When things are hopping – New Instruments, New Sounds

The project “When Things Are Hopping” examined the interest in musical instruments and their further development. Inventive musicians structurally alter their instruments to adapt them to new performance techniques and tuning systems, innovative instrument builders attempt to fill gaps in certain families of instruments, and composers tap the potential of new acoustic possibilities. Inventors, musicians and composers, such as Ole Hamre, Hans van Koolwijk and Samson Young, the Mercan Dede Ensemble or the Klangforum Wien, have been invited to Hellerau to present the fascinating worlds of sound made possible by new musical instruments. In concerts, performances, installations and other events, participants demonstrated such novelties as the steel cello, the double-belled trumpet and the contraforte, while others presented the musical possibilities of these acoustic, melodic and rhythmic innovations in round-table events and workshops. The idea for the project originated from the extraordinary musical instruments developed by the American composer Harry Partch for his microtonal music. In a workshop by the musicians of the musikFabrik ensemble, audience members have been able to experience the sounds and performance methods of these instruments. A workshop for journalists has addressed the issue of presenting music based on examples of sound production and perception.

Artistic directors: Dieter Jaenicke, Barbara Damm, Jan Heinke
Artists: Gaybird (HK), Ole Hamre (NO), Klangforum Wien (AT), Hans von Koolwijk (NL), Mercan Dede Ensemble (TR), Ensemble musikFabrik, Senyawa (ID), Alwin Weber, Samson Young (HK), Mivos Quartet (US), and others