Science Year 2024
2023 passed like a breeze. Hardly any time to think about what I composed or what else I did.
My four-week trek through Japan in November and December was one of the best trips I have ever been on. I learned how important it is to sometimes take a break. And I finally developed a sense of acceptance for my home country. It was a new beginning.
Now is the start of a new year. It’s supposed to be about science – because the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg invited me as a fellow to be part of their ‘artist in residence’ program. My project is “Robotics in Music”. I think it’s important for us composers to engage with robotics and not leave that field entirely to computer scientists and AI pop-specialists. Composing with the help of AI has a lot of future potential – but also many dangers. I am going to attend a lecture on robotics at the University Bremen, where I will talk with experts about what uses already exist in music, and what possibilities could come about in the future.
In March there will be an important performance in Salzburg: “Ich will zornig sein” [I want to be angry], based on a text by Thomas Bernhard. The Berliner Frauenvokalensemble, the viola player Miriam Götting, the organ player Josefine Horn, and myself are invited by the Maria-Anna-Mozart-Society to perform this piece on March 8th, International Women’s Day. The intense and controversial text has always been a topic of contention, even in Thomas Bernhard’s home city Salzburg. I am anxious to see what the response will be.
Despite the tumult around me, I relish my work. Composing is my job and my calling, and I pursue it with maximum enthusiasm.
Dear Friends, I wish you a healthy and happy New Year!
