Percussion Studio

Hanna Hartman: Shadow Box (2011)

Simon Steen-Andersen: rerendered (2003–04) Piano solo with two assistants

Free improvisation

Cathy van Eck: Words, Words, Words (2022) for five performers, microphones, loudspeakers with cardboard covers and live electronics

Natacha Diels: here is the promise from the wild psyche to all of us (2018)

Thomas Meadowcroft: Cradles (2013) for percussion duo, with live or pre-recorded Wurlitzer e-piano

David Bird: fm life (2024) for three players

Teilnehmer:innen der Darmstädter Ferienkurse
Participants of the Darmstadt Summer Course
Håkon Stene & Jennifer Torrence (Musikalische Leitung / Musical Direction)

Pure percussion – that was once upon a time. Electronics, live electronics, the inclusion of all kinds of electronic sounds or video feeds through to sound-alienating instruments have almost naturally found their way into the percussive world. In this respect, the Percussion Studio concerts at the Darmstadt Summer Course are always proof of the current state of the art – as in 2025, when numerous rooms of the Edith-Stein-Schule – the two-week headquarters of the participating percussionists – will be transformed into a pulsating sound organism for a good hour. This year, tutors Jennifer Torrence and Håkon Stene have curated a program that is as diverse as it is impressive. Whether Hanna Hartman, Natacha Diels, David Bird, Cathy van Eck, Thomas Meadowcroft, or Simon Steen-Andersen: all works present challenging, practical tasks for the musicians, combine the acoustic with the scenic, and leave the audience with astounded ears.

The Percussion Studio 2025 participants are also involved in other projects, including Acoustic Objects, “To Be Defined”, Flute & Percussion Creative Workshop, and the world premiere of Chaya Czernowin’s new composition, co-commissioned by the Darmstadt Summer Courses, The divine thawing of the core.