Musica Viva presents: American Experimentalists!

What is music? What could music be? Early in the twentieth century, composers in North America slowly began to loosen themselves from European models and proceeded to forge new and quite radical paths. And for over 60 years now, it has been possible to speak of a distinct tradition of experimental music following quite different aesthetic and structural premises to other directions in new music.

In Summer Semester 2010, the North American tradition of experimental music will be the focus of a number of events and concerts at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and in the city of Göttingen in general. These include two concerts in the series Musica Viva.

Programme subject to change!


Saturday, 8 May 2010 Kinder-Uni Göttingen
"Der Klang und die Stille: Begegnung mit John Cage"
Lecture by Prof. Dr. M. J. Grant for students of Göttingen's Children's University.
Place: Conference Centre at the Historical Observatory (Sternwarte)
Details and registration (German) here

Wednesday, 9 June 2010 Musica Viva Presents: American Experimentalists I
Place: Accouchierhaus (Kurze Geismar Strasse 1)
Time: 6 p.m (first half), 7.30 p.m. (second half)
Programme: Students of the Göttingen Kinder-Uni and of the Department of Musicology perform works by John Cage, Alvin Lucier, Earle Brown and LaMonte Young.
Entrance free, donations welcome!

Thursday 8 July 2010 Open Seminar with Marc Sabat
Place: Accouchierhaus (Kurze Geismar Strasse 1), Lecture Room (Hörsaal)
Time: 12:15-13:45
Canadian composer Marc Sabat talks about his own music and recent developments in harmony and intonation, and discusses the contemporary experimental music scene in North America and in Europe.

Thursday 8 July 2010 Musica Viva Presents: American Experimentalists II
Place: Accouchierhaus (Kurze Geismar Strasse 1)
Time: 20:30
Programme: Marc Sabat (violin), Lucia Mense (recorder) and others present music by Marc Sabat, Christian Wolff and John Cage. Exact programme t.b.c.
Entrance free, donations welcome!
This concert is financed by student fees.

Friday, 27 August till Monday, 30 August Linien: A Festival of New Music
Place: Lokhalle Göttingen
The festival's focus is American music of the 20th century. Performers include the Göttingen Symphony Orchesta and Ensemble Modern. Further details at
www.festival-linien.de