Vocal music
(a selection)
Vocal music–not only in music theater, but also in concert music–has played an important role in my artistic work for many years. For example, in 2023 I was Composer-in-Residence at the Ensemble AuditivVokal Dresden, with which I realized three projects in this context. Here you can find some information and impressions of selected concert works for voices. The choir theater / theory opera Yes! Yes! Yes! (2023), which was also produced with AuditivVokal has its own page here.
deckung (versuch 1) (2023/24)
for ten voices and electronics
24 minutes
world premiere: February 2, 2025, SONIC MATTER Zurich, Vokalensemble Zürich (Peter Siegwart, conductor)
in progress:
new work (2023/24)
for amateur choir
world premiere: 2024/25 tba, Schwankhalle Bremen, Schwankcore (Mara Hebel, conductor)
o rubor sanguinis / oh children of aphrodite (2024)
for soprano, baritone, unisono choir, cello and positive organ
8 minutes
world premiere: June 20/21, 2024, Amphithéâtre Olivier Messiaen, Opéra Bastille Paris, Margarita Polonskaya (soprano), Luis Felipe Sousa (baritone), Gabriel Bernès (cello), Paul Coispeau (organ) Raphael Jacobs (staging)
[untitled] (2021)
for six voices (S/Mez/A/T/Bar/B) and audio playback
9 minutes
world premiere: October 19, 2023, Remus Georgescu International Music Festival, Biserica Sfânta Ecaterina din Timișoara
AuditivVokal Dresden (Olaf Katzer, conductor)
selbstorganisationen (2023)
for eight voices (S/S/A/A/T/T/B/B)
14 minutes
world premiere: December 7, 2023, Bergkirche Seiffen
further performances: December 11, 2023, Dom zu Freiberg / December 12, 2023, Dreikönigskirche Dresden
AuditivVokal Dresden (Olaf Katzer, conductor)
Ja, ich bin da im Shantychor! (2020/21)
performative concert for shanty choir and instruments, based on texts from interviews with members of the Neustädter Shanty-Chor e.V., optional video installation
30 minutes
world premiere: September 17/18, 2022, Schwankhalle Bremen
further performance: November 5, 2022, Landeschorfest, Kulturkirche St. Stephani Bremen
Neustädter Shanty-Chor e.V. (Coro Joura, conductor)
ostufer // pizza nicht unter der woche (2022/23)
for soprano and orchestra (3-2-3-2, 4-3-3-1, timp, 2perc, str),
lyrics: Raphael Jacobs
10 minutes
world premiere: November 12, 2023, Saalbau Homburg
Elizabeth Wiles (soprano)
Homburger Sinfonieorchester (Jonathan Kaell, conductor)
Awarded the 1st Prize in the Composition Competition of the City of Homburg 2023
Ostufer: Wohnblock IV (2020-22)
song cycle for voice and piano
lyrics: Raphael Jacobs
11 minutes
staged world premiere: June 20/21, 2024, Amphithéâtre Olivier Messiaen, Opéra Bastille Paris, Sofia Anisimova (mezzo-soprano), Mariam Bombrun (piano), Raphael Jacobs (staging)
burning paper planes (2020)
for six voices (S/Mez/A/T/Bar/B)
lyrics: Raphael Jacobs
6 minutes
ørfeus 2.0 letzte szene (2017)
for tenor (doubling harpsichord, percussion), theorbo, cello, audio playback and live electronics
lyrics: Malte Asmuth
8 minutes
world premiere: September 15, 2017, Hochschule Düsseldorf
Lorenz Rommelspacher & ørfeus kollektiv
Mehrfachbelichtete Melodramen (2016/17)
for beatboxing vocal artist, live electronics, audio/video playback
15 minutes
world premiere: June 13, 2017, Unerhörte Musik, BKA-Theater Berlin
further performances: June 18, 2017, Der Sommer in Stuttgart, Theaterhaus Stuttgart / November 18, 2027, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg / November 21, 2017, Alte Feuerwache Cologne / February 10, 2018, TonArt Esslingen, Villa Nagel Esslingen / July 4, 2018, Greek National Opera Athens
Frauke Aulbert (voice, beat box, performance)
In Mehrfachbelichtete Melodramen (“Multi-Exposed Melodramas”), the subject expressing itself – vocally, noisily, percussively – finds itself in an imaginary scenery of communication and everyday sound. Imitation, addition, manipulation and, not least, performative virtuosity are the instruments by whose means the listeners are invited to adopt the memory of individually experienced scenes, and to parallel them interpretatively with their own experiences and notions: to multi-expose them.