composer. His musical work is characterized by a constant search for new challenges and artistic forms of expression. Rofalski moves with ease between classical literature, jazz, new music and experimental electronics. With the Roman Rofalski Trio, he has released several albums that reinterpret classical models such as Ravel and Schubert. He also gives concerts worldwide, is a permanent member of the Oh Ton Ensemble and works with the Stockhausen Foundation.

Georg Thoma is a piano improviser, pianist, music theorist and piano teacher. He works as a full-time lecturer for music theory at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, as an academic assistant at the University of Music Freiburg and as a lecturer for piano improvisation at the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. Previously, he taught music theory as a lecturer at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich from 2018-2024, music theory, piano practice and practical piano playing at school as a lecturer at the Mozarteum University Salzburg from 2021-2023, and piano at the Pullach Music School from 2018-2023.

Ashley Hribar is an Australian-born pianist and composer. He has gained a reputation as a versatile musician whose repertoire encompasses world music, interdisciplinary art forms and a wide range of traditional genres. With a keen interest in contemporary aesthetics, he is the curator of numerous projects including Sound and Color in Scriabin’s Piano Sonatas and Magic Hands – Two hands, Two pianos. Ashley’s compositions are poly-stylistic collages, often using extended performance techniques, voice and electronics. In 2018 he completed his PhD at the University of Adelaide on the music of American composer Frederic Rzewski.

How is music created?
What happens in the mind and body of the sound creator when improvising?
How do instinct, intellect, identity, emotion and experience combine in improvisation?
How does a performer recreate an already composed piece of music in performance?
What can we take away from improvisation for our everyday lives?

These are the questions that Villa Seligmann’s first pocket festival* on the theme of “Adventure Improvisation – A World of Unlimited (Musical) Possibilities” will address from 7 to 9 November 2024. The festival consists of four concert encounters, three lectures, a workshop and free improv interludes.
The encounters will focus on the art of improvisation as an interface between identification, cultural heritage and experience.

Improvisation is a special kind of music-making in which composition and performance are combined in real time. It is also a basic component of historical performance practice and as such a primary source of music creation.

Improvisation can arise in all historical styles and musical genres. It is a matter of instinct, imagination, but also of experience and intellect.

Improvisation is above all a philosophy of life that consists of freedom of expression and form. Experiencing them in concert is a unique experience: we hear the music for the first time and at the same time witness the creative process.

In a creative and informal setting, a comprehensive picture will be given of the physics, technique and manual skills through to the philosophy and abstraction of improvisation. Artists and speakers such as Prof. Noam Sivan (Stuttgart/Israel), Prof. Markus Becker, Prof. Dr. Eckart Altenmüller, Prof. Roman Rofalski (Hanover) as well as Maria I. J. Reich, Ido Ramot and Damian Marhulets will come together under the artistic direction of pianist and composer Marina Baranova. The participants also include students and the general public, who are not necessarily musically trained, and who can not only listen, but also take part in open discussions and express their musical wishes. The Taschen Festival is therefore not only aimed at musicians, but also at anyone who wants to gain an insight into this world of unlimited musical possibilities.

“Pocket festival” is a term borrowed from the English (pocket festival). It refers to the small format (mini festival) of the event, but also symbolizes the unexpected, surprising, unsuspected things that you can find in your own pockets.

Thu.
November 07, 5.30 – 9.00 p.m.

17.30
Admission, get-together, welcome by the artistic festival director, Marina Baranova and the organizer, Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck (Villa Seligmann) 18.00-19.00
LECTURE on the development of improvisation from a neuroscientific and holistic perspective by Univ.

Prof. em.
Dr. med. Eckart Altenmüller , HMTM Hannover –PAUSE — 19.30-21.00
IMPROVISATION – A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES
Concert encounter with the pianist, composer and improviser Prof. Dr. Noam Sivan (HDMK Stuttgart) followed by a salon discussion

In his program, Noam Sivan improvises both in historical styles – inspired by Bach, Chopin and other composers – and in the form of a musical journey that follows his stream of consciousness.
At its core, his Jewish identity is another source of inspiration.

TICKETS

Fri.
November 08, 9.30 – 18.00 h

09.30-14.00
WORKSHOP / MASTERCLASS by Prof. Dr. Noam Sivan with students

TICKETS

14.00-15.30
MIT KLASSIK SPIELT MAN NICHT?
Lecture by Maria I. J. Reich on historical improvisation –PAUSE– 16.00-18.00
REGARDING BEETHOVEN
Concert by Prof. Markus Becker (HMTM Hannover) with expansion on topics requested by the audience

TICKETS

Sat. November 09, 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

11.00-12.30
THE SEASONS OF MY CHILDHOOD
Matinée with Ido Ramot (Israel) with piano improvisations on themes from P. Tchaikovsky’s “Seasons” followed by a salon discussion

In his project based on Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons”, Israeli artist Ido Ramot uses music as a medium to build bridges and at the same time make visible the differences between people in terms of their upbringing and environment.
Alongside Tchaikovsky’s work, he presents his own improvisations inspired by the seasons of his childhood in Israel.
While Tchaikovsky musically captures the moods and landscapes of his Russian homeland, Ramot’s improvisations reflect the colors, sounds and atmospheres of Israeli nature.

TICKETS

* * * 17.30–18.30
ASYNC: VON MUSIK UND ZUFALL
Philosophischer Vortrag von Damian Marhulets über die Ontologie des Zufalls, gestörte Kausalitäten, lemurianische Zeitkriege und erogene Zonen der Realität –PAUSE– 19.00–22.00
KALEIDOSKOP-KONZERT
Abschlussveranstaltung des Festivals mit den Pianist:innen Georg Thoma, Ashley Hribar, Marina Baranova, Prof. Roman Rofalski (HMTM Hannover)

Improvisation is a catalyst for extended musical interpretation, independent of style, historical context and performance practice.
Improvisation opens up a further dimension in musical interpretation, in which a momentary newness is created. The creation of the work takes place for both the performers and their audience.

In this kaleidoscope concert, the diversity of the art of improvisation interacts with the individual uniqueness of the performers.
The performers thus bring the Taschen Festival to a close and at the same time open up a world of unlimited possibilities.

TICKETS

The festival pass gives you access to all events in the booked seating category:

Festival Pass Great Hall: € 80,-
Festival Pass Salon: € 50,-
Festival Pass Study € 20,-*

Book a festival pass

Alternatively, you can also book tickets for individual events:

• Lecture Prof. Altenmüller & Concert Prof. Sivan
  07. Nov., 6-9 pm
  € 26 / 18 / 5*

• Workshop Prof. Sivan
  08. Nov., 09.30-14 h
  Unit price € 8 (passive participation, listeners)
  Students Listeners receive free admission to this event.

• Lecture M. Reich & concert Prof. Becker
  08. Nov., 2-6 p.m.
  € 20 / 15 / 5*

• Matinée I. Ramot
  09. Nov., 11 a.m.
  € 23 / 15 / 8*

• Lecture D. Marhulets & Kaleidoscope concert
  09. Nov., 5.30 pm
  € 26 / 18 / 5*

Ticket exchange and return
Purchased individual tickets can be exchanged. If there is a price difference within the same price category, the difference will be refunded. When returning individual tickets, you will receive a voucher. Cash refunds are excluded. It is possible to exchange festival passes from one category to another. Refunds of festival passes are excluded. For all events (with the exception of the workshop on November 8), tickets are sold in three price categories:
Great Hall (max. 33 seats), Salons (max. 50 seats) and reduced rate for pupils, students and trainees. Seating is free in all price categories.

Remaining tickets can be purchased at the box office (cash only).

*) If required, students can apply for a waiver of the admission fee (including festival pass). An ID must be presented on request. Please contact us in good time at: karten@villa-seligmann.de

Tickets are available in the webshop of this website available.
Festival passes can also be purchased by sending an e-mail to karten@villa-seligmann.de or by calling 0511 844887-200.

Admission is always 30 minutes before the start of the event.