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Karnatic Lab Festival 2003 16, 17 and 18 May musikFabrik musikFabrik The musikFabrik dedicates itself to creating exemplary interpretations of contemporary music. Its innovative programming and autonomous organisational structure are characteristic of this ensemble of international soloists. The musikFabrik has a broad, extensive repertoire that includes - alongside the more established literature - works tailored specifically for it, many of which the ensemble has commissioned itself. These works are presented at festivals and concerts. The ensemble's activities are documented by regular recordings for radio and CD. One important focal point of the group involves modern forms of communication and the search for new and experimental possibilities of expression in the field of music performance. Interdisciplinary projects in combination with other art forms - such as live electronics, dance theatre, music theatre, and installations - adds further depth to the ensemble's profile. The ensemble works closely together with conductors and composers such as Mauricio Kagel, Peter Eötvös, Vinko Globokar, Nicolaus A. Huber, Helmut Lachenmann, Louis Andriessen, Rebecca Saunders, Emmanuel Nunes, Richard Ayres, Joël Durand, Christoph Staude, Hans Zender, Stefan Asbury, Franck Ollu, Dominique My, James Wood, Peter Rundel, Kasper de Roo, Zsolt Nagy or Diego Masson. Since its inception in 1990, musikFabrik has been subsidised by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Helen Bledsoe | flute "Musicians have the chance to develop new abilities and start over again even as adults." This, says Helen Bledsoe, "gives one the unique chance to go beyond the narrow, traditional limits of one's instrument, and thus go beyond oneself." And what one finds beyond these limits can be an intensive involvement with new music, which has been a main focus of Bledsoe's activities for many years now. But not the only one: her contact with jazz and world music, together with her concentrated pedagogical work, have broadened her view. Born in Aiken in the U.S. state of South Carolina in 1965, Bledsoe received her musical training in Pittsburgh, Bloomington (Indiana), and Amsterdam. She has lived in Europe since 1994. She has won the "Gaudeamus Interpreter's Competition for Contemporary Music" and the "Banff Concerto Award", and performed as soloist with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic and many well-known new music ensembles. For Helen Bledsoe, interpretative mastery of a musical work results from the solution of two problems: that of comprehending the composer's language and aesthetics, and that of acquiring the means needed "to give this language a voice." Peter Veale | oboe Grandma, grandpa and parents: all of them studied music. The fact that Peter Veale took up the violin and piano at the age of six was therefore of no surprise to anyone. Gaining acceptance for his wish to change to oboe later required some persuasiveness on his part, however. But it was well-invested. Peter Veale, born in New Zealand and brought up in Australia, soon drew attention to himself with the help of the best local teachers. Even before beginning to study with Heinz Holliger in Freiburg, he played in the radio orchestra in Adelaide - "that was an important learning experience for me, and I'm very glad that I was able to have it when I did." Since then, becoming an orchestra musician no longer counts among Peter Veale's goals. But there are other perspectives instead. He learned the conductor's craft under Francis Travis, something which he doesn't see in a purely practical light: "Every musician benefits from looking at music and its performance from the other side as well." In addition to his work as a member of ensemble recherche (1986-94) and musikFabrik, Veale is active as soloist, chamber musician, lecturer, author ("The Techniques of Oboe Playing" - written together with Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf), and as editor of the series "Contemporary Music for Oboe". More than 50 works have been composed for Peter Veale to date. Thomas Oesterdiekhoff | percussion Thomas Oesterdiekhoff was born in Gladbeck in 1963. His career began where the career of probably every percussionist begins: sitting at the drum set in a school band. This soon grew into a jazz/rock big band with its own repertoire and real ambition: "pretty complicated music for our age." Lessons at the music school in Gelsenkirchen and the Rheinische Musikschule - with Christoph Caskel, among others - was followed by a quick dash through the Cologne Musikhochschule. "I started to love and appreciate contemporary music as a result of happy coincidences: through percussionist friends I stood in for at concerts." Memorable experiences? Several; a performance of Zimmermann's "Soldaten" under Ingo Metzmacher stands out particularly in those years. In 1989, the Schlagquartett Köln (Cologne) was founded, in which Oesterdiekhoff was a member till 1999. A leitmotif to this day: "Anything that is sound can just as well be noise as music. It depends how and in what context one deals with it." Is that why he chose percussion? "And because I like hitting it". Melvyn Poore | tuba, sound direction "The direction was clear from early on. From the age of four, I played euphonium - like my father; at seven I gave my first public performance; later, I started piano as well; and at twelve I finally decided in favour of tuba." But exactly how far one can go with this apparently unwieldy instrument only became clear to Melvyn Poore while he was studying. His experiences as "music director" of the "Birmingham Arts Laboratory" contributed to the realisation that there is a life as tubist beyond the humdrum of the orchestra. "Even as a student, I preferred to play pieces that weren't written for tuba at all." Poore's first experiments in the "Arts Lab" with tape and electronics led him on to a new passion: the experimental interaction of acoustic instruments and technology, which for him now has the same priority as purely acoustic experiments involving the sound possibilities of the tuba. Poore has passed on his experience in the capacities of interpreter, composer and also lecturer: he was "Research Assistant" at the Salford College of Technology (1989-1991), a guest at the Zentrum für Kunst- und Medientechnologie (Centre for Art and Media Technology) in Karlsruhe from 1992-1994 (where he developed his concept 'METAinstrument'), and 1993-95 "Visiting Professor for Electro-Acoustic Music" at the Royal College of Music in London. Axel Porath | Viola studierte an der Musikhochschule Stuttgart bei Prof. E. Santiago, Prof. H. Voss und G. Teuffel. Darüber hinaus absolvierte er ein Streichquartettstudium beim Melos-Quartett und Kurse beim Verdi Quartett und Borodin Quartett. Er ist Mitglied in mehreren Streichquartetten und Dozent bei der Internationalen Werkstatt für Neue Musik Stuttgart/ Krakau sowie bei der 8. und 9. Symphonischen Akademie Baden-Württemberg. Besonders engagiert er sich auf dem Gebiet der zeitgenössischen Musik u.a. in den Ensembles Der Gelbe Klang, Accroche Note, Ensemble Modern und ZEMENTWERK (Gründungsmitglied). Kammermusikproduktionen und -mitschnitte bei mehreren Rundfunkanstalten und Soloauftritte mit den Baden-Badener Philharmonikern und der Jungen Süddeutschen Philharmonie Esslingen runden seine Tätigkeit ab. Über seine Betätigung als Bratscher hinaus, komponiert er Orchesterarrangements, die von zahlreichen Orchestern international erfolgreich gespielt werden. Seit 2000 ist er Mitglied der Heidelberger Sinfoniker und des Schlierbacher Kammerorchesters. David Kweksilber David voltooide zijn studie in 2000 aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag met toekenning van meerdere onderscheidingen; de Nicolai Prijs (klassiek saxofoon) en muzikale veelzijdigheid (klassiek klarinet). Vervolgens ontwikkelde hij zich o.m. verder dankzij masterclasses en workshops van tal van 'meesters' vooral in de Verenigde Staten. Bij tal van groepen en ensembles is David een graag geziene gast (of een vast lid), wat zijn veelzijdigheid nogmaals onderstreept. Zo participeert hij o.a. in de Ebony Band, Schönberg Ensemble, ASKO Ensemble, Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, Metropole Orkest, Maarten Altena Ensemble (MAE), Orkest De Volharding, New Cool Collective Big Band (vast lid) en The Beau Hunks (vast lid). In februari 2002 speelde David Kweksilber in de serie Jonge Nederlanders in het Concertgebouw te Amsterdam o.a. wereldpremieres van aan hem opgedragen solowerken door Guus Janssen, Maarten Altena en Gilius van Bergeijk. For more info about the group ›› www.musikfabriknrw.de ‹‹ back