International Ensemble Modern Academy 2019

Klangspuren Schwaz, Austria


The approximately twenty concerts at the Tyrol’s KLANGSPUREN festival held between September 6 and 22, 2019 will be dedicated to current political debate: “Risse” (rifts, divisions) is the motto of the festival in 2019 – to be understood as a metaphor for the process of social and political erosion that seems to be an increasing threat to peace in Europe. Countering the divisiveness of populist politicians KLANGSPUREN aims to reflect on the causes of these divisions to process them and repair these rifts with the necessary social cement. Unlike blaring daily political debate, the 2019 festival program will focus on contemplation, silence and thoughtfulness. For this reason Alsace composer Mark Andre will act as composer-in-residence this year. Like scarcely any other present-day European composer Andre’s work is inspired by the spiritual-theological assurance that the world could take a turn for the better if its ever more complex socio-economic structures were illuminated and questioned. With the reflexive power of his often quiet but all the more penetrative music Andre confronts today’s sense of bewilderment with unshakable faith and hope.

Like every year since the founding of the International Ensemble Modern Academy (IEMA) at KLANGSPUREN in 2004, the composer-in-residence this year will also be in attendance for at least a week during the rehearsals at this summer school. The composer will work with the forty or so scholarship recipients from about twenty countries on the musical program as well as explain the performance approaches and the multi-layered nature of his own works. The IEMA will be held in 2019 from August 28 to September 8 in the small Tyrolean town of Schwaz, the home base of the KLANGSPUREN festival. Furthermore, for the first time in IEMA history at KLANGSPUREN, in parallel with Mark Andre an improviser-in-residence will also work with the students. It has been possible to enlist Zeena Parkins for this role. This means the IEMA and KLANGSPUREN are reacting to current tendencies in New Music by increasingly incorporating more improvisational elements. Forming an additional highlight are the teachers’ panel discussions, musicological lectures and spoken word concerts with the composer- and improviser-in-residence that complement the line-up of instrumental courses. KLANGSPUREN Schwaz sees itself as a platform for the promotion of New Music and wishes to give IEMA participants the opportunity to profoundly deepen their knowledge by playing music themselves, through discussions, theoretical discourses and visits to festival concerts. In various concert formats like work concerts, spoken word concerts, “Rent a Musician”, “Academy in Concert I + II” here they are given the chance to perform in public.


August 28 – September 9, 2019
Musikschule Schwaz, Austria

August 28 – September 9, 2019
Knappensaal/Knaves’ Hall at SZentrum Schwaz, Austria

September 1, 2019
Rent a Musician – Brief Concerts in Private Living Rooms between Teils and Jenbach, Austria

September 7, 2019
Academy in Concert I, Schwaz, Austria

September 9, 2019
Academy in Concert II, Schwaz, Austria


Further Information:
klangspuren.at