Accordion

The Accordion Studio 2023 will build its activities on two main pillars:

1. The Use of the Body
A deliberate use of the body is essential for instrumental abilities and expressive potential (and for avoiding injuries), but in recent years an increasing number of musical works include extra-musical elements that often activate the musician’s voice and body in ways that are not even related to playing an instrument. The musician’s moving, dancing, touching, speaking, singing, shouting, grimacing, sounding body opens an exciting and still expanding palette of expression – but its use also requires new skills. (Or does it?)

The Accordion Studio seeks to explore the potential of physical performance on stage, so in addition to any conventional repertoire, participants are particularly invited to bring pieces involving the extra-musical, such as for example:

Vinko Globokar: Dialog über Luft
Niels Rønsholdt: until nothing left
Rebecca Saunders: Flesh
Matthew Shlomowitz: Freedom for Notes and Men
Simon Steen-Andersen: Asthma
Jennifer Walshe: SELF-CARE

2. Collaborations
Chamber music and composer-collaborations are not only central to any professional accordionist of today – they are also wonderful ways to challenge and develop existing conceptions on sound, music and communication. To reflect this, accordion participants will join colleagues from other instrumental studios to perform chamber music works written by some of this year’s internationally renowned composition tutors and/or be teamed up with composer participants to develop and finalize brand new solo pieces during the course period. Coaching will be given from the relevant instrumental and composition tutors, and the outcome of the collaborations will be presented at showings towards the end of the course. (Specific repertoire will be settled after application deadline and should be prepared before coming to Darmstadt.)