YOUNG AND DIFFERENT - ANDREAS RICHTER

NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS

NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS were founded in 1998 by Nicola Hümpel and Oliver Proske at the Bauhaus Dessau and celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2023. After a period at the Sophiensæle in Berlin, they have been continuously represented here since the opening of the Radialsystem in 2006. Their visually powerful style attracted international attention early on. With projects on Schubert, Handel, Bach, Rossini, Mahler and contemporary music, they are one of the most important music theatre ensembles in Europe. The productions have toured the world with over 360 guest performances and have appeared at renowned opera houses, theatres and festivals.

Artistic direction

Nicola Hümpel completed her studies at the HfBK in Hamburg. Since founding NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS, she has been responsible for the concepts and direction of all productions. Her productions have been shown at renowned festivals, including the Wiener Festwochen, Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele and the Munich Biennale. She has worked at major theatres such as the Opéra Comique in Paris, the Stuttgart State Opera, the Philharmonie and Konzerthaus Berlin and the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles. She teaches the ‘guided improvisation’ method she developed at numerous drama and music colleges in Germany and abroad.

Management & Stage Design
Oliver Proske studied industrial design at the HfBK Hamburg under Prof Dieter Rams and at the HdK Berlin. He has designed more than 20 stage sets for NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS and is also the company’s managing director. He has also been the technical director of more than 350 guest performances in over 60 cities. In addition to his work as a stage designer, he also works as a designer – including for the Bauhaus Museum in Dessau. He has been developing a digital division for the ensemble since 2019, and the AR dance production ‘Du musst Dein Leben rendern!’ was nominated for the AUREA Award in 2022.

VIDEO

PRESSESTIMMEN

‘The evening was characterised by the high artistic achievements, emotional resilience and unbridled enthusiasm of the entire ensemble, with which the concept of the ensemble director Nicola Hümpel, characterised by exuberant scenic imagination, was brought to the stage.’

Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, Christoph Wagner, 27.05.2024

‘Nico and the Navigators once again play a masterful game with the senses. In their new production, they interweave illusion, irony and postmodern narrative art to create a Gesamtkunstwerk that explores the boundaries of deception and truth. Between breathtaking (dance) acrobatics, sound collages and philosophical dialogues, the troupe makes the audience laugh, marvel – and pause for a moment. But where does the pretence end and the lie begin? An unforgettable evening that will captivate the audience and make them think.’

Faust Kultur, Alban Nikolai Herbst, 18.12.2024

‘At the end of September, Nico and the Navigators sent Fabian Hinrichs to the Federal Press Conference Centre as the leader of a populist party called ‘Democratic Alliance’ and played out the possible consequences of such a man winning the election. The lie as a tried and tested means of political communication already appeared there in all conceivable manifestations; in ‘The whole Truth about Lies’, an eclectic and ecstatic evening of music theatre, it takes centre stage – with a wide cultural-historical focal range, but always with reference to the present… A clever, multi-layered evening well worth seeing.’

Berliner Morgenpost, Felix Müller, 13.12.2024

PROJECTS 2026/27 – A SELECTION

NatN_Projekte_DE_2526 Gesamtübersicht Projekte 2025/26 (PDF)

Upon request
The whole Truth about Lies
Music theatre about self-deception, heteronomy, white lies and fallacies

What is the whole truth about lies? Where can it be found and what is revealed when it is exposed? In this era of artificial intelligence and social networks, whoever searches for the truth about lies will often find it residing in the paradoxical – or in the theatre.

Between baroque and pop, and song, dance and text, the NAVIGATORS search for the ‘Whole Truth about Lies’. They combine the old 19th-century theatrical illusion ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ with current AI technology, blurring the boundaries between real bodies and fake images. The horizontal tilts into the vertical and avatars dance with their humans. Perhaps the truth about lies is situated somewhere in the middle – between ‘Gimme some Truth’ and ‘Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies’.

Cast:

BY AND WITH: Peyee Chen (soprano), Andrew Munn (bass), Yui Kawaguchi (dance & choreography), Martin Buczko (dance & choreography), Florian Graul (dance & choreography), Annedore Kleist (acting), Patric Schott (acting), Anne-Sophie Bereuter (violin), Mathis Bereuter (piano & keyboard), Jo Ambros (electric guitar & guitar), Paul Hübner (trumpet), Lucas Johnson (drums & effects & synthesiser)

Artistic direction, stage direction: Nicola Hümpel | Musical direction: Paul Hübner | Musical consultant: Tobias Weber | Stage, technical direction: Oliver Proske | Lighting: Torsten Podraza | Video: Diego Muhr, Robin Plenio Costume: Belinda Masur, Nicola Hümpel, Marie Akoury | Dramaturgy: Andreas Hillger | Choreographic direction: Yui Kawaguchi | Sound: Sebastian Reuter | Artistic assistance: Talea Nuxoll | Set design assistance: Sonja Winkler | Production: Franziska K. Huhn, Leonie Schirra, Talea Nuxoll

A production by NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS and the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and with funds from the Hauptstadt Kultur Fonds. In co-operation with the Radialsystem.

‘Based on the seductive and fatal fascination of the false, the ensemble searches for evidence of self-deception and heteronomy, white lies and fallacies in the dark depths of classical heritage as well as on the glittering surface of contemporary music.’

Klassik heute

DOWNLOADS

The Whole Truth About Lies_Dieter_Hartwig_1 Nico and the Navigators Pressphoto 1

The Whole Truth About Lies_Dieter_Hartwig_1 Nico and the Navigators Pressphoto 2

The Whole Truth About Lies_Oliver_Proske_3 Nico and the Navigators Pressphoto 3

The Whole Truth About Lies_Oliver_Proske_4 Nico and the Navigators Pressphoto 4

NatN_Bio_EN_2425 Biography (PDF)

BRYGGEN – Bruges Strings

From its home port of Bruges, string orchestra BRYGGEN boldly sets course for the North, along the routes of the Hanseatic League, all the way to Scandinavia and the Baltic. In search of new sounds and connection to the wide world around. With united/unified forces, now moving against the current, then harmoniously bathing in the tranquillity of immeasurably deep fjords.

BRYGGEN is a fresh and dynamic string orchestra for whom innovation is key, whether in terms of repertoire or performance. Every BRYGGEN concert is an experience, both for the audience and the performers. Founded by artistic director Jolente De Maeyer, the ensemble explores the soundscape of Scandinavia and the Baltic, complemented with keyworks from 20th and 21st century postmodern music.

BRYGGEN strongly believes in the power of the string orchestra and in the added value that playing music in a smaller group offers in terms of sound, interaction, communication and focus. The ensemble works without a conductor and makes every effort to bring contemporary music to the heart of the audience not only through their ears but also through their eyes. The symbiosis between text, music, image and performance is therefore in the DNA of the projects that BRYGGEN carefully develops alongside narrators, actors, writers, directors, choreographers, dancers, choir, performance artists and more. For BRYGGEN, the future is very diverse.

VIDEO

PRESS REVIEWS

‘Bryggen’s interpretation is a bit like allowing yourself a moment of meditation, free, in the sun and under an open sky.’

crescendo, 22 July 2022

PROJECTS 2025/26/27 – A SELECTION

–Projects 2025/26 (PDF)

October – December 2025, February – April 2026 and upon request
Max Richter Four Seasons Recomposed with dance: four seasons changed

four seasons changed reimagines Max Richter’s iconic music Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons as a choreographed reflection on change as a powerful, yet vulnerable mode of living. BRYGGEN string ensemble not only plays but moves throughout the performance in endlessly varying patterns. Alongside the musicians, a solitary dancer weaves between the strings, both acting as a counterpart and highlighting the emotional structure of the composition.

WEATHER

A treat for the eyes and ears: heavenly sounds accompanied by stunning visuals in a unique 360° sound experience. A musical and visual journey in a unique setting. BRYGGEN brings the cult piece Weather (1997) by Michael Gordon to life as a musical tour de force. This is combined with soundscapes by sound artist Chris Watson and visuals by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Casas, creating a musical tour de force.

Award-winning sound recording engineer Chris Watson has worked on some of the BBC’s most beloved documentaries, including David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet and The Life of Birds. For this project, Chris revisited his extensive archive to create an immersive sound installation that accompanies the hour-long performance by the string orchestra.

Upon request
Waltz with Bashir

Anyone who has already seen Waltz with Bashir on the big screen knows what an overwhelming experience the film is. With his unique, animated documentary, director Ari Folman is rooting in his own past and memories of the Lebanese civil war. Through conversations with his army comrades, the horrors of the time very gradually seep back in. Waltz with Bashir pushed the boundaries of genre, winning film award after film award: a Golden Globe, a César, and also… a European Film Award for Max Richter’s haunting soundtrack. Rightly so, because with his rarefied strings and rich synthesizer soundscapes, the British composer pumped every frame full of emotion.

Tales from the Woods – Nordic Folk

In Scandinavia, traditional music goes hand in hand with classical music. Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg knew like no other how to incorporate folk music into his scores like no other. The Danish String Quartet played a CD full of arrangements of their beloved Scandinavian folk music ‘Wood Works’, for ‘four simple instruments made of wood’. BRYGGEN performs these folk, Norwegian melodies in their version for string ensemble.

E. Grieg: Holberg Suite
A. Pärt: Summa
P. Vasks: Lonely Angel for violin and strings
E. Grieg: The Last Spring
Wood Works selection traditional (arr. Danish String Quartet)

DOWNLOADS

BRYGGEN_Projekte_EN_2526 Overview Projects 2025/26 (PDF)

–BRYGGEN Press Photo 1

–BRYGGEN Press Photo 2

BRYGGEN_Bio_EN_2425 Biography (PDF)

Simone Menezes / ENSEMBLE K

ENSEMBLE K:
Founded at the end of 2019 and based in the Hauts-de-France region in Croix (59), K is a multicultural orchestra with a universal vocation, led by Italian-Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes. The musicians who make up the ensemble met on the Lille-Brussels-Paris axis, and share the same modern, open-minded vision of classical music. K’s programming explores works from the four corners of the globe and from different eras, testifying to its commitment to diversity and artistic flexibility, enabling it to explore a multitude of musical repertoires.

Simone Menezes:
Italian-Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes, based in France since 2017, is a visionary musician known for her creativity and innovative spirit, brilliantly combining classical and contemporary repertoire. Whether as founder and artistic director of Ensemble K, as a sought-after guest conductor with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, or in her incredibly creative projects that combine music with other arts, Simone Menezes has established herself as a rising artist of a new generation.

VIDEO

PRESS REVIEW

“The Ensemble K gave a fine performance under the spirited and fluid direction of Simone Menezes. The violinists Nicolas Dupont and Romuald Grimbert Barré, in particular, mastered the virtuosic solo passages with confidence and a warm, romantic tone. For this outstanding overall performance, the well-filled Pierre Boulez Hall rightly offered enthusiastic applause.”

Berliner Morgenpost, Mario Felix-Vogt, 27.09.24

“Gorgeous… genuinely enjoyable and exciting!”

BBC Musique Magazine

“Founded in 2019 by Italian-Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes, Ensemble K calls itself: Klassic, Kosmopolitan, Kréatif, Konnected. And it’s true!”

Le Monde

PROJECTS 2025/26/27 – A SELECTION

–Gesamtübersicht Projekte 2025/26 (PDF)

Upon request
SCHEHERAZADE – A Tale

“Scheherazade has always fascinated me,” says Simone Menezes about the character from the collection of tales known as One Thousand and One Nights, the inspiration for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic poem, among many other works. But the stereotypical depictions in literature, music, and film hardly do justice to this fabled storyteller: “Scheherazade’s greatness goes far beyond that—she represents an archetype of female heroism.” Based on a new chamber arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music, Menezes and her Ensemble K have created a concert project including excerpts from One Thousand and One Nights, ancient love poetry, and newly written dialogue to provide a contemporary look at this legendary character. A panel discussion on the preceding evening will explore additional perspectives.

Cast:

14 musicians (string quintet, wind quintet, trumpet, trombone, percussion and piano)
2 narrators
Conductor: Simone Menezes

“The Ensemble K, founded by conductor Simone Menezes, pursues a visionary interpretation of classical music. It consists of fourteen virtuoso soloists who bring not only technical perfection but also personal interpretation to their performances. Menezes and her ensemble often collaborate with artists from various disciplines in their projects, creating interdisciplinary works that go beyond pure music. This openness to new forms and approaches is also evident in the Scheherazade recording, which transports the listener into unfamiliar soundscapes.”

Online Merker, Dirk Schauß, September 2024

Availability upon request
COSMOS
The Planets from Gustav Holst (…and Jung’s Archetypes)

Archetypes are like ancient characters living within our soul—invisible figures that guide and shape who we are. They are echoes of the past, like the shadow of a sage, the heart of a lover, or the courage of a warrior, dwelling within each of us.

Every archetype is a universal image that we all recognize, even without having seen it before—like stars in an inner sky that illuminate our dreams, our choices, and our challenges. These archetypes are always present, whispering stories of our lives and revealing paths that transcend time.

The planets can be associated with personality archetypes, reflecting both astrology and the universal aspects of the human psyche as described by Carl Jung. In Gustav Holst’s The Planets, we find a rich tapestry that captures not only the cosmic energy of the planets but also the profound archetypes they represent.

Today, we delve into the concept of archetypes by associating each musical movement of Holst’s work with the archetypes that reside within each of us.

Cast:
ENSMEBLE K and Simone Menezes
Narrator: Volodia Serra

Repertoire :
Nicolas Bacri – Via-Lactea/zodiaque 5 min
Gustav Holst – The planets (orchestration George Morton)
I. Mars, the bringer of War – The Warrior
II. Venus, the bringer of Peace – The Lover
III. Mercury, the winged messenger – The explorer
IV. Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity – The King
V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age – The wiser
VI. Uranus, The Magician – The magician
VII. Neptune, the Mystic – The mystic

DOWNLOADS

Menezes_ENSEMBLE_K_Projects_EN_2526 Overview Projects 2025/26 (PDF)

–ENSEMBLE K Pressphoto 1

Menezes_ENSEMBLE_K_Bio_EN_24 Biography (PDF)

The Once and Future

“The Once and Future” combines film, music, laser choreography, and AI in a unique way, creating a captivating journey that explores and questions geographical, physical, and spiritual boundaries, pushing them to new limits. Along the way, the focus turns to Earth, facing the threat of complete destruction, raising questions about the potential future of humanity and the possible locations for it to unfold.

Award-winning director Yeo Siew Hua from Singapore explores these questions in his film, shot in Argentina during the pandemic, using subtle yet compelling visuals that capture and extend Eugene Birman’s congenial and highly virtuosic music. Birman’s composition is interpreted by the ZeMu! Ensemble Berlin, a group of members from the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Stanley Dodds, and the Indian librettist and vocal soloist Anandi Bhattacharya, who performs as embodied Artificial Intelligence.

This multimedia work premiered at the Singapore International Arts Festival in 2022 and was repeated a year later at the New Vision Arts Festival in Hong Kong.

VIDEO

PRESS

„The most stunning and divisive work at the festival… Yeo Siew Hua’s ambitious and multidisciplinary epic that features film, theatre, laser display… and Berliner Philharmoniker’s gorgeous postmodern music composed by Eugene Birman“

Business Times (SG)

„The production does not aim at sensory overload; rather, it sneaks up on the viewer, delivering a string of unexpected pleasures“

Straits Times (SG)

Project 2024/25

Dates upon request

The Once and Future

In ‘The Once and Future,’ an expanded cinema experience is created through combining hi-power laser tracking, cross-over vocal performance, and AI-assisted libretto, with the virtuosic artistry of the Berliner Philharmoniker members and a new film shot in 12K by acclaimed Singaporean director Yeo Siew Hua.

With the participation of the singer Anandi Bhattacharya, the composer Eugene Birman, the conductor Stanley Dodds, the director Yeo Siew Hua, and the ZeMu! Ensemble. The ZeMu! Ensemble is the latest ensemble emerging from the ranks of the world-famous Berliner Philharmoniker, dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking technology and crossover projects with new media in classical music. ‘The Once and Future’ is its debut project.

DOWNLOADS

–The Once and Future Pressefoto 1

–The Once and Future Pressefoto 2

–The Once and Future Pressefoto 3

–The Once and Future Pressefoto 4

–Presentation dossier

Galilee Chamber Orchestra

The Galilee Chamber Orchestra, founded by the Polyphony Education Association, is the first professional orchestra in Israel consisting of Arab and Jewish musicians. Under the direction of conductor and pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar, the orchestra brings together talented young musicians with leading members of Israeli orchestras to offer its audience a fresh sound and unique energy without compromising on quality. The orchestra performs regularly in Israel and has completed successful tours throughout Europe and America, including performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Corner Hall in Toronto, Konzerthaus Berlin, Christuskirche Hannover, Osnabrücker Musikfestival, and Rheingau Festival. It has also collaborated with world-renowned musicians such as violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Lynn Harrell, and pianist András Schiff.

VIDEO

PRESS

“The Power of Collaboration – The Galilee Chamber Orchestra with Arab and Jewish Musicians Delights at Christuskirche”

Hannoversche Allgemeine

“So much lightness, brilliance, and polished dialogues! One cannot play this Beethoven symphony any better!”

RBB Kultur Radio

DOWNLOADS

–Galilee Chamber Orchestra press picture 1

–Galilee Chamber Orchestra press picture 2

–Galilee Chamber Orchestra press picture 3

Galilee-Bio-EN Biography (PDF)

Mozart y Mambo

Sarah Willis, the charismatic horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Lyceum Orchestra showcase how Mozart could sound in the Caribbean with their successful project “Mozart y Mambo.” Originally founded by Pepe Méndez and his friends and classmates from the ISA (Instituto Superior de Artes) and ENA (Escuelas Nacionales de Arte), the orchestra brings a unique blend of classical and Caribbean influences.

With the support of the renowned Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble, the orchestra gained significant recognition with the release of their first Mozart y Mambo album. The Mozart y Mambo project combines the rhythmic music of Mozart with the vibrant joy of Cuba, captivating people all around the world during their tours.

VIDEO

PRESS

„He (Mozart) would certainly have liked this lively approach.“

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 12 August 2023

„I was similarly impressed by the elegance and flair of the Cuban sections – some of them riffs on Mozart, while others are drawn from traditional Cuban songs and dances.“

Gramophone Magazin, May 2023

„The incredible energy and rhythmic sensibility of the young and talented orchestral musicians was captured wonderfully.“

BR Klassik, 18 July 2020

Project 2025/26

Dates upon request

Mozart y Mambo – with Sarah Willis in Kuba

A unique musical encounter in Havana: The successful project with Sarah Willis combines popular solo pieces for the horn by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with traditional Cuban music. The program includes music from the first three released CDs.

DOWNLOADS

–Mozart y Mambo press picture 1

–Mozart y Mambo press picture 2

–Mozart y Mambo press picture 3

–Biography Havana Lyceum Orchestra (PDF)

–Biography Sarah Willis (PDF)

Building Bridges

Each season, András Schiff, who himself built his international acclaimed career without the springboard of a major competition win, selects three gifted pianists with unique musical personalities and, in cooperation with conc.arts berlin, arranges recitals for them at concert venues and festivals throughout Europe. The aim is to support the young artists in developing their own sustainable networks and lasting connections in the professional music world. Past seasons have seen the pianists perform in Antwerp, Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Dortmund, Florence, Frankfurt, London, Lugano, Milan, Weimar, Zurich as well as at a variety of prestigious summer festivals. Upcoming highlights include recitals in Bern, Gstaad and Vienna’s Musikverein.

A special focus is the development of the concert programmes, which Sir András Schiff undertakes in intensive consultation with the musicians. The programmes should reflect not only the pianistic skills, but also the artistic curiosity and ideas of the participants. The pianists leave behind authentic musical visiting cards, both for the audience with an affinity for piano music and for the professional world – because artists’ agencies, concert organizers, representatives of the record industry, fellow musicians and specialist journalists are invited to every concert.

The selected musicians have completed their studies and have already participated in various renowned competitions. Nevertheless, they are only at the beginning of their professional careers and with the participation in Building Bridges they are given the chance to shape their professional future in a promising way right from the start. Since 2014, 22 pianists have been supported by the programme and established flourishing careers, including Zoltán Fejévári, Nathalia Milstein, Mishka Rushdie Momen, Nicolas Namoradze and Schaghajegh Nosrati.

With Building Bridges, Sir András Schiff has established a unique model of sustainable promotion of young talent, enabling young pianists to build their own bridges to the professional music world.

Building Bridges website

VIDEO

PIANISTS 2024/25

–Overview projects 2024/25 (PDF)

Availability upon request
Tähe-Lee Liiv

A. Pärt: Partita, 1958
J. Sibelius: Selection from the 10 Pieces, Op. 24, 1903
E. Grieg: Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song in G minor, Op. 24, 1875
E. Rautavaara: Études Op. 42, 1969

Availability upon request
Jérémie Moreau

J. S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816
B. Bartók: Out of Doors, Sz. 81
F. Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58

Availability upon request
Chloe Jiyeong Mun

J. Haydn: Piano Sonata in C Major, Hob.XVI:48
C. Debussy: Estampes, L.100
F. Schubert: Piano Sonata No.19 in c minor, D.958

DOWNLOADS

–Projects 2024-25 (PDF)

For more information about the projects as well as bios and pictures of the pianists, please click here:

Building Bridges website

Freigeist Ensemble

Freigeist Ensemble is a courageous collective of supersonic soloists from German symphony orchestras that repackages super symphonic music for new audiences.

Often commissioning world premiere arrangements for innovative late-night projects, its mission is to revolutionise the style, sound and setting of classical concerts. This began in 2010 with “mini-Mahler” at Berlin’s Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, followed by “Strauss 150: New Perspectives” at STATTBAD Berlin, “From Russia with Soul” at Griessmühle Berlin and “Bartók Beyond Borders” at Musikbrauerei Berlin.

Joolz Gale founded Freigeist Ensemble to build upon his vision to reach new audiences though new concert formats and alternative locations. Projects often include newly commissioned arrangements for ensemble by Joolz Gale himself (incl. Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Bartók’s Dance Suite, Debussy’s La Mer, Bruckner’s 9th, Prokofiev’s 5th and Shostakovich’s 9th & 10th Symphonies), for which he is represented and published by Schott, Sikorski and Boosey & Hawkes.

VIDEO

PRESS

“An ideal case of closeness.”

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 4 August 2021

„The new great things are small… mini is irresistible..“

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 31 July 2021

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2025/26

–Overview projects 2025/26 (PDF)

Availability upon request
BRUCKNER 6, 7, 8, 9 – 2024 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner
with Joolz Gale, direction

A. Bruckner:
Symphony No. 6 in A major WAB 106, arr. Gale *Premiere*
Symphony No. 7 E major WAB 107, arr. Gale *premiere*
Synphony No. 8 C minor WAB 108, arr. Gale
Symphony No. 9 in D minor WAB 109, arr. Gale

DOWNLOADS

–Freigeist Ensemble press photo 1

–Freigeist Ensemble press photo 2

–Freigeist Ensemble press photo 3

–Freigeist Ensemble press photo 4

–Ensemble Mini press photo 5

–Freigeist Ensemble press photo 6

–Biography (PDF)

–Biography Joolz Gale (PDF)

–Projects 2025/26 (PDF)

Stegreif – The Improvising Symphony Orchestra

Without notes – without conductor – without chairs: Stegreif shows new ways of what a contemporary orchestra can look like today. In radical recompositions, the international musicians combine symphonic music with improvisation and influences from other genres and involve the audience in original spatial concepts. With these innovative concert formats, the young ensemble inspires a growing audience of different target groups.

Since the orchestra was founded in 2015, at least one new concert programme has been developed every year: #freebeethoven, #freeschubert, #freebrahms, #free∃roica, #bfree, #freemahler, #explore_mozart, #explorefreischütz, #bechange. In addition, co-productions have been realised with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the young North German Philharmonic Orchestra (TRIKESTRA), among others. Stegreif has performed concerts renowned stages such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Brucknerhaus Linz, the Radialsystem Berlin, the Beethovenfest Bonn or the Prinzregententheater Munich as well as at alternative alternative festivals such as FUSION, Detect Classic, PODIUM Esslingen, the Düsseldorf Festival or the Oranjewoud Festival (NL).

VIDEO

PRESS

‘A Bruckner symphony in an interactive format: it’s one of the most goosebump-inducing moments of the evening and pure magic. Rarely do you experience the urgency and exceptional character of this music first-hand as was the case here.’

Urs Mattenberger in der Luzerner Zeitung, 12.09.2024

‘There was thunderous applause and standing ovations for this magnificent performance by an ensemble that had ‘delivered’.’

Reinhard Frank on shz.de, 24.07.2022

‘It’s a success! Bravo!’

Angelika Silberbach in Mainpost, 19.07.2022

‘The passion for music and the virtuosity of the individual pieces can rarely be experienced so closely.’

Ulrike Gerner in taz, 12.10.2019

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2024/25

–Overview projects 2025/26 (PDF)

Dates available upon request
#IMPROPHONIE
A symphony from the moment

How can music emerge in the moment and in contact with the audience? Where do improvisation and composition meet? Can even an entire symphony be improvised?
Groove – movement – eye contact. The aim of #improphonie is to capture the magic of collective, free improvisation in its spontaneity and to give it a space as an independent work. space as an independent work. The individual strengths of the musicians become the driving energy and communication the actual composer. communication becomes the actual composer.

Artistic direction: Juri de Marco, Lorenz Blaumer
Concept, composition, musical direction: Bertram Burkert
Direction, choreography and conception: Lea Hladka
Costume and stage: Anja Kreher

Duration: approx 70 min

“The most striking overall impression was the atmosphere: away from the spectacular, theatral, merely entertaining, towards mindfulness, humility and appreciation.”

FAZ, 27 September 2022

Dates available upon request
symphony of change –
Final production of the project #bechange – 17 sounds of sustainability

In the symphony of change, Stegreif asks what this change sounds like. The musical arc is spanned from Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709- 1785), Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) to Clara Schumann (1819-1896). Music history is revealed and rewritten when selected works by these historical composers are recomposed by five young and female ensemble members of the Stegreif Orchester and placed in a new context.

Premiere: planned for August 2023
Cast: 24 musicians
Artistic direction: Juri de Marco / Lorenz Blaumer
Recomposition/Arrangement: Nina Kazourian, Tabea Schrenk, Julia Bilat, Helena Weinstock-Montag, Franziska Aller
Co-Artistic Direction Composition: Alistair Duncan
Direction, Choreography: David Fernandez